Administration for Children and Families April 18, 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice announces to LIHEAP grantees the estimated median income of four-person families in each State and the District of Columbia for FFY 2012 (October 1, 2011, to September 30, 2012). LIHEAP grantees that choose to base their income eligibility criteria on these State median income (SMI) estimates may adopt these estimates (up to 60 percent) on the estimates' date of publication in the Federal Register or on a later date as discussed below. This enables these grantees to implement this notice during the period between the heating and cooling seasons. However, by October 1, 2011, or the beginning of the grantees' fiscal years, whichever is later, these grantees must adjust their income eligibility criteria so that such criteria are in accord with the FFY 2012 SMI. This listing of 60 percent of SMI provides one of the maximum income criteria that LIHEAP grantees may use in determining a household's income eligibility for LIHEAP. LIHEAP appropriations for FFY 2009 through FFY 2010 raised this criterion from 60 percent of SMI to 75 percent of SMI for those years. The Continuing Resolutions covering FFY 2011 through the date of this publication have maintained this criterion at 75 percent of SMI. This criterion will remain at 75 percent SMI for FFY 2011 unless Congress acts otherwise after the date of this publication. This criterion will return to 60 percent of SMI for FFY 2012 unless Congress acts otherwise in providing FFY 2012 appropriations after the publication of this notice. This is because no change to the LIHEAP authorizing statute has been made.