Concord, N.H. – Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander joined 43 of her colleagues, including Congressman Chris Pappas, in demanding that Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary RFK Jr. take all necessary steps to ensure that the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funds are distributed to the states by November 30, 2025. States typically receive their LIHEAP allocations in early November following the beginning of the fiscal year in October.
The lawmakers wrote, “We appreciate the agency’s notification that LIHEAP funds should be received by LIHEAP recipients by the end of the month, especially as parts of the country begin to experience colder weather and temperatures below freezing. It is vital that LIHEAP funds are delivered as quickly as possible to the nearly six million households that rely on this assistance.”
LIHEAP assists low-income individuals and families with the costs of heating and cooling their homes and helps to mitigate the impacts of rising energy costs and extreme weather events. Across the nation, LIHEAP helps nearly 6 million households afford their energy bills, but this assistance has been put at risk by Secretary Kennedy’s decision to fire all LIHEAP staff earlier this year.
The members continued to note the importance of the speedy delivery of funds for families who rely on home heating oil or propane, stating, “Given that the heating season has already started in many parts of the country, we agree that there is no time to waste… The risk is especially great for households that rely on home heating oil or propane to warm their homes. While many states include moratoriums on utility shutoffs during winter months, they cannot require independent heating oil or propane suppliers to continue deliveries without payment before or upon delivery.”
In light of the lawmakers concern about the LIHEAP’s capacity to operate without dedicated staff, they also asked HHS to issue states an initial allocation if HHS is unable to disburse full amounts by the end of the month to ensure all heating assistance programs are able to begin without delay, writing, “If disbursement is expected to be delayed past November 30, 2025, as indicated by the agency, we request that HHS immediately distribute an initial, upfront portion of LIHEAP funds to all states to allow households to receive benefits as soon as possible, followed by the disbursement of remaining funds no later than December 10.”
The National Energy Assistance Directors Association (NEADA) supports the lawmakers’ call for HHS to speed the delivery of LIHEAP funds to the states and highlighted how the speedy release of funds will help protect seniors, families, and people with disabilities who rely on LIHEAP assistance to keep their homes safe during the winter months.
Read the full letter here.
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