PORTLAND – Maine officials Tuesday approved new funding formulas that loosen the eligibility requirements for a federal program that provides heating assistance for low-income households.

The board of commissioners of MaineHousing voted to expand general eligibility for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program from 170 percent of the federal poverty level to 200 percent. That means an individual with $20,800 in income will qualify for aid, up from the previous threshold of $17,680.

MaineHousing also created a sliding scale formula that provides more LIHEAP aid for people at the lower end of the economic scale. Those with the lowest incomes will have more than 80 percent of their total heating need met with LIHEAP funds, while those at the higher end will have about 40 percent covered, said Dale McCormick, the agency’s director.

“We wanted to include as many people as possible and still target a really meaningful benefit to really low-income people,” McCormick said.

As a result of the changes, the average LIHEAP benefit will increase to $940 from $757 last year and the number of households receiving help will climb to about 72,000 from last year’s total of 50,000.

Maine stands to receive nearly $80 million in LIHEAP funding this year, a 72 percent increase from the $46 million it got last year. The program will distribute more than $5 billion nationwide.

About 10,000 Maine households already have been approved for LIHEAP aid. Officials said the first checks were scheduled to be mailed to those households’ fuel providers on today.