PUC Urges Congressional Delegation To Ensure Remaining LIHEAP Funding Is Available For Low-Income Pennsylvanians

On March 4, the Public Utility Commission wrote to members of Pennsylvania's Congressional Delegation urging them to take necessary and swift action to ensure the remaining Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funds for 2023-24 become available to help low-income families in the state.

“We are concerned that 10% of Pennsylvania’s LIHEAP funding will not be released until Congress authorizes an annual budget,” said all five PUC Commissioners in a letter addressed to the Pennsylvania Congressional Delegation.

“For years, LIHEAP has provided vital assistance to vulnerable Pennsylvanians,” said PUC Chairman Stephen M. DeFrank. “Ensuring the continuation of this funding is just as critical for the remainder of the 2023-24 LIHEAP season as the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (PA DHS) anticipates the program will run out of money by mid-March.”

"Punxsutawney Phil may not have seen his shadow, but it is still cold outside,” said PUC Commissioner Kathryn L. Zerfuss. “We need to keep the heat on for the income eligible families and seniors who are counting on this assistance.”

Click Here for a copy of the letter.

Background

LIHEAP is a federally funded program administered by the state Department of Human Services that helps with home heating bills. 

Assistance is available for renters and homeowners. LIHEAP provides cash and crisis grants to households with incomes at or below 150% of the Federal Poverty Income Guidelines to pay for utility bills and deliverable fuels for home-heating and other home energy needs. 

The 2023-24 LIHEAP application period for both cash and crisis grants opened Nov. 1, 2023, and will run until April 5, 2024.

The Department of Human Services has indicated that it can fund the program until approximately March 15, 2024, after that date, PA DHS may be forced to close the program early and delay issuances of grants to the detriment of eligible Pennsylvania consumers. 

The PUC works together with PA DHS to make sure that eligible Pennsylvania families have access to essential LIHEAP funds each year to help them keep their heat on and stay safe and warm, especially during the winter months.

There is a great need for LIHEAP funding in Pennsylvania as PA DHS has received over 10,000 LIHEAP applications in the past week and more than 438,000 applications so far this program year. 

During the 2022-23 LIHEAP season, over 312,000 Pennsylvania households received more than $125 million in LIHEAP cash grants and PA DHS issued approximately 144,000 LIHEAP crisis grants, totaling approximately $99 million, to help low-income households restore or avoid the loss of their home heating service. 

Significantly, PA DHS awarded more than 50,000 LIHEAP cash grants in March or later in 2023.

[Posted: March 4, 2024]  PA Environment Digest