Heating assistance applications open after LIHEAP funding delay

CHICOPEE, MA (WGGB/WSHM) - With freezing temperatures are hitting western Massachusetts this week, thousands of low-income families can finally get help paying their heating bills. Federal funding for the low-income home energy assistance program has been released after a month-long delay.

The Valley Opportunity Council told us that the release of the funding is great news because they can now assist everyone eligible for the program just in time for these freezing temperatures. “These are our neighbors, our families, and our friends. These are hardworking individuals, often working multiple jobs. These are retirees on fixed incomes that use this money during these really cold months when the bills skyrocket to balance out and make ends meet,” said Melissa White with the Valley Opportunity Council.

The federal government released LIHEAP funding on Tuesday. The money had been delayed for a month due to the government shutdown. The Valley Opportunity Council typically serves about 20,000 households a year and they normally receive their funding in early November to help low-income residents stay warm when heating bills spike.

Now that the money is available, all applications can be processed. The organization is sending out eligibility letters to households and vendors, but with freezing temperatures this week and next, we wanted to know how quickly families can get help. “We can access the funds relatively quickly, but the process has been stuck or bottlenecked for a period of time, so we’ve had less staff. We’ve been focused on people that we could assist with emergencies, so we do have applications that we’ve been working through that are already in-house that are not emergencies, but we’re going to be working through those applications,” White added.

White explained sending out eligibility letters will take time, but there is a way for some people to find out sooner if they’re approved. If you’ve already applied, you can call one of two numbers on your screen. The automated line will tell you if your application has been certified and if you’re eligible for assistance. The VOC expects to process all pending applications within the next couple of weeks.