Burke, Caldwell, Catawba and McDowell counties are among 25 in which households are eligible to apply for state Low Income Energy Assistance benefits as part of Hurricane Helene disaster relief efforts.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services began accepting applications from the general public on Jan. 2.
For the 25 counties determined to be heavily impacted by Helene damage, $9 million in additional Disaster Energy Assistance funding was appropriated by the Republican-controlled legislature during the 2024 session to assist households with heating costs and repairs during winter months.
Applications for these additional Disaster Energy Assistance funds will be accepted beginning Jan. 15.
The program provides assistance for eligible low-income households to provide, restore or continue heating sources. The assistance is available until funds are exhausted.
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Eligible households will receive assistance based on household circumstances and need. Households can apply for both assistance funding.
The other eligible counties are Alleghany, Alexander, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes and Yancey counties.
Households with heating services or systems that require repairs, currently inoperable, have been disconnected, or are at risk of having their services disconnected can apply for the Disaster Energy Assistance funds.
Individuals in one of the identified 25 disaster declared counties can apply in-person or via telephone with their local county department of social services.
To be eligible for Disaster Energy Assistance, a household must have at least one U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen and:
- Have income equal to or less than 60% of the state median income;
- Have resided in one of the identified 25 disaster declared counties listed above during Hurricane Helene and are currently residing in one of those 25 counties; and
- Have been impacted and suffered a loss because of Hurricane Helene
Separately on Tuesday, Gov. Josh Stein announced an executive order to temporarily waive federal limits on the amount of time drivers transporting propane and other heating fuels can be on the road, ensuring heating materials get to people in need quickly.
โAs we face plummeting temperatures, we must ensure that North Carolinians who have been impacted by winter weather and Hurricane Helene maintain an adequate supply of heating fuels,โ Stein said in a statement.
โWeโll continue to use every tool at our disposal to keep people safe and help them recover from Hurricane Helene.โ
Also, residents in 39 N.C. counties have until Feb. 6 to apply for additional Hurricane Helene-related unemployment benefits.
Applications for benefits can be filed at or call 919-629-3857 between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. The deadline also has been extended for business owners and self-employed individuals affected by the storm.
The extension was made to remain consistent with deadlines set by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. It allows the state division to continue to provide temporary financial support to people impacted by Helene.
Workers who lived or worked in the 39 impacted counties, and are out of work due to the disaster, qualify for up to 14 weeks of federal benefits. Those benefits will be paid through March 29 under the federal Disaster Unemployment Assistance program.
The benefits for eligible claimants will be retroactive to Sept. 29, with adjustment payments being issued for benefit weeks going back to that date.
Eligibility is determined weekly, and applicants must continue to be out of work as a direct result of the disaster each week to get unemployment benefits.
The division estimates it may take between two and three weeks for impacted individuals to see the impact in their weekly benefit checks.