Latest news with #energyassistance
CBS News
6 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
Over 1 million Pennsylvanians could be affected if LIHEAP ends under Trump's proposed budget, advocates warn
LIHEAP, the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, has long helped Pennsylvanians keep their heat on during the coldest months of the year. But now it could be in jeopardy. The Trump administration's proposed federal budget allocates zero dollars to LIHEAP, effectively ending the program. LIHEAP helps hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians each year, whether it's paying utility bills or providing emergency services. If the program disappears, the consequences could go far beyond just losing heat on a freezing day. With any delay, budget cut or complete elimination of the program, there could be devastating outcomes. "This is a program that really helps ensure that the roughly 1.2 million low-income Pennsylvanians across the state are going to be able to keep the heat on through the winter," said Elizabeth Marx, the executive director of the Pennsylvania Utility Law Project. The LIHEAP program provides cash grants, crisis assistance, emergency furnace repair and replacement, offering hundreds of millions of dollars in assistance every year. If the funding disappears, so do the services. "Families may not be able to put as much food on the table. They will cut their medicine in half. We've had clients who are using only half of the oxygen that they should be using or cutting their pills in half," said Marx. "We'll see more folks with health issues, we'll see higher incidents of housing insecurity that comes as a result of utility insecurity." Locally, organizations like the Holy Family Institute help thousands of people apply for LIHEAP assistance each year. Their services reach around 35,000 residents, many of them seniors on fixed incomes. "The fixed-income seniors who can't forecast the weather, they can't be prepared for a cold snap or an extended heat wave that causes their utility bills, whether it's gas or electric, to go above and beyond maybe what they've budgeted," said Michael Sexauer, the president of Holy Family Institute. The idea of the program ending, he says, is deeply concerning. "If the program goes away, then you're forcing those individuals, whether they're single moms or elderly or on a fixed income or someone in between, you're forcing them to make a decision of what they actually do pay for," Sexauer said. While smaller local programs exist, none can match the scale or reach of LIHEAP. "Those that rely on propane, oil and wood to heat their home, and a couple thousand in Pennsylvania still heat with coal, and all of those heating sources, folks can get emergency assistance for, and that will go away," Marx said. As of now, the proposed budget is still making its way through the federal government, with no clear indication whether it will pass or fail. In the meantime, officials urge residents who are struggling to never let bills go unpaid and to contact their utility companies or local agencies for help before it's too late.
Globe and Mail
20-05-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
NewOrg to Showcase Proven Utility Assistance Solutions at Revved Up 2025, Supporting Providers Nationwide
Washington, D.C.--(Newsfile Corp. - May 20, 2025) - NewOrg, a leading provider of nonprofit data management solutions, is proud to announce its participation in the upcoming national conference dedicated to advancing energy and utility assistance programs across the United States. Building on its successful partnership with energy assistance organizations, NewOrg will be on-site to connect with providers and share proven strategies for improving service delivery. The team will also demonstrate how integrated data management helps organizations expand their impact, accelerate processing, and ensure critical funding reaches families without delay. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: The conference brings together utility assistance leaders, community action agencies, government partners, and solution providers to address the growing demand for efficient, accountable energy assistance programs. NewOrg is attending to support this mission, helping organizations nationwide deliver services more effectively. The team will showcase its customizable client and vendor portal, featuring real-world results from a Connecticut-based nonprofit that processed over 1,500 applications in just 4 weeks, paid vendors in as little as 2-7 days, and unlocked over $100,000 in restricted grant funds-all by transforming their outdated processes using NewOrg's platform. About Revved Up The conference, hosted annually by the National Energy and Utility Affordability Coalition (NEUAC), began in 2004 as a gathering of professionals committed to reducing energy burdens for vulnerable households. The event provides education, policy updates, and networking to empower attendees to deliver better services nationwide. This year's event runs from June 2nd to 5th in Charlotte, North Carolina, uniting hundreds of advocates and providers who share a common goal: to make utility assistance easier, faster, and more impactful for families in need. About NewOrg Management System, Inc. NewOrg Management System, Inc. - 4000 Albemarle St NW (Ste 200) Washington, DC 20016 NewOrg is a leading software developer providing a cloud-based data management platform for nonprofits and local government/social service agencies, with more than 50,000 users in the US & Canada since 2006. Celebrating 18 years providing complete, 100% customized data management for nonprofit organizations and affiliates, NewOrg's integrated software and service approach ensures that our partners improve efficiency, transparency, and sustainability.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Yahoo
Gaston County warns residents about summer program scam targeting elderly
Gaston County Police and Gaston County Social Services have issued a statement warning residents about a scam circulating via email. The scam includes information about a summer Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP). It claims to offer additional energy assistance. The scam provides the names and phone numbers of state officials to appear legitimate. READ: Anson County deputies warn of scam targeting families LIEAP provides assistance with heating bills to those over the age of 60 or disabled persons receiving services through the N.C. Division of Aging and Adult Services. But Gaston County officials clarified, LIEAP does not have a summer program. Officials said those who need assistance and qualify can apply for the Crisis Intervention Program by calling (704)862-7889, online at or in person at the Department of Health and Human Services. 'Be cautious when you receive emails from people you do not know,' police said in a statement. 'Do not provide any personal information to any organization or group if you are not familiar with them. If you suspect a scam, end the communication and report it to law enforcement.' Anyone who believes they have been targeted by a scam has been asked to call Gaston County Communications at (704)866-3300. WATCH: Anson County deputies warn of scam targeting families
E&E News
09-05-2025
- Business
- E&E News
Republicans balk at Trump's proposed energy aid cuts
President Donald Trump's proposed gutting of a key energy aid program is getting pushback from Republican appropriators, who say they will likely keep funding the program in spending bills. When Trump unveiled his 'skinny budget' last week, it included over $4 billion in cuts to the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which would effectively end the program that provides support for some 6 million households. LIHEAP is the main federal source of funding to help low-income households heat and cool their homes. It has long enjoyed bipartisan support. The White House's budget document says that in lieu of LIHEAP, the administration will 'instead support low-income individuals through energy dominance, lower prices, and an America First economic platform.' Advertisement A senior OMB official claimed Friday that the program has been rife with improper payments. The budget request referenced a 2010 report from the Government Accountability Office, that found evidence of fraud in LIHEAP applications.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump calls program to help low-income Americans pay their energy bills ‘unnecessary'
Last year, the Low Income Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, distributed nearly $4 billion to households struggling to pay their energy bills. It's a lifeline for more than 6 million families, but in recent months the program has become a target for funding cuts. In early April, Donald Trump's administration laid off the roughly dozen staff members at the Department of Health and Human Services who oversaw the program. Because HHS hadn't yet distributed all of the funding for this fiscal year, the staff cuts put about $400 million in jeopardy. Senator Susan Collins, the Republican chair of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, sent a letter to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the HHS secretary, asking him to reverse course 'on any staffing or funding cuts that would jeopardize the distribution of these funds to our constituents.' Then, HHS temporarily rehired one of the employees who'd been laid off. That person's job was to determine how much LIHEAP money states and other recipients receive. They were brought back on to release the remaining $400 million, which the agency did last Thursday. In a budget proposal released the next day, the White House proposed ending the program altogether. The Trump White House said LIHEAP is 'unnecessary' and that the administration would 'support low-income individuals through energy dominance, lower prices, and an America First economic platform.' 'It's a cruel proposal,' said Mark Wolfe, executive director of the National Energy Assistance Directors' Association, which represents managers of state LIHEAP programs. 'They're proposing to zero it out, and that would cause significant harm to some of the poorest families in the country.' Trump's budget proposal is, at this point, just that — a proposal. Every year, the president's submission serves as a starting point for Congress' budget process. Ultimately, Congress controls the purse strings of the federal government and makes decisions about appropriations for LIHEAP. Historically, Congress has championed LIHEAP. Since 2009, the program, which was created in the 1980s, has received no less than $3 billion from Congress. At the height of the pandemic, Congress appropriated more than $8 billion through LIHEAP. But the Trump proposal is a signal of the administration's priorities — it recommends a nearly 23 percent cut in overall federal spending — and HHS still decides whether and how to distribute LIHEAP funds. Staff at the program, who have now been laid off, are responsible for divvying up the money to states, tribes, and territories based on a complex formula that takes climate, demographics, and various other factors into account. Without staff to run the program and given the administration's position, HHS could decide not to disburse any funds Congress appropriates for the next fiscal year, which begins October 1. Get in touch with Grist Have you lost your federal job or funding? Grist wants to hear about how cuts are impacting the environment, health, and safety of communities around the country. Share your story with us here. 'They've been slow-walking the funds, they have been delaying payments — and in this case, since they're making the argument this program is no longer necessary, why would they release the funds?' said Wolfe. In addition to questioning the program's necessity, the White House referenced a long-closed audit of the program by the Government Accountability Office. The 2010 report found 11,000 applications for LIHEAP with names of dead people and 1,000 applications from federal employees whose salaries exceeded the income thresholds set by the program. In response to these findings, HHS required states to collect social security numbers as a condition of LIHEAP eligibility and to cross-reference applications with death data. These changes took effect by 2014, and the Government Accountability Office closed the report. 'It's just factually inaccurate to say that those findings are the case,' said a former HHS employee who was responsible for LIHEAP compliance and was recently laid off. They said that the program now requires applicants to provide social security numbers, proof of income, and an active utility bill. 'And ultimately, someone has to physically come in to apply for the program. 'In my time at HHS and overseeing the LIHEAP program, the majority of the compliance findings had more to do with improving the program to make it more effective and more efficient — not related to fraud, waste, or abuse,' they said. As the Collins letter indicates, the Trump administration does seem sensitive to public and congressional pressure to fund LIHEAP. Wolfe and others Grist spoke to said it was likely the biggest factor in the administration releasing the remaining $400 million. Given Collins' crucial role in the budget-making process, the Trump administration could opt to distribute the funds as instructed. But given that the administration wants to end funding for the program and the fact that the staff responsible for running it have been laid off, it's unclear what might happen if Congress appropriates money for LIHEAP in the coming months. The lack of certainty about the program trickles down to the state and local implementers of LIHEAP, said Katrina Metzler, executive director of the National Energy and Utility Affordability Coalition. 'Typically, they would have reached out to our federal partners at HHS to answer questions that they have, but those staff have been eliminated,' she said. 'There's just a lot of unrest and uncertainty.' This story was originally published by Grist with the headline Trump calls program to help low-income Americans pay their energy bills 'unnecessary' on May 9, 2025.
