Deadline to apply for heating assistance is this Friday

Fairfax County Department of Family Services
12011 Government Center Parkway, Suite 500
Fairfax, VA 22035-1102
Contact: Belinda Buescher, Public Information Officer
703-324-7758, TTY 703-222-9452
DFSPIO@fairfaxcounty.gov

November 7, 2007

The deadline to apply for the Fuel Assistance Program is this Friday, Nov. 9.  Those who think they may qualify, especially the elderly and disabled, are encouraged to apply at their local department of social services by close of business on Friday.  All households that meet the eligibility requirements and apply by the deadline will receive a heating assistance benefit.  

Applications are available on the Web from the Virginia Department of Social Services at www.dss.virginia.gov or at local social services departments. To be accepted, applications must be signed by the applicant or an authorized representative and be received by the agency or if mailed, postmarked no later than Friday, November 9, 2007.

Each year, the Virginia Department of Social Services' Energy Assistance Program helps approximately 100,000 Virginia households stay warm.  The Fuel Assistance Program was created in 1979 and is funded by the federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) block grant.  While the program is officially called Fuel Assistance, it does not exclude qualifying households that use other heating methods. 

Residents of Fairfax County and the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church who wish to apply for these programs may download an application from the VDSS Web site at www.dss.virginia.gov or pick up an application at any of the four offices of the Fairfax County Department of Family Services:

• Fairfax – Pennino Building, 12011 Government Center Parkway
  703-324-7500, TTY 703-222-9452
• Falls Church – 6245 Leesburg Pike (Route 7), Falls Church
  703-533-5300, TTY 703-533-5316
• Reston – Lake Anne Office Building, 11484 Washington Plaza West, Reston
  703-787-4900, TTY 703-707-9346
• Richmond Highway/Alexandria – South County Center, 8350 Richmond Hwy (Rt. 1)
  703-704-6353, TTY 703-799-3435

The Department of Family Services offers extended office hours for public assistance services at all of the offices listed above, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays, and from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Fridays. The Fairfax County Department of Family Services' energy assistance phone line is 703-324-7604 (TTY: 703-222-9452).