A prolonged government shutdown is threatening to delay heating assistance for millions of low-income families across the United States. The situation has raised alarms as winter approaches, with temperatures dropping in various regions. This delay affects the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which provides critical funding to help households cover heating costs.
Jacqueline Chapman, a retired school aide from Philadelphia, is among those concerned. She relies on a monthly Social Security check of $630 and is already facing the loss of federal food aid benefits. “I feel like I’m living in scary times,” said Chapman, 74. “It’s not easy to rest when you know you have things to do with limited accounts, limited funds. There isn’t too much you can do.”
LIHEAP, which assists over 5.9 million households nationwide, has an annual budget of $4.1 billion. The program is crucial for low-income families, especially as they also face the sudden postponement of benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which helps about 1 in 8 Americans purchase groceries. Mark Wolfe, executive director of the National Energy Assistance Directors Association, emphasized the potential impact of these delays, stating, “The impact, even if it’s temporary, on many of the nation’s poor families is going to be profound if we don’t solve this problem.”
Funding Delays and State Responses
As the government shutdown continues into its fifth week, several states have announced delays in their LIHEAP programs. This situation arises because Congress has yet to pass a full spending bill for the 2026 fiscal year, preventing states from receiving their expected federal allocations. In Pennsylvania, for instance, Governor Josh Shapiro announced that the state cannot provide the anticipated $200 million in LIHEAP aid to support approximately 300,000 low-income households, predicting that payments will be postponed until at least December instead of the usual November.
Minnesota is also feeling the effects, with its energy assistance program processing applications but likely unable to disburse federal LIHEAP funds until the shutdown ends. The state serves around 120,000 households, many of which include older adults and young children. Connecticut has sufficient funds to cover heating bills through the end of November, but uncertainty looms if the shutdown continues. The Connecticut Association for Community Action has indicated that lawmakers are considering using state budget reserves to temporarily address the situation.
Wolfe warned that the longer the shutdown persists, the more perilous the situation will become for families reliant on heating assistance. “These are important income supports that are all potentially heading toward a cliff at the same time,” he noted, emphasizing the unprecedented nature of the current crisis.
Challenges for Low-Income Households
For families like Chapman’s, the implications of these delays are significant. While she may qualify for assistance through her gas utility to prevent being shut off this winter, many LIHEAP recipients depend on deliverable fuels such as heating oil, which do not offer the same protections. Wolfe explained that while electric and natural gas companies are usually regulated by the state, smaller oil and propane providers do not have such obligations. “If you’re a heating oil dealer, we can’t tell that dealer, ‘Look, continue to provide heating oil to your low-income customers on the possibility you’ll get your money back,’” he said.
Mark Bain, a 67-year-old resident of Bloomfield, Connecticut, also faces uncertainty. He has received financial assistance for home heating oil since he discovered the program three years ago. “I remember the first winter before I knew about this program. I was desperate. I was on fumes,” Bain recalled. Approved for $500 in assistance this year, he is anxious about running low on oil before he can secure another delivery. “I would turn the heat down to like 62 degrees and throw on another blanket, you know, just to get through,” he added.
As winter approaches, lawmakers and officials at both state and federal levels are under pressure to resolve the funding crisis and ensure that families receive the support they need to stay warm. The ongoing shutdown has created a precarious situation for millions who rely on these essential programs for their survival.
Amid this uncertainty, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees LIHEAP, has attributed the funding delays to congressional Democrats while maintaining that the administration is committed to reopening the government. A spokesperson stated, “Once the government reopens, ACF will work swiftly to administer annual awards,” referring to the Administration for Children and Families.
The current situation highlights the fragility of support systems for low-income households and raises concerns about the potential long-term consequences of the shutdown. As families brace for colder temperatures, the urgency to find a resolution grows ever stronger.
