According to Todd Jorgensen, executive director of LEAP, the average payment will increase to $370 per family from $275. The new maximum payment will be $1,000 and the minimum payment will remain the same at $200. The benefit increase will be automatically sent to qualified families and individuals who have already received assistance from LEAP during the 2010/2011 season.
LEAP is a federally funded program that provides cash assistance to help families and individuals pay winter home heating costs. The program pays the highest benefits to those with the highest heating bills and lowest incomes by family size. Applicant income cannot exceed 185 percent of the federal poverty index, which equals a maximum income of $3,400 per month before taxes for a household of four people.
LEAP eligible households may also qualify for the Crisis Invention Program [CIP] and the Governor’s Energy Office’s Weatherization Program. The CIP operates year-round and provides assistance with a home’s primary heating source such as a furnace or wood-burning stove. The Weatherization Program improves the energy efficiency in homes throughout Colorado, permanently reducing heating costs.
To apply:
- Call 866.HEAT.HELP to have an application mailed to your home
- Visit any county department of social/human services across the State (to locate your county’s office, visit the program’s website)
- Download and print an application
