WASHINGTON, DC – Falling temperatures and higher utility costs can put a damper on household budgets.  With colder weather around the corner, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) led a bipartisan letter urging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to release funds for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) as swiftly and at the highest level possible.

LIHEAP is a federally funded program designed to assist low-income families, seniors on fixed incomes, and other eligible households cover their home energy costs, especially during the coldest and hottest months of the year.

The Senators say LIHEAP funding is a crucial lifeline that provides targeted assistance to help millions of Americans stay safe during the winter.

Reed, Collins, and Murkowski are leading efforts to include the highest level of funding possible for LIHEAP in the fiscal year 2024 appropriations package making its way through Congress.

“As state agencies activate their LIHEAP programs for the coming winter, it is crucial that they have the resources on hand to help low-income households and seniors as soon as possible, especially in light of high energy costs. As such, we request that you quickly release LIHEAP funds at the highest level possible, so that low-income households do not have to choose between paying for heat and affording other necessities like food or medicine,” the Senators wrote.

Nationwide, an estimated 6 million households received assistance with heating and cooling costs through LIHEAP in 2023.

In FY23, Senators Reed, Collins, and Murkowski led successful efforts to provide a total of $6.1 billion for LIHEAP nationwide, resulting in nearly $40 million for Rhode Island, more than $54 million for Maine, and over $31.7 million for Alaska and Alaska Tribes.

Approximately 26,000 Rhode Island households and more than 30,000 Maine households benefitted from LIHEAP last year.

LIHEAP is administered by states and accessed through local Community Action Agencies.  Eligibility for LIHEAP is based on income, family size, and the availability of resources.  Payments are made directly to utility companies that have agreed to accept LIHEAP subsidies. Other assistance may be available for those whose utilities do not participate in the program.

Applications for LIHEAP grants opened on October 1 and Rhode Islanders may apply for assistance through their local Community Action Agency.  In September, renewal applications were sent to individuals who received a LIHEAP grant last year.  Agencies will send confirmation letters to households that heat with deliverable fuel starting November 1 and households that heat with utilities starting January 1.  Deliverable fuel vendors may begin making deliveries starting November 1.

Full text of the letter follows:

The Honorable Xavier Becerra

Secretary

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

330 C Street, SW

Washington, D.C. 20416

Dear Secretary Becerra:

As Congress works to finalize the Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations bill for the Department of Health and Human Services, we urge you to immediately release the highest amount of Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funding available under the Continuing Resolution (PL 118-15).

As the main federal program that helps low-income households and seniors with their energy bills, LIHEAP provides critical assistance during the cold winter and hot summer months. October marks the start of the heating season for many states, and with temperatures already dropping, low-income families and seniors are feeling additional strains on their household budgets.

As state agencies activate their LIHEAP programs for the coming winter, it is crucial that they have the resources on hand to help low-income households and seniors as soon as possible, especially in light of high energy costs. As such, we request that you quickly release LIHEAP funds at the highest level possible, so that low-income households do not have to choose between paying for heat and affording other necessities like food or medicine.

We look forward to working with you on this critical program, and thank you for your attention to our concerns and those of our constituents.

Sincerely,