NC Energy Assistance for Kinship Caregivers

LIEAP — Seasonal Heating Assistance

The Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) provides a one-time payment each winter to help low-income households pay heating costs. In North Carolina, households with a member age 60 or older or a qualifying disabled member who receives services through the Division of Aging and Adult Services can apply from December 1 through 31. Other households can apply from January 1 through March 31, or until funds are exhausted.

Income eligibility depends on household size. The limit is 150% of the federal poverty level for households with a member age 60 or older or a qualifying disabled member who receives services through the Division of Aging and Adult Services; the limit is 130% for other households. Check your mail and ePASS for any renewal or payment notice.

The payment goes directly to your energy provider. For the 2026 program year, amounts range from $300 to $500 and depend on household circumstances.

Crisis Intervention Program — Year-Round Emergency Help

The Crisis Intervention Program (CIP) operates year-round and covers both heating and cooling emergencies. If you're facing a utility disconnection notice — or your heating or cooling system has already been shut off — CIP can help.

Effective July 1, 2026, the maximum CIP benefit is $600 per household per fiscal year. You need to provide:

• A past-due utility bill or disconnection notice
• Proof of income for everyone in the household
• Proof of identity and residency

Apply through your county DSS office. CIP is processed separately from your FNS or Work First application, but the same office handles it.

CIP has one critical advantage over LIEAP: it's available when you actually need it, not limited to a narrow winter window. If a summer heat wave puts your grandchild at risk and you can't pay the electric bill, CIP is the program to apply for.

How Adding a Grandchild Affects Eligibility

When you take in a grandchild, your household size increases, which raises the income ceiling for energy assistance programs. A single person on Social Security who was slightly over the income limit for LIEAP may now qualify as a two-person household.

This works in the other direction too: if the child receives income (survivor benefits, child support), that counts toward the household's gross income for energy assistance purposes. But for most kinship households, the higher income ceiling from the additional household member more than offsets the child's small income.

Applying

For both LIEAP and CIP, apply at your county DSS office — the same office where you'd apply for Work First or food stamps. You can ask about energy assistance during any other DSS visit, or call ahead to ask whether the LIEAP application window is currently open.

If you're already receiving FNS or Work First benefits, your caseworker can flag your eligibility for energy programs during your next recertification. Some counties automatically screen benefit recipients for LIEAP eligibility, but don't count on it — ask directly.

A grandparent household dealing with tight utility budgets on top of the increased costs of raising a child needs every program working together. The NC Kinship Financial Help Guide includes a complete benefits-by-arrangement map showing which programs you qualify for based on your care situation.

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