Important LIHEAP Announcement
Due to the federal government shutdown, Pennsylvania must delay the opening of the 2025-26 Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) season by one month, until December 3, 2025, because the Department of Human Services (DHS) has not yet received its federal allocation for 2025-2026 LIHEAP funds.
Once the federal shutdown ends and DHS receives the funding needed to begin the LIHEAP season, DHS will start accepting LIHEAP applications. DHS will continue to process already-received preseason applications for LIHEAP and other benefits during the shutdown. In both cases, payments are on hold until federal funding is released to Pennsylvania.
Many electric and gas companies also offer utility assistance programs for qualifying customers, and these programs are available in addition to LIHEAP. For immediate needs during the shutdown, Pennsylvanians can use PA Navigate pa-navigate.org/ to help find resources. Local help is also available by calling 211 or visiting www.pa211.org.