Governor spreads word on heating bill grants

from the Chicago Tribune

ILLINOIS - Gov. Rod Blagojevich Wednesday urged people living in low-income households to apply for winter heating grants through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program before temperatures get much lower.

The program makes heating-bill payments for households with incomes of up to 1 1/2 times the federal poverty level, officials said. Households that qualify include single people with monthly incomes of up to $1,276, couples who earn up to $1,711 and families of four who make up to $2,581.

The state and federally funded program, run by the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, pays benefits directly to the household's utility, the governor's office said. For more information about the program, visit http://www.liheapillinois.com .