Alaska runs heating assistance through one application and two programs. The Division of Public Assistance (DPA) uses a single Heating Assistance Program (HAP) form, then decides which of two funding streams pays you: federal LIHEAP if your household income is at or below 150% of the Alaska federal poverty guidelines, or the state-funded Alaska Affordable Heating Program (AAHP) if your income is above 150% and up to 225%. For the 2026 to 2027 season, the outer monthly income ceiling is $3,739 for one person and $7,733 for a household of four. Applications for heating assistance are accepted October 1 through April 30. You can apply online through the Alaska Connect Portal, in person or by mail at a Public Assistance office, by fax to 888-269-6520, or by email to hss.dpa.offices@alaska.gov.
You do not pick between LIHEAP and AAHP. DPA determines that from your reported income. Your job is to submit one complete application with proof of income, and the state sorts out which pot of money covers you.
Alaska Heating Assistance Income Limits for 2026 to 2027
DPA publishes one table: the maximum gross monthly income for the season. These figures represent the top of the AAHP range (225% of the Alaska federal poverty guidelines). If your income falls under this ceiling and you have at least $200 in out-of-pocket heating costs per year, you clear the income screen.
| Household size | Maximum monthly income (2026-2027 season) |
|---|
| 1 person | $3,739 |
| 2 people | $5,071 |
| 3 people | $6,401 |
| 4 people | $7,733 |
| 5 people | $9,065 |
| 6 people | $10,395 |
| Each additional person | Add $1,331 |
Those numbers are far above what most states publish, and the reason is structural. The 2026 federal poverty guidelines for Alaska start at $19,950 for one person and add $7,100 for each additional person, roughly 25% higher than the figures used in the lower 48. Heating fuel in Alaska is expensive enough that Congress and the state legislature both built in that adjustment. So an Alaska household earning $44,000 a year can be income-eligible for heating help where a household in Missouri or Georgia at the same income would not be.
Where the LIHEAP line falls
The split between the two programs sits at 150% of the Alaska poverty guidelines. Based on the 2026 guidelines, that line falls at approximately the following gross monthly amounts:
| Household size | Approximate 150% FPL monthly income (LIHEAP line) |
|---|
| 1 person | about $2,494 |
| 2 people | about $3,381 |
| 3 people | about $4,269 |
| 4 people | about $5,156 |
| 5 people | about $6,044 |
| 6 people | about $6,931 |
Below those amounts, your benefit is paid from federal LIHEAP funds. Between those amounts and the published ceiling in the first table, your benefit comes from AAHP, the state general fund program. The practical difference to you is minimal: the application, the documents, the benefit calculation, and the payment method are the same. What differs is the funding source, which matters when federal LIHEAP appropriations get cut and when the Alaska legislature debates the AAHP line item.
Alaska does not apply an assets test to heating or crisis assistance.
The Three Benefits on One Application
The same HAP form covers three distinct benefits, and a household can receive only one benefit per season from one of these three options.
Heating Assistance. A one-time payment sent to your approved primary heating fuel vendor or electric vendor and credited to your account. For federal fiscal year 2026, Alaska set the heating benefit at a $350 minimum and a $6,125 maximum. Applications are accepted October 1 through April 30. Applications submitted in September may be processed, but no benefit is pledged or issued before October 1.
Crisis Assistance. A one-time payment to your vendor when you are in an emergency. The crisis maximum is also $6,125. Applications are accepted September 1 through June 30, with the season beginning October 1. You qualify for crisis handling if you are out of your primary heating fuel or within 48 hours of running out, your primary heating fuel or electric service has been disconnected or is within 48 hours of disconnection, or you received an eviction notice for non-payment of rent where heat is included in a non-subsidized rental payment.
Subsidized Rental Housing Utility Deposit (SRHUD). Help with the deposit required to establish electric service in subsidized rental housing where heat is included in the rent but you pay your own electricity. SRHUD applications are accepted all year.
Alaska received $12,158,876 in LIHEAP funding for fiscal year 2026, including $277,127 from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. In fiscal year 2024 the state served 5,150 households with heating benefits and 813 with year-round crisis assistance.
How Your Benefit Amount Is Calculated
Alaska does not pay a flat amount. DPA runs your information through a calculation that accounts for local fuel cost and housing type, which is why two households with identical income in different communities get different checks. The factors DPA lists are:
- Your household income from the month before you sign the application, or a 12-month average if you are seasonal or self-employed
- How many people live in your household and home
- Your main heat source
- The type of home you live in (apartment, trailer, and so on)
- Whether your rent is subsidized, including through ASHA, HUD, or Section 8
- How many bedrooms are in your home
- The community you live in
The community factor is the one that separates Alaska from most state programs. A household in a village paying delivered heating fuel prices is calculated differently from a household on natural gas in Anchorage.
How to Apply for Heating Assistance in Alaska, Step by Step
Step 1: Wait for the new season's application. A new application form is released after September 1 each year. Using the prior season's form causes delays. The program begins issuing grants on the first working day in October.
Step 2: Check whether a tribal organization serves your community. This step is specific to Alaska and skipping it is the single most common cause of a delayed application. You cannot receive heating assistance from the state if you are eligible to apply for assistance from a tribal organization. If you apply with the wrong organization, your benefit is delayed. Check the federal LIHEAP tribal contact listing or call your local tribal organization before you submit anything to DPA.
Step 3: Gather your income proof for the prior month. List all household income received in the month before DPA receives your application. Without proof, your application is considered incomplete and will be denied. Acceptable proof includes pay stubs showing employer name, pay period date, payment issuance date, gross income earned, and gross year-to-date figures. An employer work statement (Form B) or a signed letter from your employer also works. For Social Security and retirement income, DPA requires year-end statements or award letters. Bank statements are not accepted, because they show net deposits rather than gross benefit amounts.
If you are a seasonal worker, self-employed, or work a variable schedule, DPA accepts a completed Form A or Form C instead. Seasonal workers should attach pay stubs covering the last 12 months. Self-employed applicants need an itemized listing of business income and expenses for the last 12 months on Form A, plus a copy of the most recent tax return.
Step 4: Collect the rest of the documents.
- A copy of your ID: Social Security card, driver's license, state ID, BIA or Tribal enrollment card, or passport
- Copies of your most recent primary heating fuel bill and electricity bill
- If heat is included in your rent: a copy of the rental agreement showing that, plus your most recent rent receipt
- If you live in Section 8 or subsidized housing: a copy of your rental housing worksheet
- If you live in a trailer or mobile home: the exterior length and width
- If you live on a boat: the square footage of your heated living space
- If you are within 48 hours of disconnection and want expedited processing: a copy of the disconnect notice
Step 5: Decide about the electric split before you submit. If you want 50% of your grant applied to your electric bill instead of all of it going to your heating fuel vendor, check "yes" on the application and include a copy of your electric bill. This cannot be changed after you apply.
Step 6: Submit it. Your options:
Email and fax submissions still need all required signatures. An unsigned application is an incomplete application.
If you live in rural Alaska, some communities have fee agents who can help you fill out the form. Using one is optional.
Step 7: Keep paying your bills while you wait. Processing takes up to 45 days after DPA receives a complete application. If your bills are overdue or you are close to running out of fuel, contact your heating or electric vendor to set up a deferred payment agreement and tell them you have applied for Heating Assistance. To check status or find out your grant amount, call the Virtual Contact Center at 800-478-7778 and stay on the line rather than selecting the automated option.
Where AHFC Fits In, and Where It Does Not
The Alaska Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC) is a common point of confusion. AHFC does not pay your heating bill and does not take heating assistance applications. AHFC is the state's weatherization subrecipient under LIHEAP, and it runs the Weatherization Program that reduces your heating cost permanently by installing efficiency improvements at no cost to income-eligible households.
Weatherization uses a different and higher income threshold: 200% of the federal poverty guidelines, rather than the 150% used for heating and crisis assistance. Homeowners and renters both qualify, including condos and rentals, though renters need landlord permission. Homes weatherized before May 14, 2008 can be re-weatherized, at lower priority than homes never treated. In fiscal year 2024 the program served 128 Alaska households, so expect a wait.
You apply through the weatherization service provider for your region, not through AHFC directly:
| Provider | Phone | Area served |
|---|
| Alaska Community Development Corp. | 800-478-8080 | Mat-Su, Kenai Peninsula, Copper River, Kodiak |
| Interior Weatherization | 907-452-5323 | Interior Alaska |
| RurAL CAP Statewide | 800-478-7227 | Anchorage, Juneau, western and northern Alaska |
| RurAL CAP Anchorage | 907-279-2511 | Southeast Alaska except Juneau |
So the clean division: apply to DPA to get a payment on your fuel or electric account this winter, and apply to your regional weatherization provider to lower the bill in future winters. These are separate applications and you can pursue both.
Two Other Alaska Programs Worth Knowing
Power Cost Equalization (PCE). A state program that reduces the per-kilowatt-hour charge for residential customers in rural Alaska, where electricity can run three to five times urban rates. PCE is applied through your utility rather than by application to DPA.
General Relief Assistance (GRA). Covers basic needs, including utilities, for Alaskans not eligible for other state assistance. Applicants have to demonstrate and verify an unmet emergent need in the month of application. Call 800-478-7778.
For a broader view of what else your household may qualify for, see our Alaska benefits guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the income limit for heating assistance in Alaska?
For the 2026 to 2027 season, the maximum gross monthly income is $3,739 for one person, $5,071 for two, $6,401 for three, $7,733 for four, $9,065 for five, and $10,395 for six, plus $1,331 for each additional household member. Households at or below roughly 150% of the Alaska poverty guidelines are paid from federal LIHEAP; households above that and up to 225% are paid from the state-funded Alaska Affordable Heating Program.
How much money will I get?
Alaska set the fiscal year 2026 heating benefit at a $350 minimum and a $6,125 maximum, with crisis assistance also capped at $6,125. Your actual amount depends on your income, household size, heat source, home type, number of bedrooms, whether your rent is subsidized, and your community. There is no way to know the figure in advance; call 800-478-7778 after you apply to find out your grant amount.
When is the deadline to apply?
April 30 is the last day to apply for non-crisis heating assistance each season. Crisis assistance applications are accepted from September 1 through June 30. SRHUD applications are accepted year-round. Funding is appropriated annually, so applying early in October is safer than waiting.
Do I qualify if heat is included in my rent?
It depends on whether your housing is subsidized. If heat is included in your rent and your housing is not subsidized, you may qualify, and you need to attach your lease agreement and most recent rent receipt. If you live in Section 8 or subsidized housing and heat is included in your rent, you do not qualify for heating or crisis assistance, though you may qualify for SRHUD to cover an electric service deposit. If you live in subsidized housing and pay for your own heat, you may qualify for heating or crisis assistance, with your benefit reduced if you receive a utility allowance.
Can I get heating assistance from both the state and a tribal organization?
No. If you are eligible to apply for assistance from a tribal organization, you cannot receive heating assistance from the state. Check the tribal contact listing for your community before applying, because filing with the wrong organization delays your benefit.
Does the payment come to me or to my fuel supplier?
In most cases the benefit goes directly to your primary heating fuel vendor or electric vendor and is credited to your account. If an approved vendor serves your residential area, you have to choose from the approved vendors. You cannot sell, barter, or share your benefit, and you cannot transfer it once received unless you move to an area served by a different vendor.
How long does processing take?
Up to 45 days from the date DPA receives a complete application. Incomplete applications, especially those missing income proof or signatures, take longer or get denied outright. If you are within 48 hours of disconnection, attach the disconnect notice and request expedited processing.
Can I apply if I own the home but do not live there?
No. You must live in the home to qualify.
Sources
Income limits, benefit maximums, and program dates change each season. Confirm current figures with the Division of Public Assistance at 800-478-7778 before you rely on them. Benefits Navigator is not a government agency and does not determine eligibility.
