Federal Government Shutdown Threatens Heating Assistance for Low-Income Families

Mon Nov 03 2025 01:04:06 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

As winter approaches, the ongoing federal government shutdown poses serious risks to low-income households relying on heating assistance programs like LIHEAP. Millions may face delays in support just as temperatures drop.

The federal government shutdown is casting a shadow over the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), leaving millions of low-income families at risk as winter approaches. Retirees like Jacqueline Chapman and Mark Bain exemplify the distress felt by many, as they grapple with the prospect of delayed heating assistance amidst rising energy prices and insufficient funding. With states like Pennsylvania and Minnesota warning recipients of potential hold-ups in payments, the impact could be severe for countless vulnerable households across the U.S.

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — The ongoing federal government shutdown is increasingly threatening the heating assistance that millions of low-income households depend on as winter approaches. Jacqueline Chapman, a retired school aide from Philadelphia, currently lives on a $630 monthly Social Security check and relies heavily on the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to heat her apartment. With the shutdown entering its fifth week, the situation is dire.

Chapman states, “I feel like I’m living in scary times. It’s not easy to rest when you know you have things to do with limited accounts, limited funds.” LIHEAP helps cover heating and cooling costs for nearly 5.9 million U.S. households, making its potential disruption alarming.

As temperatures begin to plummet, several states are communicating that LIHEAP funding delays could occur due to the shutdown, raising concerns over heating assistance just as energy prices surge. Mark Wolfe, executive director of the National Energy Assistance Directors Association, warns the impact will be profound for vulnerable families if the problem is not addressed. “These are important income supports that are all potentially heading toward a cliff at the same time,” he cautioned during a recent interview.

The LIHEAP program, established in 1981, has traditionally enjoyed bipartisan support; however, the ongoing stoppage in federal operations prevents states from accessing the necessary funds. States like Pennsylvania, Minnesota, and Kansas have already alerted residents seeking assistance that delays are imminent. For instance, Pennsylvania's administration has recently announced it cannot front the nearly $200 million in federal aid needed for roughly 300,000 households.

“As these temperatures begin to drop, this delay could have serious impacts," a Minnesota Department of Commerce official noted, highlighting the risk faced by families, particularly older adults and young children. As states scramble to manage the funding situation, many fear that if the shutdown continues, the consequences might stretch into the new year.

Amid growing uncertainty, retirees like Chapman and Bain face the reality of possibly limited funding just as winter bites. “If I don’t receive the help this year, I would turn the heat down to like 62 degrees and throw on another blanket, just to get through,” Bain reflects, highlighting the precarious nature of life for low-income families amid rising energy costs.