(Credit: LevittownNow.com)
The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services has extended the deadline for its Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to April 18
Dr. Val Arkoosh, the secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, pointed to the program’s importance for over 300,000 Pennsylvania families, including older adults and low-income households.
“The LIHEAP season is now closing for the year on April 18, so Pennsylvanians who may still need help with their heating bills from this winter should apply now,” Arkoosh said. “LIHEAP helps our community’s most vulnerable citizens – children, older Pennsylvanians, people with disabilities, and low-income families – make ends meet and keep their homes safer.”
LIHEAP provides cash grants to help reduce monthly heating bills, with grants ranging from $200 to $1,000. The program also offers crisis grants, ranging from $25 to $1,000, for heating emergencies such as utility service termination or a lack of fuel.
To be eligible, household incomes must be at or below 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Level. For an individual, that’s a gross income of $22,590 per year, and for a family of four, it’s $46,800 per year, officials said.
Arkoosh urged Pennsylvanians who are behind on or having trouble paying their heating bills to apply for LIHEAP Cash and LIHEAP Crisis benefits before the new deadline.
LIHEAP assistance is distributed directly to utility companies or fuel providers, and recipients do not have to repay the funds.
The extension comes amid news reports of federal staffing cuts to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services LIHEAP office.
NBC News reported this week that the entire staff of the federal LIHEAP office have been laid off as part of cuts by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Arkoosh said that despite the federal cuts, there are currently no changes to this season’s program in Pennsylvania and the state has adequate funding to continue through April 18. However, she emphasized that continued federal funding is critical for future seasons.
“While this season is not expected to be impacted, continued federal funding and support are critical to Pennsylvania Department of Human Services’ ability to provide uninterrupted assistance for Pennsylvanians during the next winter season,” the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services statement said.
Pennsylvanians can apply online at www.dhs.pa.gov/COMPASS, by phone at 1-866-550-4355, or in person at a local county assistance office.
