The Gloucester County Department of Social Services is encouraging persons entitled to cooling assistance to apply for that relief this summer.

New benefit program supervisors Lisa Sampson and Jackie Morande said that the assistance is available to qualifying households with a child under six years old, a person with disabilities, or an adult age 60 or older living in the home.

Income and eligibility requirements must be met, the supervisors said. The program is geared to low-income families To qualify this year, the maximum gross monthly income (before taxes), for a one-person household is $1,211; $2,498 for a household of four.

There are several types of assistance available, including payment of electric bills to operate cooling equipment, payment of security deposits for electricity to operate cooling equipment, and repair of a central air conditioning system or heat pump. Also the aid might cover purchase of a whole-house fan, including ceiling or attic fans, and for the purchase and installation of a window unit air conditioner for households without a working unit.

The Energy Assistance Program is funded by the federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program block grant.

To learn more, call Gloucester Social Services at 693-2671 or 2-1-1 or visit www.dss.virginia.gov.

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