Low-income Heating and Cooling Assistance In Jeopardy Due to LIHEAP Agency Cuts

WASHINGTON, D.C. (KVRR/FOX) — Every employee at a program that assists low-income households in paying heating and cooling bills has been let go as part of DOGE cuts, Department of Government Efficiency.

Division of Energy Assistance ran the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP.

It helped nearly 6 million people each year across the country.

In Minnesota, around 130,000 households are enrolled in the program.

There are fears that they will risk utility shutoffs or be unable to refill empty propane or fuel oil tanks.

Minnesota is currently awaiting the final 10% of federal funding for the current program year.

If that funding is delayed, support to households will be paused.

“Energy Assistance is a vital and extremely popular program,” said Annie Levenson-Falk with nonprofit consumer advocate Citizens Utility Board of Minnesota.

They say more than 91,000 Minnesota households had utilities shut off for non-payment in 2024.

Sen. Tina Smith of Minnesota, a Democrat, issued a statement saying in part, “I want answers. I fought for this funding for a reason, and I’m not just going to sit and watch it get ripped away from Minnesotans.”