The additional funding approved for heating assistance came just in time.
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken announced Monday that $3.5 billion in critical heating assistance funding was included in the Omnibus Bill that passed the U.S. Senate by a vote of 89-10.
The amount is over $900 million more than the president requested in his 2012 budget. In the last few years, spiking energy costs have led to a significant increase in demand for the Low Income Home Energy Assistant (LIHEAP) Program, which Minnesota seniors and families rely on to help keep their heat on during the winter months.
Although it hasn’t seemed cold in northern Minnesota yet we’ve got a lot more winter ahead of us. This funding will help those who applied for funding through local agencies after Dec. 1 and were told they had to wait for additional funding.
The program helps low-income households pay home heating bills. Payments are made directly to the household’s fuel dealer.
