DHHS Helps Nebraskans Cool Down with Fans, Bill Payment Assistance
Facing the hot days of summer, fans and assistance in paying summer cooling bills are available to those who meet the qualifications for the two Department of Health and Human Services programs, according to Thomas Pristow, director of Children and Family Services.
DHHS has partnered with 43 organizations in 33 Nebraska communities to distribute fans to citizens. The recipients of the fans are determined by the organizations that distribute them, Pristow said.
Persons seeking a fan should call the telephone number of the organization nearest them for more information, he said.
The fans were purchased with funds from the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families, and the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services administers the funds, he said.
“We expect hundreds of fans will be provided across the state to help individuals and families who are most likely to be affected by the hot weather,” Pristow said. “This is just one of many programs at DHHS that help people live better lives.”
Funds also are available through the DHHS cooling program to assist low-income individuals and families with bill payments, Pristow said. Applications can be requested online at http://www.ACCESSNebraska.ne.gov, or by calling 1-800-383-4278, or any local DHHS office, he said.
To be eligible for funds, a person 70 years of age or older, or a person who is more susceptible to heat because of their medical condition must live in the household. The limit of a household’s financial resources to qualify for the cooling program is $5,000, and the annual income limits are:
Household Size Income Limit: $12,639, $17,066, $21,506, $25,933, $30,360, $34,800, $39,377, $43,653, $48,094, $52,520 and each additional member, $4,413.
Additional information can be found at: http://dhhs.ne.gov/EnergyAssistance or the Hebron Blue Valley Community Action, 620 5th St., Fairbury, 402-729-5568.
