Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
WA Department of Commerce
Washington's Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program is run by the Department of Commerce through a network of community action agencies and local partners. Eligible households can receive a one-time heating (and now cooling) grant paid directly to the energy provider, help repairing or replacing an unsafe or broken heating or cooling unit, and a referral to Commerce's Weatherization Program for energy-efficiency upgrades. Your heat source does not matter. Electric, gas, propane, oil, coal, and wood all qualify. Commerce does not decide who is eligible or schedule appointments. The local LIHEAP provider does that. State law also requires investor-owned electric utilities to offer low-income energy assistance programs and funding, and Commerce reports on the statewide picture every two years. Commerce is also looking at a statewide monthly low-income energy bill assistance program.
Who qualifies
What it covers
Cost
How to apply
How to apply
Find the agency that serves your county
There is no statewide application. Everything runs through the local agency for your county, and each one has its own scheduling process and open dates.
- County provider locator Open
- By appointment at your local Community Action Agency
- Commerce, program information only 360-725-2857
Documents to gather
- Photo ID
- Proof of income for everyone in the household
- Social Security numbers for household members
- Proof of your current address
- Current heating bill and electric bill, including account numbers
- Rent or mortgage statement, or landlord verification if heat is included in your rent
Worth knowing
You can only receive energy assistance once per program year, October 1 to September 30.
Do not call the state Commerce number to apply. That line is for program information only and cannot take an application. Applications only go through your county's local agency.
Open dates, scheduling method, and required documents all vary by county agency. Check what your agency needs rather than assuming a statewide list.
Agencies stop scheduling once their funding is committed for the year. Seniors, disabled households, and the lowest incomes are commonly prioritized.
Some agencies also run a crisis path for households facing disconnection, handled faster than a normal appointment. Ask if that is your situation.
See your next step, the documents you will need, and how to apply. Save it to your account to track your progress.
Where to go from here
VA Aid and Attendance and Housebound benefits
$2,424 to $2,874/moVA Aid and Attendance (A&A) and Housebound benefits are monthly payments added to a qualifying veteran's or survivor's VA pension. You cannot get both at the same time. Aid and Attendance is for those who need another person's help with daily activities, are bedridden, are in a nursing home because of a disability, or have severely limited eyesight. Housebound is for those who spend most of their time at home because of a permanent disability.
Last checked Jun 1, 2026
VA Survivors Pension
$975 to $1,558/moVA Survivors Pension offers monthly tax-free payments to qualified unmarried surviving spouses and unmarried dependent children of wartime veterans, subject to income and net worth limits set by Congress. May be supplemented by Aid and Attendance or Housebound benefits if the survivor needs help with daily activities or is housebound.
Last checked Jun 1, 2026
Elderly Simplified Application Project (ESAP)
$50 to $546/moESAP is a simpler way to get Basic Food for households where every member is 60 or older or an adult with a disability and no one has earned income. It is not a separate benefit. Your Basic Food amount is the same, but two things change. First, you are approved for 36 months instead of 12. Second, you do not have to do a renewal interview or the usual mid-period check-ins during that time. ESAP is decided only when you first apply and when you renew. A household already on Basic Food cannot switch into ESAP in the middle of a certification period. Reporting is lighter too: you only have to report if your household income goes over 130% of the federal poverty level or if you have large gambling or lottery winnings. If your household stops qualifying for ESAP during the period, for example a member who is not elderly or disabled moves in, or someone starts earning wages, you keep Basic Food for the rest of the 36 months but go back to the regular check-ins. The state's benefit system sets the ESAP status automatically.
Last checked Jun 17, 2026
Medicare Part D Extra Help (Low-Income Subsidy)
$5,700/yrExtra Help, also called the Part D Low-Income Subsidy, lowers what a Medicare beneficiary pays for prescription drug coverage. It can cover the Part D premium, the deductible, and the per-prescription copays, and it removes the Part D late-enrollment penalty and opens a special enrollment window to change plans. Recent federal changes folded the old partial subsidy into the full subsidy, so most people who qualify now receive the full benefit. People already enrolled in Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income, or a Medicare Savings Program are deemed automatically eligible and do not need to file a separate Extra Help application.
Last checked Jun 1, 2026
Not sure this one fits your situation? Your local Area Agency on Aging can check what you qualify for and point you to the right programs, for free. No one will sell your information, and no one will cold-call you.
Source www.commerce.wa.gov/community-opportunities/liheap/
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