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When President Donald Trump laid off the entire staff of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) last month, millions of low-income households became more vulnerable.
The approximately two dozen LIHEAP employees were among 10,000 staff cuts made at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
The $4.1 billion program, created by Congress in 1980, helps millions of Americans pay for heat during the winter and air conditioning in the summer, as reported by The Associated Press. State officials are wondering if already scheduled federal payments will be delivered.
Thirteen state senators, including two Republicans, wrote to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and encourage the administration to reverse the staff cuts at LIHEAP. They warned that the program provides a “crucial lifeline” for low-income families and seniors.
The program has approximately $378 million yet to distribute for the current fiscal year.
Peter Hadler, deputy director of the Connecticut Department of Social Services, said his state was still owed $8 million.
When staff were cut in April, Minnesota, which is still owed $12 million to $13 million to help more than 10,000 households, was still under snow. Approximately 130,000 households in Minnesota receive assistance from LIHEAP every year.
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Rebecca Barnabi
