Senators call on HHS to release LIHEAP funds to states for heating help
A bipartisan group of 38 U.S. senators wrote to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) this week, asking for the release of Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funds to help states assist households most in need.
These include low-income and senior households on fixed incomes, which often need the extra funds to pay energy bills and keep heat flowing amidst icy weather. Last year, an estimated 5.3 million households benefited from LIHEAP assistance. Those figures are only expected to rise as the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) predicts average home heating costs could jump as much as 54 percent over last winter’s costs — well beyond low-income households’ ability to afford.
Energy costs are projected to continue surging this winter due to rising prices for heating oil, natural gas, and other fuels. The result could see average bills for homes reliant on heating oil in the Northeast, for example, leap from $1,210 to $1,734.
“As state agencies work to prepare their LIHEAP programs for the coming winter, it is crucial that they have the resources they need to assist low-income households and seniors as soon as possible, especially in light of the current health crisis,” the senators wrote. “As such, we request that you quickly release LIHEAP funds at the highest level possible to allow states to prepare for the upcoming season so that low-income households do not have to choose between paying for heat and affording other necessities like food or medicine.”
Today, the average cost of home heating costs more than $900 per year throughout the country. Some areas fare worse than others, such as New England, with its intense winters. Traditionally, LIHEAP helps even the playing field for lower-income residents, providing low-income households with payments or energy crisis assistance to help pay for gas, electric, and other heating means. Eligibility is based on income, family size, and resource availability and, though federally funded, is administered by states.
The senators noted this year could be especially trying due to new and severe financial hardships brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
