Plan to Restore LIHEAP Funding

Pennsylvania officials are confident federal funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program will be fully restored before winter begins.
President Obama reduced federal LIHEAP funding from 5.1 billion dollars to 2.41 billion in this year’s budget.
That means allocations for Pennsylvania’s program would drop from 308 to 142 million dollars, and Department of Public Welfare officials are developing a contingency plan in which heating assistance wouldn’t kick in until December.
That concerns Tony Ross, the president of United Way of Pennsylvania.

"Anybody who is from Pennsylvania knows that it gets cold in the commonwealth as early as October, sometimes September."

Members of Congress are working to change that. The House of Representatives passed a measure restoring the full 5.1 billion dollars, and a Senate committee has signed off on the bill, too.
Governor Rendell is tracking the legislation, and expects it to pass.

"My belief is, of course the president will sign it. So we’re optimistic but we’re not taking any chances."

A Welfare Department spokeswoman says if the bill becomes law, LIHEAP will start up in November.