SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU)—Another program affected by the shutdown is LIHEAP, as cold weather quickly approaches .
The federal government is pushing back the funding until the beginning of December.
Around 300,000 people in our state rely on this program for heating assistance.
28/22 News reporter Connor Coar has insight into the program.
More than 330,000 people in PA use LIHEAP.
Governor Shapiro signed a declaration of disaster emergency in a direct response to the government shutdown.
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LIHEAP — short for Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program — provides families with payments for their heating bills.
The payments are sent to the utility company or fuel provider — such as PPL or UGI — to pay toward the customers’ bills during the winter months. The grants can range from $200 to $1,000, according to the state’s website.
If the government is still not open by December 3rd, the program will be unable to assist those in need until the necessary funding becomes available.
Last year, more than 330,000 Pennsylvania households received $230 million in federal dollars to help with their heating bills.
“People are going to turn the heat off because they can’t afford it. Well then, they get sick. There goes another cost that goes up. Something just needs to be done. Congress needs to release something for us to help us. We are in a country where we shouldn’t be struggling like this,” expressed Danielle Rodriguez, advisory board member, SLCoC.
The Public Utility Commission encourages individuals to continue contacting their utility companies to explore payment options.
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