Lawmakers seek to expand access to home energy assistance program – Eyewitness News 3

HARTFORD, CT (WFSB) – State Republican leaders are expected to petition to restore monetary heating assistance for some around Connecticut.

The move will come after the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program funding was significantly cut. With the winter rapidly approaching, some lawmakers said now is the time to bolster the program.

House of Representative leaders planned to submit the signed petition at 11 a.m. on Monday.

LIHEAP provides assistance to households by helping to cover parts of heating and cooling expenses.

The application window opened at the beginning of September for the upcoming winter.

Eligible households must have an income at or below the state median income. Assistance is then scaled, depending on family size and income.

Negotiations are still ongoing as what exactly the new plan would cover, but the basics include:

• Restore funding to 2022 levels.
• Expand assistance to more residents by providing a $330 benefit to households making between 61 percent to 120 percent of state median income.
• Address concerns over reaching households that would be eligible to use LIHEAP.

More information on the program can be found here.

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Original Source: https://www.wfsb.com/2022/09/19/lawmakers-seek-expand-access-home-energy-assistance-program/