Announcements

2020 - 2021
HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (HEAP)

Helps eligible low-income individuals meet the high costs of home heating. The HEAP program will begin on November 2, 2020.

Income Eligibility Guidelines for the 2020-2021 Heating Season Household Size Maximum Monthly Income

1………...$2,610
2……….. $3,413
3……….. $4,216

To apply for HEAP call:

Age 60 and over, or disabled:
631-853-8326

Under age 60: 631-853-8820


The 2020-2021 Emergency benefit opened January 4, 2021.

Beginning March 8, 2020, a second Emergency benefit is available for households who have exhausted both the Regular and first Emergency HEAP benefits and who are in a heat or heat-related energy emergency, as defined by HEAP, and who meet the eligibility guidelines for Emergency benefit assistance.

If you are eligible, the Emergency HEAP Benefit can help you heat your home if you are in a heat or heat related emergency.

Emergency HEAP benefits and eligibility are based on:

  • income,
  • available resources, and
  • the type of

If you have an emergency, you must contact the Department of Social Service.

Emergencies after 4:30 and on weekends:
631-854-9100

HEATING EQUIPMENT REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT

If you are a homeowner and eligible, the Heating Equipment Repair and Replacement benefit can help you repair or replace your furnace, boiler and other direct heating equipment necessary to keep your home’s primary heating source working.

Benefit amounts are based on the actual cost incurred to repair or replace your furnace, boiler, and/or other essential heating equipment, $3,000 for a repair and $6,500 for a replacement.

You may call your local DSS office to apply. The in-person interview and application requirement is temporarily suspended. Your local district contact will decide if you meet all the eligibility conditions, including the income and resource requirements. The district will provide more information on how to submit the application and required documentation.

CLEAN AND TUNE BENEFIT

Eligible households can receive energy efficiency services, which includes the cleaning of primary heating equipment, but may also include chimney cleaning, minor repairs, installation of carbon monoxide detectors or programmable thermostats, if needed, to allow for the safe, proper and efficient operation of the heating equipment. Benefit amounts are based on the actual cost incurred to provide clean and tune services, up to a maximum of $400.

Clean and Tune ENGLISH Clean and Tune SPANISH

Welcome from County Executive Steve Bellone

The Suffolk County Office for the Aging is the designated Area Agency on Aging under the Older Americans Act. For over 40 years, Suffolk County Office for the Aging has administered federal, state and county programs for persons 60 years of age and older.

Specific goals for the Office are to develop a comprehensive service system designed to assist persons 60 years of age and older in maintaining maximum independence and dignity, to remove barriers to economic and personal independence, and to provide a continuum of care for the vulnerable elderly. Most importantly, Suffolk County Office for the Aging acts as advocate on behalf of all Suffolk County senior citizens.


When is Medicare open enrollment for 2021 coverage?

Medicare open enrollment – also known as Medicare’s annual election period – runs from October 15 through December 7 each year. During this annual window, Medicare plan enrollees can reevaluate their coverage – whether it’s Original Medicare with supplemental drug coverage, or Medicare Advantage – and make changes or purchase new policies if they want to do so.

During the Medicare open enrollment period, you can:

  • Switch from Original Medicare to Medicare Advantage (as long as you’re enrolled in both Medicare Part A and Part B, and you live in the Medicare Advantage plan’s service area).
  • Switch from Medicare Advantage to Original Medicare (plus a Medicare Part D plan, and possibly a Medigap Plan).
  • Switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to another.
  • Switch from one Medicare Part D prescription drug plan to another.
  • Enroll in a Medicare Part D plan if you didn’t enroll when you were first eligible for Medicare. If you haven’t maintained other creditable coverage, a late-enrollment penalty may apply.

Prior to 2021, patients with end-stage renal disease were unable to enroll in Medicare Advantage Plans unless there was a Medicare Special Needs plan available in their area for ESRD patients. But that is changing for 2021, under the terms of the 21st Century Cures Act. People with ESRD have the option to enroll in Medicare Advantage for 2021.


The Suffolk County Office for the Aging and the Senior Citizen Advisory Board are now accepting nominations for the 2021 SENIOR CITIZEN OF THE YEAR AWARD. This award will recognize a senior citizen who has enhanced the lives of older residents in Suffolk County. The nominee’s contribution may be as an advocate, role model, leader or volunteer. Candidates must be 60 years of age or older and a resident of Suffolk County. Nominations must be received no later than Wednesday, March 3, 2021.

2021 Senior of the Year Nomination letter

2021 Nomination Form

The New York State Office for the Aging in partnership with BellAge, Inc., and the Association on Aging in New York launched the CV19 CheckUp tool to help people better understand their risk of getting COVID 19.

CV19 CheckUP online tool is free and anonymous, and only takes a few minutes to complete. The series of questions asks about your health conditions, and things like how many people do you come in contact with and when do you wear a mask? The information and the zip code you provide is used to calculate your risk of getting COVID-19 based the most current information about disease and what is happening in your neighborhood. It also provides recommendations and options to reduce your risk of getting COVID19. You can complete this as many times as you like and see how your answers to certain questions change your risk scores. There has been a lot of misinformation about COVID-19 and the risks associated with contracting and spreading the virus.

This tool developed by BellAge uses the latest scientific information from around the world to calculate your individual risk of getting COVID19, how likely you are to spread it to others, and how likely are you are to be hospitalized or die from it.

CV19 CheckUp is available to everyone at:
newyork.cv19checkup.org