By Samantha Russell

WESTPORT — More than 300 applications for help paying this winter’s heating bills had already been received by the town’s Department of Human Services before the end of September.

But DHS officially began accepting applications on Tuesday, Oct. 1, from income-eligible residents for assistance through the Connecticut Energy Assistance Program.

Elaine Daignault, the town’s human services director, highlighted the large — and growing — demand for heating assistance at a Board of Selectwomen meeting last month. 

“The goal is to help as many households that are financially eligible,” Daignault said. CEAP is the state’s federally funded program, administered by the state Department of Social Services and municipal social services departments.

The program helps pay for oil, propane, gas, electric and heating services for qualified households that apply and are accepted for the subsidy, Daignault said. Funds to pay for heating costs are sent directly to the recipients’ energy suppliers.

To qualify for CEAP, a household’s gross annual income must be at or below 60 percent of the state median income. Under that guideline, maximum income for households is:

• One person, $45,505
• Two people, $59,507
• Three people, $73,509
• Four people, $87,751
• Five people, $101,513

An application for heating assistance faces several steps of review by the Department of Human Services, according to Kristen Witt, a senior social worker who oversees the town’s program. A preliminary assessment of financial eligibility is conducted first. If approved, the department will help families fill out an application, which includes information such as income, utility costs and number of those living at the home, Witt said. 

A need for financial assistance can depend on several factors, such as a family’s employment status or unexpected issues such as a lack of transportation. 

“People have life situations,” Witt said. “There is a lot of struggle right now. Westport is no different than any other town.” 

The goal of the program is to support residents of any age in need, Daignault said. Westport’s elderly are a main concern, she added, because many seniors live on a fixed income. 

Another concern is residents whose earnings fall just above the income-eligibility guideline, but need help despite not qualifying financially. For those individuals and families, there is the “Westport Warmup Fund,” a town program that raises money for households who land above the income limits, Daignault said. 

“We’re fortunate, in Westport, to have a very, very generous community who donates to our warmup fund every year,” she said. The Westport Warmup Fund helps people that are in  what she called “a donut hole,” who don’t qualify for state and federal funding, but can’t quite keep up with their bills. (To make a donation to the fund, click here.)

Many also don’t know how to navigate  the system, Daignault added. “Our role is to make  the connection and try and help anybody who’s having some financial insecurity,” she said. “They can come to speak to one person, they can tell their story and they don’t have to tell it over and over again with every agency that they speak to.”

She called the Department of Human Services “a one-stop shop” for information and resources on heating assistance. “Too many people don’t know we’re here until they need us.”

Daignault encouraged residents heating with oil or propane to complete their applications early in the season to ensure they receive the full benefit. Applicants must have recent copies of heating, electric, water, lease or mortgage statements and other proof-of-income documents. 

To apply for heating assistance or for answers to questions about the program, call 203-341-1050 or email humansrv@westportct.gov to make an appointment at the DHS office at Town Hall, 110 Myrtle Ave.

Samantha Russell is a Westport Journal intern.