LIHEAP Income Limits by State 2026: What Yours Actually Uses

If you have searched for the LIHEAP income limit, you have probably seen a chart built on the 2026 federal poverty guidelines: $15,960 for one person, $33,000 for a family of four.

Through September 30, 2026, those were not the numbers LIHEAP was using. The poverty table ACF published for federal fiscal year 2026 holds the 2025 guidelines, so a family of four has been measured against $32,150, not $33,000.

That changes on October 1, 2026. ACF’s memo LIHEAP-IM-2026-01 makes the 2026 poverty guidelines — and a new set of state median income figures — mandatory for FY 2027, which begins October 1 for most state programs. Two things move at once:

• 150% of poverty for a family of four goes from $48,225 to $49,500 ($23,475 to $23,940 for one person).
• State median income — the test 32 states and DC use for heating help, at 60% in all but Maryland and Minnesota — gets new figures in every state; at 60%, the four-person ceiling rises by anywhere from $57 in Wyoming to $4,617 in Montana.

This guide gives you both tables — the one in force through September and the one most states switch to on October 1 — plus the standard each state uses.

The Rule Behind the Numbers

Federal law does not set one national LIHEAP income limit. It sets a band, and each state picks a point inside it. From 42 U.S.C. § 8624(b)(2)(B), a state may serve:

households with incomes which do not exceed the greater of— (i) an amount equal to 150 percent of the poverty level for such State; or (ii) an amount equal to 60 percent of the State median income

and then the sentence most summaries drop:

except that a State may not exclude a household from eligibility in a fiscal year solely on the basis of household income if such income is less than 110 percent of the poverty level for such State, but the State may give priority to those households with the highest home energy costs or needs in relation to household income

Three things follow from that one paragraph, and between them they explain almost every confusing thing you will read about LIHEAP eligibility.

1. The ceiling is a “greater of.” A state is not capped at 150% of poverty. If 60% of its median income is higher — and in most states it is — the state may use that instead.
2. There is a floor. No state may turn you away on income alone if you are under 110% of poverty. States can still put higher-burden households first in line, but they cannot set the income door lower than that.
3. A state can express the same ceiling in different units. This is why Ohio can advertise 175% of poverty and Iowa 200% and both still follow federal law — those percentages describe a ceiling that the median-income test already permits.

The Poverty Tables: Through September 30 and From October 1, 2026

45 CFR 96.85 says a state must bring its income limits in line with the newest guidelines “by October 1 of each year, or by the beginning of the State fiscal year, whichever is later,” and may do it any time after they are published. The LIHEAP Clearinghouse explains what states do with that room: “the majority of grant recipients use the prior year guidelines until the first day of the next fiscal year in order to avoid changing guidelines in the middle of their program year.” It adds that “a few grant recipients start theirs July 1,” and those, along with several that run summer cooling programs, “adopt the most recent guidelines in June or July.”

So for most state programs, the left number in each cell below is the one in force through September 30, 2026 (ACF’s FFY 2026 table), and the bold number is the one in force from October 1, 2026 (ACF’s FY 2027 table, attached to LIHEAP-IM-2026-01). Figures are yearly, for the 48 contiguous states and DC:

Household size	100% of poverty	110% (federal floor)	150% (poverty-based ceiling)	200%
1	$15,650 → $15,960	$17,215 → $17,556	$23,475 → $23,940	$31,300 → $31,920
2	$21,150 → $21,640	$23,265 → $23,804	$31,725 → $32,460	$42,300 → $43,280
3	$26,650 → $27,320	$29,315 → $30,052	$39,975 → $40,980	$53,300 → $54,640
4	$32,150 → $33,000	$35,365 → $36,300	$48,225 → $49,500	$64,300 → $66,000
5	$37,650 → $38,680	$41,415 → $42,548	$56,475 → $58,020	$75,300 → $77,360
6	$43,150 → $44,360	$47,465 → $48,796	$64,725 → $66,540	$86,300 → $88,720
7	$48,650 → $50,040	$53,515 → $55,044	$72,975 → $75,060	$97,300 → $100,080
8	$54,150 → $55,720	$59,565 → $61,292	$81,225 → $83,580	$108,300 → $111,440
9	$59,650 → $61,400	$65,615 → $67,540	$89,475 → $92,100	$119,300 → $122,800
10	$65,150 → $67,080	$71,665 → $73,788	$97,725 → $100,620	$130,300 → $134,160
11	$70,650 → $72,760	$77,715 → $80,036	$105,975 → $109,140	$141,300 → $145,520
12	$76,150 → $78,440	$83,765 → $86,284	$114,225 → $117,660	$152,300 → $156,880

ACF’s FY 2027 attachment prints only the 100%, 110% and 150% columns; the new 200% figures are our arithmetic (twice the 100% figure), the same relationship ACF’s FFY 2026 table shows in its 200% column.

Alaska and Hawaii have their own tables. Alaska’s FFY 2026 figures were $19,550 at 100% for one person and $40,190 for four (table), which put 150% at $29,325 and $60,285; from October 1, 2026 they are $19,950 and $41,250, and 150% is $29,925 and $61,875. Hawaii’s four-person figures go from $36,980 to $37,950 at 100% and from $55,470 to $56,925 at 150%.

If you apply in early October, ask the office which table it is using that week. A state whose fiscal year starts later than October 1 is allowed to switch later. If you were turned down in September by a small margin, the new table may put you under the line — it is worth asking to be screened again.

What Standard Each State Uses

The table below is each state’s FFY 2026 standard for heating assistance, from ACF’s state-by-state listing. The first ceiling column is for a four-person household: for states on a poverty percentage it is that percentage of the FFY 2026 poverty table above; for states on 60% of state median income it is the state’s own published SMI figure.

The last ceiling column shows what that same standard works out to from October 1, 2026. For states on 60% of state median income, it is the four-person figure ACF published in Attachment 4 of LIHEAP-IM-2026-01; for states on a poverty percentage, it is that percentage of the FY 2027 poverty table above. It assumes your state keeps its FY 2026 percentage — states set their FY 2027 percentages in their own yearly plans, and ACF’s state-by-state listing had not been updated for FY 2027 when we checked (it still said “Last updated: 12/15/2025”). Minnesota (50%) and Maryland (41.7%) are our arithmetic from ACF’s median-income figures.

Treat this as a yardstick for whether it is worth applying, not as your determination. Your state runs your case.

State	Standard used for heating help (FFY 2026)	4-person ceiling through Sept. 30, 2026	4-person ceiling from Oct. 1, 2026	Notes
Alabama	150% poverty	$48,225	$49,500
Alaska	150% poverty	$60,285	$61,875	Alaska poverty table
Arizona	60% SMI	$64,789	$67,767	150% poverty instead at 10+ people
Arkansas	60% SMI	$54,168	$56,776	150% poverty instead at 8+ people
California	60% SMI	$76,886	$79,812
Colorado	60% SMI	$83,256	$87,106
Connecticut	60% SMI	$91,854	$93,681
Delaware	60% SMI	$75,659	$77,654
District of Columbia	60% SMI	$118,926	$121,200
Florida	60% SMI	$61,837	$64,873	150% poverty at 10+ for cooling and crisis
Georgia	60% SMI	$66,441	$69,070
Hawaii	60% SMI	$80,656	$83,077	150% poverty instead at 11+ people
Idaho	60% SMI	$63,145	$65,443	150% poverty instead at 8+ people
Illinois	60% SMI	$76,884	$79,405	150% poverty instead at 12+ people
Indiana	60% SMI	$64,533	$66,607
Iowa	200% poverty	$64,300	$66,000
Kansas	150% poverty	$48,225	$49,500
Kentucky	150% poverty	$48,225	$49,500
Louisiana	60% SMI	$58,882	$60,381
Maine	60% SMI	$70,839	$73,213	150% poverty instead at 10+ people
Maryland	41.7% SMI	$64,267	$65,964	Sliding scale: 39% SMI at 1 person, rising to 60% above 10
Massachusetts	60% SMI	$99,573	$103,049
Michigan	110% poverty	$35,365	$36,300	The lowest limit federal law allows
Minnesota	50% SMI	$71,998	$73,970
Mississippi	60% SMI	$51,424	$54,015
Missouri	60% SMI	$65,537	$67,882
Montana	60% SMI	$64,846	$69,463	150% poverty instead at 9+ people
Nebraska	150% poverty	$48,225	$49,500
Nevada	150% poverty	$48,225	$49,500
New Hampshire	60% SMI	$91,548	$93,680
New Jersey	60% SMI	$96,165	$98,602
New Mexico	150% poverty	$48,225	$49,500
New York	60% SMI	$80,165	$82,230	150% poverty instead at 14+ people
North Carolina	130% poverty	$41,795	$42,900	150% if a household member is 60+ and disabled
North Dakota	60% SMI	$77,946	$79,532
Ohio	175% poverty	$56,263	$57,750	60% SMI instead at 9+ people
Oklahoma	130% poverty	$41,795	$42,900
Oregon	60% SMI	$73,816	$77,550
Pennsylvania	150% poverty	$48,225	$49,500
Rhode Island	60% SMI	$81,254	$83,481
South Carolina	60% SMI	$61,525	$63,882
South Dakota	200% poverty	$64,300	$66,000	60% SMI at 7–9 people; 150% poverty at 10+
Tennessee	60% SMI	$61,641	$63,196
Texas	150% poverty	$48,225	$49,500
Utah	150% poverty	$48,225	$49,500
Vermont	60% SMI	$78,992	$81,195
Virginia	150% poverty	$48,225	$49,500	Weatherization uses 60% SMI
Washington	150% poverty	$48,225	$49,500
West Virginia	60% SMI	$56,637	$58,852	150% poverty instead at 8+ people
Wisconsin	60% SMI	$73,888	$76,661
Wyoming	60% SMI	$68,902	$68,959

Three things worth pulling out of that table:

• North Carolina raises its own limit for older adults. The base heating standard is 130% of poverty, but the state’s published note says 150% applies if a household member is 60 or older and disabled. On the FY 2027 table that is $42,900 versus $49,500 for a family of four. If you were told no in North Carolina, that distinction is worth a second call. Our guides to SSI income limits and Medicare Savings Programs cover the age and disability documentation you would already have on hand.
• Large households often do better on the poverty table than on median income, which is why so many SMI states switch to 150% of poverty above a certain size. The reason is 45 CFR 96.85: the median-income figure is set for a four-person family and then adjusted by fixed percentages — 52% for one person, 68% for two, 84% for three, 100% for four, 116% for five, 132% for six, and 3 percentage points per person after that. The poverty guidelines rise faster per added person than 16 points do, so the two lines eventually cross.
• Cooling and crisis limits can differ from heating limits. Several states run a different percentage for summer cooling or for shutoff crises. If you are facing a disconnection in July, do not assume the winter number applies to you.

Ohio also runs a separate year-round payment plan for gas and electric customers that uses the same 175% line — see Ohio PIPP Plus income limits.

Three Ways to Qualify Without Hitting the Income Table

Categorical eligibility. Section 8624(b)(2)(A) lets a state serve any household in which at least one person receives TANF, SSI, SNAP, or certain needs-tested veterans’ pension payments. ACF describes this as flexibility grantees “have” — meaning it is a state option, not a nationwide guarantee. Where a state uses it, your SNAP or SSI award letter can settle the income question by itself.

Deductions your state may allow. ACF states flatly that “the LIHEAP statute does not define income.” In practice that means gross income, but ACF’s own guidance notes that a number of states deduct medical expenses above a threshold, or limited work-related costs such as child care. If you are just over the line and you have significant out-of-pocket medical bills, ask — the same expenses can also matter for the SNAP medical expense deduction for seniors.

Being counted as a household at all. Federal guidance defines a household as people living together as one economic unit “for whom residential energy is customarily purchased in common or who make un-designated payments for energy in the form of rent.” That last clause exists for renters whose heat is bundled into the rent. What varies is the size of the benefit and whether your state requires non-subsidized housing.

The LIHEAP Payment Itself Does Not Count Against You

This is the part people most often have backwards. 42 U.S.C. § 8624(f) says a LIHEAP payment:

shall not be considered income or resources of such household (or any member thereof) for any purpose under any Federal or State law, including any law relating to taxation, supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits, public assistance, or welfare programs

It is not taxable income, and it cannot be counted against you for SNAP, for public assistance, or for other welfare programs.

The same subsection goes further. For the SNAP excess shelter expense deduction, “the full amount of such payments or allowances shall be deemed to be expended by such household for heating or cooling expenses” — as long as the payments “were greater than $20 annually.” A LIHEAP payment above $20 a year can therefore increase a SNAP benefit, by establishing a heating and cooling cost the household is treated as paying. If you receive both, tell your SNAP caseworker about the LIHEAP award and ask them to re-run the shelter deduction.

Checklist: Before You Apply

• Find your state’s row above and compare your gross annual household income for your household size.
• If you are within roughly 20% over the line, apply anyway — deductions, a different cooling or crisis standard, or categorical eligibility may close the gap.
• Gather proof of income for every adult (recent pay stubs, benefit award letters, Social Security statement).
• Gather a recent energy bill, or, if heat is in your rent, your lease showing that.
• Gather photo ID and Social Security numbers for household members.
• If you have a shutoff or disconnection notice, say so on the first call — crisis funds run on a separate, faster track and sometimes a different income standard.
• If anyone in the household is 60 or older, disabled, or a young child, say so. Section 8624(b)(3) requires states to run outreach specifically toward households with elderly or disabled members and high home energy burdens.
• Ask whether your state adds an assets test or a non-subsidized-housing rule — ACF lists both as options a state may impose.

How to Apply

LIHEAP is federally funded but locally run, and there is no national application. Two official starting points:

• EnergyHelp.us — ACF’s own locator, available in English, Spanish, Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese.
• National Energy Assistance Referral (NEAR) hotline: 1-866-674-6327, weekdays 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Eastern.

Apply as early in the season as you can. LIHEAP is a block grant, not an entitlement — when a state’s funds run out, applications stop being approved even from households that qualify. If you are denied or your application is not acted on promptly, see what to do if LIHEAP is denied — federal law requires a fair hearing for both.

One safety note, in ACF’s words: “LIHEAP does not provide direct grants to individuals; LIHEAP does not charge a fee for receiving a benefit.” Anyone offering you a LIHEAP grant for a fee, or asking for a payment to move you up a list, is not running the program. ACF asks you to report it to the HHS Fraud Hotline at 1-800-447-8477.

If LIHEAP funds are exhausted where you live, our guides to nonprofit fuel funds, the Dollar Energy Fund and calling 211 cover the non-government options, and the Weatherization Assistance Program is a separate pot of money with its own — usually higher — income limit.

How We Checked This

Every number above was read from a primary source rather than from another site’s summary. The eligibility band and the treatment of LIHEAP payments come from the statute itself, 42 U.S.C. § 8624, quoted directly. The household-size percentages come from 45 CFR 96.85. The poverty figures, the state median income figures and the state-by-state standards table all come from the FFY 2026 tables published by ACF’s Office of Community Services through the LIHEAP Clearinghouse.

What we changed on September 26, 2026. With the October 1 switch days away, we re-read ACF’s memo LIHEAP-IM-2026-01 and its two attachments — the FY 2027 poverty tables and the FY 2027 state median income table — plus the 2026 HHS guidelines and 45 CFR 96.85 (eCFR, title 45 current through September 23, 2026). We added the FY 2027 figures next to the FFY 2026 ones in both tables. We checked every state’s new median-income figure by confirming it equals ACF’s four-person median times 60%, and that the one-person figure is 52% of that, as 96.85 requires. And we re-checked every FFY 2026 median-income ceiling in the state table against ACF’s individual state pages.

That re-check found an error of ours. Minnesota’s FFY 2026 ceiling was listed as $59,998; ACF’s Minnesota table shows $71,998 for a family of four at 50% of state median income. We have corrected it. The other 32 median-income figures matched.

We also want to be precise about who switches when. ACF says grant recipients “must use these guidelines for their FY27 programs,” and 45 CFR 96.85 sets the deadline as October 1 “or by the beginning of the State fiscal year, whichever is later.” That is why this guide says most state programs switch on October 1, not all of them.

Two things we found by reading those sources instead of a summary are worth stating plainly, because the common advice gets them wrong.

The “FFY 2026” LIHEAP poverty table was the 2025 HHS poverty guidelines. HHS published 2026 guidelines in the winter, and nearly every LIHEAP article now quotes them. But 45 CFR 96.85 lets states wait until October 1, and the Clearinghouse says most do. ACF’s own table titled “Federal Poverty Guidelines for FFY 2026” contains $15,650 and $32,150 — the 2025 figures. If you compared yourself against $33,000 and concluded you were over the line, you used a table that does not take effect until October 1, 2026.

ACF archived its plain-English eligibility page in February 2026. The page that explained categorical eligibility, the household definition, and the absence of any statutory income definition now carries a banner reading “no longer current but remains on our site for reference.” Nothing in the underlying law changed — we verified each of those points against 42 U.S.C. § 8624 and 45 CFR 96.85, which are current. But it does mean the friendly federal explainer many articles were built on is no longer maintained, and we cite the archived page only for points the statute and the regulation independently confirm.

We also noticed, while transcribing, a typographical error in ACF’s Arizona FFY 2026 median income table, where the two-person figure is printed with a doubled comma. The arithmetic required by 45 CFR 96.85 — 68% of the four-person figure — resolves it to $44,056. We did not rely on that cell for anything in this guide.

State limits, standards and available funds change every year and often mid-year. The figures here are the FFY 2026 and FY 2027 federal tables, not your state’s determination, and a state may apply deductions, assets tests or housing rules that change your result. Sources were first verified on August 27, 2026; the FY 2027 figures, the state median-income tables and the program-year rules were verified on September 26, 2026. If your local agency tells you something different from what you read here, trust the agency for your case and tell us so we can re-check the guide.

Last updated: September 26, 2026. This is general information, not legal or financial advice.