CHARLESTON, WV (LOOTPRESS) – The West Virginia Department of Human Services (DoHS) announced it will begin automatically mailing applications for the Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) starting January 5, 2026, marking the official start of the new LIEAP season.
According to DoHS and its Bureau for Family Assistance, the automatic mailing is intended to help ensure timely access to heating assistance for some of the state’s most vulnerable residents.
Applications will be sent to households that received regular LIEAP benefits during the previous season, as well as older adults and individuals with disabilities.
Households that receive an application through the automatic mailing must submit it by January 30, 2026, or before available funds are exhausted.
Applications may be returned by mail, dropped off at a local DoHS office, or completed online through the WV PATH portal at www.wvpath.org. Regular LIEAP enrollment for the general public will open February 2, 2026.
Applicants who use a Public Services Commission-regulated utility as their primary heating source are required to submit a current utility bill. Households that heat with bulk fuels must provide verification of their fuel supplier along with a receipt.
The maximum LIEAP benefit for the 2026 fiscal year is $2,000 per household.
DoHS also released the maximum allowable gross monthly income limits for Fiscal Year 2026. For a one-person household, the limit is $2,454. The limit increases to $3,209 for two people, $3,965 for three, $4,720 for four, $5,475 for five, and $6,230 for six.
For households of seven through ten people, the limits range from $6,372 to $8,144, with $688 added for each additional person. Social Security and veterans benefits are excluded from income calculations.
Residents needing assistance can contact their local DoHS office, call the Office of Constituent Services’ Client Services Unit at 1-800-642-8589, or email osaclientservices@wv.gov.
