LIHEAP will be delayed until December because the program has not received funds due to the federal government shutdown, Department of Human Services say.

PENNSYLVANIA, USA — The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program season is being delayed due to the federal government shutdown. 

LIHEAP, a federally funded program by the Department of Human Services in PA, helps qualified Pennsylvanians pay their home heating bills during the winter and is available for both renters and homeowners. 

DHS said in a release that the program, which helps more than 300,000 families, is being delayed by a month because it has not received funds due to the federal government shutdown. The program was scheduled on November 3, but is being pushed to December 3.

Once the federal shutdown ends and DHS receives the funding needed to begin the LIHEAP season, DHS will start accepting LIHEAP applications. Preseason applications already received will continue to be processed, and other benefits will be provided during the shutdown. In both cases, payments are on hold until federal funding is released to Pennsylvania.Â