1. (1) Households with up to eight members with annual gross income at or below 60 percent of the estimated state median are eligible for LIHEAP benefits on the basis of income. Households with nine or more members are eligible for LIHEAP benefits on the basis of income only if the household's annual gross income is at or below 150 percent of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' poverty guidelines for a household of that size. Households with annual gross income above the applicable income standard are ineligible for LIHEAP benefits, unless the household is automatically financially eligible for LIHEAP benefits as provided in ARM 37.70.402 because all members of the household are receiving SNAP, SSI, or TANF-funded cash assistance.
2. (2) The department adopts and incorporates by reference the department's Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Table of Income Standards, 2025-2026 heating season. The LIHEAP table of income standards is located at the department's web site at https://dphhs.mt.gov/hcsd/energyassistance/ or a copy may be obtained from the Department of Public Health and Human Services, Human and Community Services Division, P.O. Box 202956, Helena, MT 59620-2956.
3. (3) Households eligible for LIHEAP are also eligible for LIHEAP client education and outreach activities.

Authorizing statute(s): 53-2-201, MCA

Implementing statute(s): 53-2-201, MCA

History: NEW, 1982 MAR p. 732, Eff. 4/16/82; AMD, 1982 MAR p. 1771, Eff. 10/1/82; AMD, 1983 MAR p. 1362, Eff. 9/30/83; AMD, 1984 MAR p. 1481, Eff. 10/12/84; AMD, 1985 MAR p. 1412, Eff. 9/27/85; AMD, 1986 MAR p. 1606, Eff. 9/26/86; AMD, 1987 MAR p. 1805, Eff. 10/16/87; AMD, 1988 MAR p. 2042, Eff. 10/1/88; AMD, 1989 MAR p. 1571, Eff. 10/13/89; AMD, 1990 MAR p. 1959, Eff. 10/26/90; AMD, 1991 MAR p. 1857, Eff. 10/1/91; AMD, 1992 MAR p. 2201, Eff. 9/25/92; AMD, 1993 MAR p. 2437, Eff. 10/15/93; AMD, 1994 MAR p. 2642, Eff. 9/23/94; AMD, 1995 MAR p. 2157, Eff. 10/13/95; AMD, 1996 MAR p. 2887, Eff. 10/25/96; AMD, 1997 MAR p. 2296, Eff. 12/16/97; TRANS, from SRS, 1998 MAR p. 2059; AMD, 1999 MAR p. 414, Eff. 3/12/99; AMD, 1999 MAR p. 2575, Eff. 11/5/99; AMD, 2000 MAR p. 2707, Eff. 10/6/00; AMD, 2001 MAR p. 2037, Eff. 10/12/01; AMD, 2002 MAR p. 3635, Eff. 11/28/02; AMD, 2004 MAR p. 1026, Eff. 4/23/04; AMD, 2004 MAR p. 2818, Eff. 11/19/04; AMD, 2005 MAR p. 2078, Eff. 10/28/05; AMD, 2007 MAR p. 974, Eff. 7/6/07; AMD, 2007 MAR p. 1948, Eff. 11/22/07; AMD, 2011 MAR 108, Eff. 1/28/11; AMD, 2011 MAR p. 2419, Eff. 11/11/11; AMD, 2013 MAR p. 61, Eff. 1/18/13; AMD, 2014 MAR p. 126, Eff. 1/17/14; AMD, 2015 MAR p. 2145, Eff. 12/11/15; AMD, 2018 MAR p. 108, Eff. 1/13/18; AMD, 2018 MAR p. 1886, Eff. 9/22/18; AMD, 2019 MAR p. 2383, Eff. 12/28/19; AMD, 2020 MAR p. 1844, Eff. 10/10/20; AMD, 2021 MAR p. 1060, Eff. 10/1/21; AMD, 2023 MAR p. 480, Eff. 5/27/23; AMD, 2026 MAR, Notice No. 2026-532, Eff. 5/23/26.