You cannot apply for Alabama LIHEAP through the state. ADECA, the agency that runs the program, says plainly on its own LIHEAP page that it "does not schedule appointments and does not accept or process applications." Every application goes through one of 18 regional Community Action Agencies, and you have to use the one that covers the county where you live. You bring a photo ID, Social Security cards for everyone in the household, proof of last month's gross income for every adult, and a recent heating or cooling bill with your account number on it. Most agencies take appointments by phone through a call center, and several also schedule online.
This guide covers the application itself: which agency serves you, how appointment days work, what the paperwork has to show, how fast a crisis application has to move, and what happens between approval and the money hitting your utility account. For the full income limits and eligibility rules, see our Alabama LIHEAP eligibility guide and the 2026 income limit tables.
Step 1: Find the Community Action Agency for Your County
This is the step people get wrong. Alabama policy requires you to apply in the county where you live, and each agency serves a fixed list of counties. Calling the wrong office costs you a scheduling day.
ADECA keeps the official list and an interactive map at adeca.alabama.gov/liheap. The 18 regions as of the 2026 to 2027 program year:
| Region | Agency | Counties | Phone |
|---|
| 1 | Community Action Agency of Northwest Alabama | Colbert, Franklin, Lauderdale | 256-764-5142 |
| 2 | CAA Huntsville/Madison and Limestone Counties | Limestone, Madison | 256-907-1550 |
| 3 | Walker County Community Action Agency | Walker | 205-221-4010 |
| 4 | Community Action of Etowah County | Etowah | 256-546-9271 |
| 5 | CAA of Talladega, Clay, Randolph, Calhoun, Cleburne | Calhoun, Clay, Cleburne, Randolph, Talladega | 256-362-6611 |
| 6 | Community Action Partnership of Middle Alabama | Autauga, Chilton, Elmore, Shelby | 205-287-0139 |
| 7 | Community Action Committee of Chambers-Tallapoosa-Coosa | Chambers, Coosa, Tallapoosa | 256-825-4287 |
| 8 | Montgomery Community Action Committee & CDC | Montgomery | 334-230-5259 |
| 9 | Organized Community Action Program | Bullock, Butler, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Lowndes, Pike | 334-566-1712 |
| 10 | Community Action Agency of Northeast Alabama | Blount, Cherokee, DeKalb, Jackson, Jefferson, Marshall, St. Clair | 855-287-1730 |
| 11 | Mobile Community Action | Mobile, Washington | 251-206-6117 |
| 12 | Macon Russell Community Action Agency | Macon, Russell | 334-439-4009 (Macon), 334-408-4066 (Russell) |
| 13 | Pickens County Community Action Committee & CDC | Pickens | 205-367-8166 |
| 14 | Southeast Alabama Community Action Partnership | Barbour, Coffee, Geneva, Henry, Houston | 844-680-2044 |
| 15 | Community Action Agency of South Alabama | Baldwin, Clarke, Conecuh, Escambia, Marengo, Monroe, Wilcox | 877-246-7836 |
| 16 | Community Action Partnership of North Alabama | Cullman, Lawrence, Marion, Morgan, Winston | 256-260-4050 (Morgan), 256-255-0454 (Cullman), 256-522-0019 (Lawrence) |
| 17 | Community Service Programs of West Alabama | Bibb, Choctaw, Dallas, Fayette, Greene, Hale, Lamar, Perry, Sumter, Tuscaloosa | 833-836-7817, and 205-469-0386 for clients 60 and older |
| 18 | Alabama Council on Human Relations | Lee | 334-246-5266 |
If you are unsure which region covers you, dial 2-1-1 or download the LIHEAP regions map from the ADECA site. State policy requires each agency to keep at least one office in every county it covers, so you should not have to cross a county line to apply.
Step 2: Get an Appointment
Alabama runs LIHEAP on appointments, not walk-in lines, and the scheduling day is the part that actually rations the program. Most agencies open phone lines on set days each month and fill the slots first come, first served. Several also post an online scheduler.
Two patterns show up across agencies and both work in your favor if you know about them:
- Separate call-in times by age. Community Service Programs of West Alabama, for example, opens its 60-and-older line at 8:00 a.m. and its line for applicants 59 and under at noon on the same scheduling day. ADECA's state plan confirms agencies are allowed to run early application periods and dedicated appointment days for elderly applicants, including appointments held at senior centers.
- County-specific days. Larger multi-county agencies rotate scheduling days by county, so Tuscaloosa and Choctaw might schedule on a different date than Bibb and Perry. Check your agency's page for the current calendar before you call.
Call the moment the line opens. Slots for the month are often gone the same morning, especially in January and February when heating bills peak.
If you are age 60 or older or have a disability, you can send someone else to the appointment. Alabama's application packet includes a signed permission form that lets an authorized representative apply on your behalf, which exists specifically so you do not have to leave home to get help.
Step 3: Gather the Documents
Alabama requires all eligibility documents at the time of application. Scans, faxes, and clear printable photos are acceptable, so you do not need originals in most cases. Several agencies now have you upload documents to the state's LITT online portal after scheduling, using the confirmation number you get when you book.
| Document | What it has to show |
|---|
| Photo ID | The applicant's own ID. Driver's license, passport, military ID, nondriver or photo voter ID, senior center card, employer ID, or student ID all count. IDs expired a year or less are accepted, and any expired ID is accepted from applicants 60 or older or disabled. |
| Social Security cards | Cards for the applicant and every person living in the household. Name and all numbers must be visible. If a card is lost, an SSA receipt showing you applied for a replacement, or a tax document showing the number, is accepted. |
| Recent heating or cooling bill | Must show the account name and account number, and the account has to be in the name of the head of household or their spouse. |
| Proof of last month's income | Gross earned and unearned income for the month before the month you apply, for every household member, with earned income of anyone under 18 excluded. Pay stubs, award letters, employer statements, or agency records. |
| Lease or landlord verification | Needed if your utilities are included in your rent or the bill is in the landlord's name. A lease showing the landlord requires the account in their name works. |
| Custody documentation | Needed if an adult in the home is the non-parental guardian of a child under 18. Must come from DHR or court records. A handwritten note from the parent is not accepted. |
The income rule is the one that trips up the most applications. Alabama looks at the prior month only. If you apply on December 10, the agency verifies what the household received in November. That means a good month right before you apply can push you over the limit, and a bad month can pull you under it. Receiving SNAP, SSI, or TANF does not remove the document requirement, because the agency still has to verify and record household income for the file.
If an adult in the household had no income last month, or earned cash from odd work like lawn care or babysitting with no receipts, the agency has you complete a Declaration of Household Income form instead of chasing paperwork that does not exist.
Step 4: The Appointment and the Benefit Calculation
At the appointment, the caseworker enters your household data into FACSPro, the statewide intake system, and the system calculates your award automatically from the state Payment Assistance Chart. Three things drive the number:
- Household gross income for the prior month
- Household size on the day you apply
- Your fuel type
Every household size has three income tiers, and the lowest tier gets the largest payment. Fuel type matters too, because liquid propane pays more than electric. For a one-person household on the chart effective May 15, 2026, the brackets look like this:
| Prior month income | Liquid propane | Natural gas | Electric | Wood, coal, kerosene |
|---|
| $0 to $665 | $500 | $480 | $440 | $400 |
| $666 to $1,331 | $470 | $450 | $410 | $370 |
| $1,332 to $1,995 | $380 | $360 | $320 | $280 |
That top figure, $1,995 a month, is 150% of the 2026 federal poverty guideline for one person ($23,940 a year) divided by 12. Larger households get proportionally higher brackets. Our Alabama LIHEAP income limits page has the full table by household size.
Two adjustments are worth knowing about. If the agency identifies your household as having a high energy need, which includes households with a child under 18, an elderly member, or a member with a disability, it can add $50 to the payment. And if you live in subsidized housing and receive a HUD utility allowance, that allowance is subtracted from your award.
Step 5: What Happens After You Apply
LIHEAP money never comes to you. It goes to your utility or fuel vendor as a credit on your account, and you get notified once the payment is made. ADECA's own monitoring standard is that vendors receive LIHEAP payments within 30 days of the award date, and the application packet tells applicants to expect payment to the vendor typically within 30 days of approval.
You also have a decision deadline on your side. Alabama gives you the right to request a conference or a fair administrative hearing if your application is neither approved nor denied within 15 days of the application date, unless the delay was caused by missing information the agency asked you for.
Keep paying what you can in the meantime. A LIHEAP award is a credit toward the bill, not a hold on your account, and it does not stop a disconnection on its own unless it is processed as crisis assistance.
The Crisis Path: 48 Hours, or 18 if Lives Are at Risk
Crisis Assistance is the expedited track, and the deadlines are federal law under Title V of the Human Services Reauthorization Act of 1986. Alabama policy requires the local agency to:
- Resolve the crisis within 48 hours of the time all required documentation is verified and you sign the completed application
- Resolve a life-threatening crisis within 18 hours from the time you sign the application
For a life-threatening situation involving extreme weather, the agency may waive document verification if it cannot be obtained in 18 hours, and accept your statements instead. That is the single most useful provision in the Alabama manual if you are facing a shutoff in a heat wave or a hard freeze.
Alabama treats a crisis as existing when a household member's health or well-being would likely be endangered without help, when a state or federal disaster or emergency has been declared, or when the household includes at least one child under 18. Severity of weather, the age of household members, and chronic medical conditions all factor in. There is a Physician/Nurse Medical Statement form (LIHEAP-124) your agency can use if the medical connection needs documenting, though it is optional and other medical statements are accepted.
Two limits to understand. Simply being out of fuel or power on the day you apply does not automatically make you a crisis case. And a crisis payment cannot exceed 200% of the regular payment you would qualify for, and must be the minimum amount the vendor says will restore or maintain service. Crisis dollars can also cover deposits, reconnect fees, late fees, and delivery surcharges, which regular assistance does not.
Seasons, Limits, and Reapplying
| Component | When you can apply | Benefit range |
|---|
| Regular heating | October 1 to April 30 | $280 to $580 |
| Crisis heating | October 1 to April 30 | Up to 200% of your regular amount |
| Regular cooling | May 1 to September 30 | $320 to $520 |
| Crisis cooling | May 1 to September 30 | Up to 200% of your regular amount |
A household can receive assistance up to four times in a program year: once for heating, once for crisis heating, once for cooling, and once for crisis cooling. The program year follows the federal fiscal year and resets every October 1, so a new application cycle opened October 1, 2026.
Funding is the real constraint. HHS released $3.6 billion in LIHEAP funds nationally for fiscal year 2027, which is 90% of the annualized amount available under the current continuing resolution, with the rest depending on a full-year appropriation. Agencies therefore manage appointment slots tightly, and the households ADECA prioritizes get served first: the lowest incomes and highest energy costs, the elderly, people with disabilities, and young children.
If you were denied, you can reapply. Alabama explicitly preserves that right, and the agency has to complete a brand new application with updated verification when you do. If the denial was for excessive income, the agency is supposed to tell you that eligibility is based on the prior month and encourage you to come back if your income drops. For a formal challenge, submit a written request for a fair administrative hearing to your local agency within 45 days of being informed of the decision. The state office in Montgomery makes the final call, and you may be entitled to free legal services.
For the other programs that commonly pair with energy assistance in Alabama, including SNAP, Family Assistance, and the state's Medicaid rules, see our Alabama benefits overview.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I apply for Alabama LIHEAP online?
Partly. ADECA does not run a single statewide online application yet, though the state is building one through its LIHEAP Intake Through Technology (LITT) project. Several Community Action Agencies have online appointment schedulers, and some have you upload your documents through the LITT portal after you receive a scheduling confirmation number. Check your own region's website, since the options differ by agency.
Does ADECA take LIHEAP applications directly?
No. ADECA contracts with community action agencies and local nonprofits to deliver the program and states that it does not schedule appointments or process applications. Its Energy Division (1-800-392-8098) can answer general program questions, but your application, status updates, and complaints all go through your county's agency.
What if the utility bill is not in my name?
The account must be in the name of the head of household or their spouse. The one exception is renters whose landlord requires the account to be in the landlord's name, in which case you bring a lease showing that requirement with the landlord's name on it. If your utilities are included in your rent, you can still qualify, but you need written proof of that arrangement or the agency has to verify it with your landlord.
How long does it take to get LIHEAP money in Alabama?
For a regular application, payment generally reaches your utility or fuel vendor within about 30 days of approval, and you are notified when it is paid. For crisis cases, the agency must resolve the crisis within 48 hours after your documents are verified and you sign, or within 18 hours if the situation is life threatening.
Can someone else apply for me?
Yes, if you are age 60 or older or have a disability. Alabama's application includes a permission section naming an authorized representative to apply on your behalf, and the state built that policy specifically so elderly and disabled applicants do not have to leave home.
Do I need to be behind on my bill to apply?
No. Regular heating and cooling assistance only requires that you have out-of-pocket home energy costs. Being behind, facing shutoff, or being out of fuel matters for crisis assistance, which is designed to supplement the regular payment when that amount is not enough to keep or restore service.
What income does Alabama count for LIHEAP?
Gross income, before taxes, received by the household in the month before the month you apply. That includes wages, self-employment income, Social Security and SSI, disability and retirement income, unemployment, child support, and TANF. Earned income of household members under 18 is excluded. There is no asset test.
