Niagara County Department of Social Services Commissioner Meghan Lutz is warning residents about one local impact of the ongoing federal government shutdown.
Lutz issued a joint statement with her Orleans County counterpart, Holli Nenni, late last week to warn that, due to the shutdown, the application process for the Home Energy Assistance Program has also been delayed. That program provides a one-time subsidy payment to adults aged 60 and older who receive Social Security or supplemental security income.
“We know how important HEAP is to helping many families keep their homes warm in the winter and our staff will be ready to move forward with applications as soon as the process starts,” Lutz said. “We will be releasing more information about the HEAP process as we receive it.”
The state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance is in charge of administering the funds from the state to the counties. The season for accepting applications would start the first week of November, with this time in October serving as part of the outreach process.
Lutz said the county’s average HEAP caseload for a season has been between 4,500 and 5,000 households. Those that also applied for SNAP and Temporary Assistance benefits numbered around 10,500 last year, she added, with more than $7 million in HEAP benefits coming to the county.
The maximum benefit a home can receive is $500 if heated with oil, kerosene or propane, with $300 given out for those who are using other heating methods. The program is only meant to subsidize a resident’s bills.
At this time, the shutdown has not yet impacted other programs the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance oversees, like SNAP and Public Assistance. The shutdown could also see those who receive SNAP benefits not receive them starting next month, with eligible households already getting their October benefits.