2021-2022 Cooling Assistance Benefit

Cooling Assistance Benefit- The 2021-2022 Cooling Assistance benefit opened May 2, 2022. If you are eligible, you may receive one Cooling Assistance benefit per applicant household for the purchase and installation of an air conditioner or a fan to help your home stay cool. To be eligible for a CAC benefit, an applicant household member is not required to have a medical condition that is exacerbated by extreme heat. Applicants are no longer required to attest to, or supply documentation for, a household member’s medical condition. This question may be skipped on the HEAP Cooling Assistance Request for Benefit (LDSS-4992). If this question is answered by an applicant, they must not be denied or pended for medical documentation based on their response. To learn more, visit https://otda.ny.gov/programs/heap/.

Nassau Suffolk Law Services’ Public Benefits Unit provides legal assistance to persons who experience problems with public benefits programs which are administered by the local Departments of Social Services, including: Welfare (TANF and Safety Net); Medicaid; Food Stamps (SNAP); Child Care Assistance; HEAP; Emergency shelter for the homeless; and other emergency assistance programs. We also assist low-income households in establishing Supplemental Needs Trusts to eliminate the Medicaid spend-down and assist homeless families to obtain rent supplements from DSS to enable families to leave the shelters or retain permanent housing. Suffolk residents can call 631-232-2400. Nassau residents can call 516-292-8100.