CT winter heating grants could jump $410 per household

But overall assistance will remain well below pre-pandemic levels

Low-income Connecticut households could receive an extra $410 each in heating assistance this coming winter compared with the prior year based on a plan developed by Gov. Ned Lamont’s administration and approved Tuesday by three legislative committees.

But the $1,760 maximum assistance level projected for the Connecticut Energy Assistance Program still is $560 per household below aid offered in the winter of 2022-23 and $1,220 off top grants provided in 2020-21, prompting advocates to again press state officials to spend more.

With lawmakers already anticipating heavy pressure next year to budget more for education, social services and other core programs, leaders were unsure whether added dollars would be available for heating assistance.

“We’re going to take all requests into consideration and not make any commitments right now,” said Sen. Cathy Osten, D-Sprague, who is co-chairwoman of the legislature’s Appropriations Committee, which endorsed the administration’s plan in a joint meeting with the Human Services and Energy & Technology committees.

Legislators and Lamont propped up struggling public colleges and universities, social service programs, child care and mental health services this fiscal year with nearly $700 million in temporary funds that won’t be available in the next budget cycle.

Rep. Jonathan Steinberg, D-Westport, co-chairman of Energy and Technology, said after Tuesday’s meeting that energy assistance is important to both parties, but advocates for many vital programs are already appealing for help when the next legislative session starts in January. 

“My guess is the clamor is only going to get louder,” he said.
Though the CEAP program is run by the state in cooperation with nonprofit Community Action Agencies, it primarily distributes federal dollars sent to Connecticut through the Low-Income Household Energy Assistance Program, commonly known as LIHEAP.

And in recent years, Congress has whittled LIHEAP funding down to pre-pandemic levels, even though demand is far higher than it was in the winter of 2019-20.

The preliminary $88.5 million CEAP budget the Department of Social Services presented to the three committees Tuesday includes a $78.4 million federal LIHEAP grant — which matches last year’s — some additional federal funds from a second grant and nearly $8 million unspent from last winter’s program.

But those leftover dollars don’t mean all needs were met. The Lamont administration and legislators have scaled back benefit amounts in recent years to compensate for shrinking federal funds and growing demand.

The administration projects the CEAP program will assist 109,500 households this winter, up 6.5% from one year ago.

Households with incomes at or below 60% of the state median income — $87,511 for a family of four — would be eligible for one of six “basic” grants ranging from $180 to $530 and awarded based on income levels. Households also could apply for one to three “crisis” benefits, each worth $410. The number of “crisis” grants available also depends on earnings.

Advocates note the new maximum benefit of $1,760 per household is well below the $2,980 ceiling offered in 2020-21. The $4,825 peak provided in the 2021-22 program was an outlier. State officials augmented the program with federal pandemic grants to help families adjusting to the expiration of enhanced federal unemployment benefits and tax credits, also ordered during the worst of the coronavirus outbreak.

Republished with permission from CTMirror.org