Implement Louisiana LIHEAP regular heating assistance #10419

Summary

Implement Louisiana's LIHEAP regular heating benefit for FY2026 (October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026). The Louisiana Housing Corporation (LHC) pays one heating-season award from the FFY2026 Heating and Cooling Benefit Matrix, set by the household's energy burden and size, plus a $100 supplement for priority households. The Louisiana LIHEAP Service Delivery Guide revised January 1, 2024 governed the FY2026 heating season; the edition effective April 1, 2026 keeps the same income, burden and benefit rules.

Scope

Regular heating assistance only, as part of the all-state LIHEAP effort: household size, countable income, the 60% state median income limit, responsibility for energy costs, total energy cost and the subsidized-housing utility allowance, the matrix award, the zero-income rule and the priority supplement. The summer cooling cycle (the same matrix used in the cooling season), crisis assistance, weatherization, equipment repair or replacement and discretionary supplemental heating payments are out of scope.

Key rules

• Income limit: 60% of state median income for all household sizes (FY2026 plan 2.1; guide 3.6 C.1). Notice LHP-2025-01 prints annual limits from $30,618 for one person to $84,790 for ten. Income may not exceed the limit. The federal floor in 42 U.S.C. 8624(b)(2)(B) protects income below 110% of the poverty guideline; in FY2026 it exceeds the 60% limit from household size 14.
• Household: the applicant must be a citizen or a permanent legal resident eligible for federal benefits, and a household of only ineligible aliens does not qualify. Undocumented members are left out of household size, but their income counts (guide 3.6 D and D.3). The April 2026 edition adds a household-member definition with exclusions, such as children away at school.
• Heating cost and responsibility: the applicant must be fully or partly responsible for a residential energy bill. Renters whose heat is in the rent qualify; the landlord states the monthly heating cost on Appendix L and passes the benefit on as a rent reduction (guide 3.6 E; plan 2.3).
• Countable income: gross income of every member 18 or older, including undocumented members (guide 3.6 C.1 and Appendix E). Counted: wages, net self-employment, Social Security net of the Medicare deduction (plan 1.9), SSI, pensions, railroad retirement, veterans' payments, unemployment, workers' compensation, strike benefits, alimony, interest, dividends, net rental income, estate and trust receipts, net gambling winnings, regular contributions and FITAP. Not counted: child support, capital gains, bank and retirement-account withdrawals, tax refunds, irregular gifts, one-time payments and SNAP, nor the earnings of members under 18 or of members 18 and over still in high school. Social Security and SSI paid to minors count (Appendix E; FAQ A4).
• Benefit computation: energy burden is the monthly total energy cost, the sum of every energy vendor's bill not more than 30 days old, divided by monthly income (guide 4.1 and 4.2). The FFY2026 matrix pays $200, $350, $500 or $650 for one to three members and $250, $400, $550 or $700 for four or more, for burdens of 9.9% and less, 10% to 17.9%, 18% to 24.9% and 25% and greater. Households with zero income receive the maximum for their size. One $100 supplement per household with a member 60 or older, disabled, or five or younger (guide 4.2 A). The plan's range is $200 to $800 (plan 2.6); there is no bill cap.
• Special housing: subsidized households subtract their utility allowance from the total energy cost; an allowance greater than the bill makes the household ineligible, and applicants 60 or older are exempt (guide 4.1 C; plan 2.3). The April 2026 edition compares the allowance with the bill for the same utility. Community solar participants use the same calculation (plan 2.5).

Sources

• Louisiana LIHEAP Service Delivery Guide, revised January 1, 2024: https://www.lhc.la.gov/hubfs/Document%20Libraries/Energy%20Assistance/Louisiana%20LIHEAP%20Service%20Delivery%20Guide%20-%20REVISED%20January%201_%202024.pdf#page=29
• Louisiana LIHEAP Service Delivery Guide, effective April 1, 2026: https://www.lhc.la.gov/hubfs/Document%20Libraries/Energy%20Assistance/Louisiana%20LIHEAP%20Service%20Delivery%20Guide%20-%20FINAL%20-%20Effective%20April%201%2c%202026.pdf#page=33
• Memorandum LA LIHEAP 09, April 1, 2026 guide revisions: https://www.lhc.la.gov/hubfs/Document%20Libraries/Energy%20Assistance/Memorandum%20LA%20LIHEAP%2009%20%20-%20Louisiana%20LIHEAP%20Service%20Delivery%20Guide%20%E2%80%93%20April%201%2c%202026%20Revisions.pdf#page=1
• FY2026 LIHEAP Detailed Model Plan: https://liheapch.acf.gov/docs/2026/state-plans/LA_Plan_2026.pdf#page=5
• FFY2026 Heating and Cooling Benefit Matrix: https://liheapch.acf.gov/docs/2026/benefits-matricies/LA_BenefitMatrix_Heat-Cool_2026.pdf
• Notice LHP-2025-01, FFY2026 income eligibility limits: https://www.lhc.la.gov/hubfs/Document%20Libraries/Energy%20Assistance/Notice%20LHP-2025-01%20-%20LIHEAP%20Income%20Eligibility%20Limits%20for%20FFY2026%20-%20LOUISIANA.pdf
• Service Delivery Guide FAQs, February 11, 2022 (A4): https://www.lhc.la.gov/hubfs/Document%20Libraries/Energy%20Assistance/Louisiana%20LIHEAP%20Service%20Delivery%20Guide%20-%20Frequently%20Asked%20Questions%20(FAQs)%20-%202%2011%2022.pdf#page=2
• LIHEAP IM 2025-02 Attachment 4, FY2026 state median income: https://acf.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ocs/COMM_LIHEAP_IM2025-02_SMIStateTable_Att4.pdf#page=2
• 42 U.S.C. 8624(b)(2)(B): https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2023-title42/html/USCODE-2023-title42-chap94-subchapII-sec8624.htm

Related

• LIHEAP #256 (LIHEAP epic) and Default heating_type to electricity and remove the UNSPECIFIED-gated state heating adapters #9754 (heating_type default).