Liheap Gives Away $31 Million to Help with Heating Costs

Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt proclaimed the release of $131 million in heating help to eligible modest income home owners and tenants. This money will help to assist with raising heating costs. The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) revenues are designed to allow those eligible people throughout the nation with heating costs for the upcoming colder months of fall and winter.

These funds will put states in the best place to assist those in need maintain their home's warmth once cold weather falls upon the nation this fall and winter.

Almost all of the $131 million will go to assist families in all fifty states to help heat their homes. However some states with the higher percentages of lower income families who heat with oil will get an additional 25 million dollars a piece.

Those states in which have the higher percentages are Alaska, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. This is outstanding news to families those states. The LIHEAP program assists millions of families around the United States each year.

Annually, Health and Human Services releases money for the separate states to administer to eligible families, and this year as heating prices climb those families can get even more assistance. The assistance from the LIHEAP program is free to the eligible families.

This is outstanding news for modest income families who spend all winter attempting to provide a warm house for their families and loved ones. Heating costs can sometimes get so high for a modest income family that they are overwhelmed. Many families have to make the decision between food and heat, when the temperatures are falling. These funds will help those families keep up with heating costs without making them stretch already tight budgets.

Each year LIHEAP assists modest income families' pay their heating bills. This does include help with all heating costs such as oil, wood, natural gas, or electric.

The funds released recently bring the total revenues delivered this year under the LIHEAP program to approximately $2.16 billion. In September the LIHEAP program gave money to sates to combat the costs of cooling homes because of the heat waves that affected many southern states.

It is hoped that this articles helps those families that maybe eligible families will realize that LIHEAP program not only helps with heating costs, they also will help with cooling cost in the hot summer season.

If you think you maybe eligible please contact your local assistance office.