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yesterday

Shutdown Freezes LIHEAP Funds, Forcing States to Delay Heating Aid as Winter Nears

States say new awards cannot be issued without federal allocations that remain on hold during week five of the funding lapse.

Mark Bain, who is part of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, stands next to his oil tank and says he hopes that he will have enough oil to outlast the shutdown, in Bloomfield, Conn., Monday, Oct. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
Mark Bain, who is part of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, rubs his hands together as he checks the level on his oil at home in hopes that he will have enough oil to outlast the shutdown, in Bloomfield, Conn., Monday, Oct. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
Mark Bain, who is part of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, heads up from the basement to turn down the thermostat of his home in hopes that he will have enough oil to outlast the shutdown, in Bloomfield, Conn., Monday, Oct. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
Mark Bain, who is part of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, sets his thermostat to 65 degrees at his home as he watches his oil levels carefully in hope that he will have enough oil to outlast the shutdown, in Bloomfield, Conn., Monday, Oct. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

Overview

  • Roughly 5.9–6 million households depend on the $4.1 billion program, and states including Pennsylvania, New York, Minnesota and Kansas have announced delays.
  • Pennsylvania says it cannot front more than $200 million for about 300,000 households, while Connecticut can cover bills only through late November or December from state reserves.
  • HHS says the Administration for Children and Families will release annual awards once the government reopens, and program directors warn processing could extend payments into December or January.
  • SNAP benefits for about 42 million people have also been delayed, with a federal judge in Rhode Island ordering partial funding in one case.
  • Households using deliverable fuels such as heating oil and propane face greater risk because private vendors are not required to deliver without payment as energy costs rise.