Frequently Asked Questions

Anne Arundel Early Head Start is a no-cost developmentally appropriate program for families with children six weeks up to age three living in South Anne Arundel County. If you live in the following zip codes: 20711, 20714, 20733, 20736, 20737, 20751, 20754, 20758, 20764, 20765, 20776, 20778, 21035, 21037, 21106 and have a child under age three, please call 443-822-0536 to see if you qualify.

Renters, homeowners, residents of public housing, sub-metered homes (where you pay another company, not the utility directly), and Roomers/Boarders are all eligible for Energy Assistance grants. The essential factors in determining who is eligible for energy assistance are your household size and how much money you made in the last 30 days.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, many Energy Assistance offices are closed to walk-in customers to ensure your safety and the safety of our staff. If you need to apply for Energy Assistance, you do not need to submit your application in person. There are other ways to submit your application safely.

1. Online:

You can apply online by visiting: https://mydhrbenefits.dhr.state.md.us. Remember to upload all of your documents along with your application. You can upload your documents at the Maryland State website or energyprograms@aacca.info. Submitting your documents separately from your online application will delay your application.

2. Mail-in Applications:

To apply by mail, you can request an application be mailed to you from energyprograms@aacca.info or info@aaccaa.info. The mailing address to apply is PO Box 1951, Annapolis, MD 21404. To see a complete list of locations, please visit: https://dhs.maryland.gov/office-of-home-energy-programs/local-home-energy-program-office/.

3. Telephone:

Energy Assistance offices can accept applications over the phone. However, you will need to email or mail your documents to the local office after your information has been taken. Energy assistance does not require documents to be scanned. We can accept clear pictures of your documents where text is visible.

4. In-person

Due to local COVID-19 restrictions, some offices are not offering appointments. Call your local office to see if they are scheduling appointments.

5. Drop boxes:

Many Energy Assistance offices, particularly in Baltimore City, Montgomery County, and Prince George’s County, where the virus has hit the hardest, have secure drop boxes available to receive your application and documents. There is a drop box in front of the building at 251 West Street, Annapolis, MD. Another drop box is 613 Global Way, Linthicum Heights, MD 21090. You may drop off your application there 24 Hours a day, seven days per week. First, download and print the Application for Energy Assistance. You can also request a paper application by calling 1-800-332-6347. Next, complete your application and gather your documents. You can find a list of documents you should include in your application: Instructions Form. Once you have your completed application and documents, please submit them to your local office’s drop box. Baltimore City residents should drop applications at the nearest CAP Center. For a list of locations, click here: https://www.bmorechildren.com/cap/#location.

OHEP helps you to pay your energy bills. The benefit provided is based on your household income, how many people live in your household, and how much energy your home uses. To determine your help, OHEP needs information to prove the following:

1. Your identity: We can accept any government-issued photo ID.
2. Who lives in your household: We will need social security cards or other federal government-issued documents (like a W-2 or Social Security Benefits Notice), your name, and your Social Security Name. Includes children living in the household.
3. Your utility/heating information: we will need a copy of your utility bill and your heating bill (if you use oil, wood, or propane as the primary way you heat your home).
4. Your household’s income: We will need documentation of all income for everyone in your home. Documents can include paystubs, social security award letters, pension statements, and award letters for programs such as TCA and TDAP.

For a complete list of documents we can accept, please visit: https://dhs.maryland.gov/office-of-home-energy-programs/acceptable-documents-energy-assistance/.

Energy Assistance can help you pay an outstanding balance on your current electricity or heating bill. While we cannot help with closed accounts, we can help with the costs necessary to start or continue your electric or heating service.

No. The Office of Home Energy Programs works closely with all Maryland utilities and heating companies to ensure our team gets the most up-to-date balances on every applicant’s account. Your payment plan will not prevent you from receiving the full benefit you qualify for.

No! Be sure to apply before you have a turn-off notice! We can help prevent you from receiving a turn-off notice if you apply before you receive one.

Energy Assistance grants can be used to pay for the following:

1. Electric and natural gas
2. Heating Oil
3. Propane
4. Wood pellets
5. Wood
6. Kerosene (if that is how you heat your home)

Applying without all your documents will slow down the application process significantly. For the quickest service, please include all your documents when you submit your application, no matter how you submit your application.

Unfortunately, utilities do not automatically know that you are applying for Energy Assistance. Utilities are notified that you are working with Energy Assistance when we place a hold on your account or commit to paying specific amounts to your account.

Yes! You can receive Energy Assistance benefits no matter what your situation is. You are eligible for energy assistance if you are responsible for paying for your energy and heating costs.

Visit https://myohepstatus.org to see the status of your application. Since this site is updated when your local office has started working on your application, please allow 15 days for your application to show up on the site. You can also call the DHS call center or local office for updated information.

Every application is different because every household is different. If there are issues with the documents you provided with your application, there will be a delay as your local office tries to contact you. We are required to:

1. Review your application and documents within 14 days after we receive a complete application (this includes all supporting documents, so if you do not submit all your documents with your application, this 14-day clock will not start until we get everything from you.
2. Process and finalize your application within 45 days of receiving your complete application packet.

Please understand that we will receive more applications this year than in the past, so some processing delays are expected in highly populated areas.

All OHEP offices have secured drop boxes to receive your application. You can find your local office by visiting: https://dhs.maryland.gov/office-of-home-energy-programs/local-home-energy-program-office/.

The state of Maryland is still dealing with COVID-19, so some of our offices may be closed. Please refer to our list of locations to confirm their current hours. Always call your office ahead of time to find out their process for handing in in-person applications.

You can apply for Energy Assistance at https://mymdthink.maryland.gov/home/#/. Also, by contacting our main office at 410-626-1900.

Your local office must process your energy assistance application. If you submit your application to another office in another county, it will cause a delay in processing your application as it is sent to the correct office. Your application will only be processed when the right office in your local jurisdiction receives the application.

There are many reasons why your bill may be increased since every home is different. Some common reasons for high bills are:

1. You may use energy
2. There may be many people in your home
3. You may be paying off old balances on your account
4. Your home may be drafty or have other problems which allow the warm or cool air from your home to escape
5. Depending on the season, your heat or air conditioning may be too high or too low
6. One of your major appliances (ex: refrigerator, air conditioner, heater, washer, dryer) may not function properly

You can learn more about what is driving your energy bill by checking your monthly account. Most utility companies show you how much energy you use each month on your bill, with many providing periodic reports for when you use energy the most. If you are worried your account is high because your home is drafty, make sure you choose the “Energy Efficiency for Your Home– DHCD Efficiency Programs” on your Energy Assistance application. 

Call your local OHEP office to request an application, and call your utility to discuss the status of your account. When you speak with the local OHEP office, tell them your electricity has been turned off. You may need additional resources to restore electric service if you need more than Energy Assistance grants. You may have to work with your utility to make other arrangements to pay the remaining balance on your account. Considering the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic, all Maryland utility companies are offering payment plans for a minimum of 12 months or up to 24 months if you receive Energy Assistance. If Energy Assistance alone cannot have your service turned back on, you may be eligible for additional resources to pay off your energy bill:

1. Emergency grants from Social Services
2. Local Fuel Funds
3. Local faith-based community resources
4. Other sources identified by assisting agencies

Certain benefits can significantly reduce or eliminate old balances on your account and lower your bill. Benefits will not necessarily cover your entire bill.

We will send you letters if we need information and let you know your application's final status. We may also call you to ask for more information about your application.

“Household” means an individual or group of individuals living together as one unit and for whom residential energy is customarily purchased in common or who make undesignated payments for power in the form of rent.

Your most recent tax form, Schedule SE, is the best and easiest way to document your income if you are self-employed. Your income reported on Schedule SE will be divided by 12 to get your 30-day income. In addition to the tax form, self-employed individuals must complete and sign the Income Verification of Self-Employment Form. We can also accept a Schedule C. If you have not paid taxes but are self-employed, your income must still be documented. You can provide weekly, monthly, or quarterly books/statements, ledgers, sales slips, canceled checks, invoices, and bank statements/deposits for the last 30 days.

The Utility Service Protection Program (USPP) protects low-income families from utility cut-offs. It allows MEAP-eligible households to enter a year-round, even monthly, payment program with their utility company. An equal monthly payment plan based on the estimated cost of the customer’s average annual utility usage minus the MEAP benefits will be used to determine the actual monthly payments for participation in the USPP.

May 13th is the last day you can apply on MyDHR. May 31st is the last day we can accept an application. If it is not a completed application with all necessary documents, it will not be processed until the next benefit cycle.

To apply for services, follow the link below and complete the Access Form to begin obtaining the many services available from the Agency.

https://portal.empoworbycsst.com/Public/ClientAccessForm.aspx?AccessID=e9bd19ba-768b-4758-9027-888071d7d39d

Residents of Anne Arundel County.

You can apply by clicking apply now, visiting one of our locations (Main Office or Career Center), or by telephone.

• 1. Complete an application online, in person, or by telephone
• 2. Identification-State-Issued ID or driver's license
• 3. Social Security cards for all household members
• 4. Proof of all household income for the last 30 days and unemployment history from year-to-date
• 5. Letter from employer, if laid off or furloughed due to COVID-19, a hardship statement as to the need for assistance
• 6. Letter from the landlord stating delinquent balance and current rent ledger
• 7. The first and last pages of the Lease Agreement updated
• 8. Judged signed Court Disposition (to be received at an appearance of Court appearance from the District Clerk)

Yes, but determined by Program Eligibility guidelines.

No, you do not need to wait for an eviction notice.

To pay rental arrears, the first month's rent and security deposit are determined based on specific Program Eligibility guidelines.

Yes, but it is most beneficial to provide all requested documentation at the time of the Application/Intake appointment.

AACCAA's Housing Case Managers contact landlords to provide notice that the Agency is working with the family. However, applicants are responsible for remaining in constant communication with their landlords regarding their specific situations and appearing for all court summons.

You can call us at (410) 626-1900 or email your inquiry to housingassistance@aaccaa.org to check the status.

1. Review of your application and documents within 15 days after we receive all requested documentation (Proof of income for 30 days, social security for all household members, photo ID for all household members over 18, judge signed court disposition, and the Emergency Rental Assistance forms.)
2. Final Determination within 2 weeks from receiving all documents.

1. Wages, salaries, and other earnings
2. Net income from the operation of a business or profession
3. Interest, dividends, and other net income from real or personal property
4. The total amount of periodic amounts received from Social Security, annuities, pensions, disability, death benefits, unemployment, disability compensation, or worker's compensation and severance pay
5. Public assistance, e.g., welfare payments and food stamps
6. Alimony, child support payments along with household size

Contractual employees provide 1099 for 2020.

1. At least 18 years or older on the date of enrollment
2. Currently involved or has been involved in the adult justice system
3. Previously incarcerated
4. Under the supervision of the justice system, either in or out of home placements, on probation, or on parole
5. Under an alternative sentence by the justice system or under a diversion program as an alternative to prosecution
6. Currently residing in (before confinement in prison) the community to be served
7. Never been convicted of a violent sex crime or any crime involving the production of methamphetamine.