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This week, I supported the 2023-2024 Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) allocation plan to provide much needed energy assistance to low-income families who might struggle to heat their homes this winter.
This year, the state’s most vulnerable residents will receive a basic benefit of $530 and families will be eligible for two crisis benefits of $410.
During the public hearing, I, along with my Republican colleagues raised many concerns that benefit levels will be significantly lower than previous few years and the seemingly high administrative costs.
I pointedly asked the Commissioner of Social Services about the relatively slow implementation of legislation we passed to improve the program, but I was troubled by the lack of new policy fixes. I was exasperated at the final LIHEAP approval process as committee members were limited in our ability to get adequate information from state agencies and with no apparent timeline.
