As temperatures begin to drop around the U.S., Democrat lawmakers’ refusal to fund the government may impact the ability of some Americans to heat their homes.
Nearly six million households depend on the $4.1 billion Low-Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) program, with some states warning funding for the program is being delayed because of the federal government shutdown now in its fifth week.
Jacqueline Chapman, a retired school aide who relies on a $630 monthly Social Security check to get by, presents the real-world example of someone impacted by the shutdown on pace to be the longest in U.S. history.
Chapman told Boston’s WCBB5 that she was already dealing with the loss of her food stamp, or SNAP, benefits when she learned the assistance she receives for heating her Philadelphia apartment may also be at risk.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits that aid some 42 million Americans have also been delayed, although a federal judge in Rhode Island on Friday ordered the Trump administration to at least partially fund the program with money held in reserve.
“I feel like I’m living in scary time,” the 74-year-old senior told the news outlet. “It’s not easy to rest when you know you have things to do with limited accounts, limited funds. There isn’t too much you can do.”
Those who administer the program nationwide are sounding an alarm.
“The impact, even if it’s temporary, on many of the nation’s poor families is going to be profound if we don’t solve this problem,” said Mark Wolfe, executive director of the National Energy Assistance Directors Associations (NEADA). It represents state directors of the LIHEAP program.
“These are important income supports that are all potentially heading toward a cliff at the same time,” Wolfe added. “And I can’t point to a similar time in recent history where we’ve had this.”
As funding for the program is delayed, at the same time, Wolfe told USA Today, electrical and national gas prices have risen sharply, adding further strain to household budgets.
About 21 million households, or one in six, are reportedly behind in their energy bills, according to NEADA. It also reported that since the last month of 2023, household energy averages have risen by about 31
“The situation is really grim regarding (rising energy) pricing and availability of LIHEAP funds,” Wolfe told USA Today. “Even if all goes well now, the earliest we will see funds will be December.”
Contributor Lowell Cauffiel is the author of the New York Times best seller House of Secrets and nine other crime novels and nonfiction titles. See lowellcauffiel.com for more.
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