The ongoing government shutdown means a federal energy assistance program is on pause, leaving tens of thousands of Minnesotans in limbo when it comes to covering their heating bills.
The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program is a federal program that provides assistance to low-income households to help with energy costs.
Minnesota got $125 million for the program last year, helping 125,000 households with utility bills, according to the state’s commerce department.
The department says that usually, when the government is funded, the money flows to Minnesota by Nov. 1, but with each passing day during the shutdown, the longer the benefits will be delayed. Emergency benefits to help with repairs, too, are held up.
The agency added that it’s worried about what the holdup will mean for Minnesotans, especially since temperatures can quickly drop in such a cold climate.
“I’ll say there’s some anxiety for all of us,” said Lissa Pawlisch, assistant commissioner at the commerce department. “Someone could have an emergency on Nov. 1, we won’t have the federal funds to be able to pay for that, and so although those primary heating benefits and those energy bill payments that may be less of an immediate concern, when we get those dollars, they will be able to come in and cover those costs, those emergencies, are the things that are making us most nervous right now.”
Still, the department says they are taking applications for energy assistance, even with the funding on pause.
It’s received 67,000 applications so far and the sooner Minnesotans can send those in, the sooner they can get the benefits once Congress opens the government and approves funding for the program.