Shapiro Administration Announces Opening of 2025-26 LIHEAP Season, Reminds Pennsylvanians of Moratorium on Shutoffs

(Photo Provided with Release Courtesy of the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Harrisburg, PA) According to a release today in Harrisburg from the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS), the DHS announced today that the 2025-26 Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) season will begin taking applications tomorrow on Wednesday, December 3rd. The program that is federally funded to help eligible households pay their heating bills by sending payments directly to their utility company or fuel provider was delayed due to the federal government shutdown this year even though it normally opens in November every year. The 2025-26 LIHEAP season is scheduled to run tomorrow through April 10th, 2026. According to that same release from the Pennsylvania DHS, here is more information about these LIHEAP applications and some links to access these applications:

  • To protect Pennsylvanians during the delay, Governor Josh Shapiro worked with the Public Utility Commission (PUC) and utility providers to start the winter shutoff moratorium earlier on November 1st, 2025 (it usually begins in December each year). This ensured that Pennsylvanians who could not access LIHEAP in November because of the shutdown did not risk having their heat or electricity shut off as temperatures dropped.
  • LIHEAP is a federally funded DHS program that helps eligible households pay their heating bills by sending payments directly to their utility company or fuel provider. States receive LIHEAP funding through a federal block grant — these dollars were finally issued last week by the Trump Administration after the federal shutdown ended. Pennsylvania typically receives more than $215 million in LIHEAP funding each year, including $216 million in 2023 and $229 million in 2024.
  • “Pennsylvanians deserve the safety and health benefits that come from being able to heat their homes and keep themselves and their families warm through the winter,” said DHS Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh. “LIHEAP helps hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians each year by providing cash and crisis grants directly to the eligible household’s utility company or heating fuel provider, and I am very glad that we are finally able to begin this important work. I encourage anyone who may need help with heating costs to apply for LIHEAP and keep your home safe through this winter.”
  • LIHEAP assistance does not need to be paid back and is available in the form of cash or crisis grants. The minimum 2025-26 LIHEAP cash grant is $200, and the maximum cash grant is $1,000. Individuals and households may receive one cash grant per LIHEAP season.
  • Separately, Pennsylvanians who qualify for a LIHEAP crisis grant will be eligible for a minimum grant of $25 and a maximum grant of $1,000. Individuals and households are eligible for a crisis grant if they meet the income guidelines and are in jeopardy of having their heating utility service terminated, have already had their heating utility service terminated, or who are out of or have less than two weeks’ worth of deliverable fuel, such as fuel oil, propane, coal, or wood. Households may apply for and be eligible for more than one crisis grant – up to the $1,000 maximum – if they experience more than one emergency per LIHEAP season.
  • LIHEAP benefits are applied for each year, so if an individual was approved or denied previously, DHS encourages them to apply again for the 2025-26 season. Individuals and families are financially eligible for LIHEAP if their incomes are at or below 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Limit. For an individual, that is a gross income of $22,590 per year, and for a family of four, that is a gross income of $46,800 per year.
  • During the 2024-25 LIHEAP season, 292,867 households statewide received LIHEAP cash benefits, and these households received an average season benefit of $291. Approximately 128,222 households statewide received LIHEAP crisis benefits, and these households received an average payment of $523.
  • Pennsylvanians can apply for LIHEAP and other public assistance programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)  by clicking here at dhs.pa.gov/COMPASS or by calling 1-866-550-4355. Pennsylvanians do not need to know their own eligibility to apply.