On Tuesday, Gov. Ned Lamont announced the planned release of $12.7 million from a $500 million contingency fund to supplement heating assistance as home heating oil prices rose to nearly $6 a gallon, up about 80% from a year ago. He spoke at a press conference at a community action agency in New Haven.
Connecticut's Lamont announced $12.7 million for heating assistance
On Tuesday, Gov. Ned Lamont announced the planned release of $12.7 million from a $500 million contingency fund to supplement heating assistance as home heating oil prices rose to nearly $6 a gallon, up about 80% from a year ago. He spoke at a press conference at a community action agency in New Haven.
The $12.7 million will allow a fourth crisis payment once federal funds are exhausted. Connecticut's heating assistance plan anticipates serving 94,291 households, including 32,893 that rely on heating oil. The majority of the aid comes from the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP.
U.S. Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro, the ranking Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, said $75.3 million of the $94 million in federal LIHEAP funds the state hopes to get was released this week. Energy assistance funds are typically paid in three payments: a base level of $355 to $705 depending on need, followed by two crisis payments of up to $430 each. The $12.7 million will fund a fourth crisis payment.
Connecticut households may qualify for energy assistance if their annual gross income is at or below 60% of the state median income, which is $93,681 for a family of four. Households receiving means-tested benefits such as SNAP, Temporary Family Assistance, and Supplemental Security Income may qualify automatically.
The state will for the first time "bundle" the base and crisis payments, allowing eligible recipients to fill their oil tanks at the beginning of the season and avoid price increases expected over the winter. An average oil tank of 275 gallons will cost about $1,600 to fill. State Sen. Cathy Osten, co-chair of the General Assembly's Appropriations Committee, said bundling makes financial sense because it will reduce administrative costs at the community action agencies that administer the program under contracts with the state Department of Social Services.
About $250 million remains in the contingency fund, created to give the Lamont administration flexibility in responding to federal funding and policy changes. Lamont is required to notify legislative leaders, who have a veto that never has been used. Lamont said he is talking to legislative leaders now.
State Sen. Ryan Fazio, the Republican gubernatorial nominee, issued a statement before the press conference saying the governor was buying a headline, not making a policy statement. The state allocated additional funding for LIHEAP in a special session in 2022, but the administration said additional federal funding and weakening oil prices obviated the need for the state funds. Neither factor is expected this year.
- The source does not state when the $12.7 million will be released or how the fourth crisis payment will be distributed.
- The source does not state how many households will receive the fourth crisis payment or the total amount of that payment per household.
- The source does not provide a response from Donald J. Trump or the White House to the criticism linking him to rising heating oil costs.
- The source does not reconcile Fazio's statement that the administration failed to distribute $30 million in 2023 with the administration's explanation of the 2022 special session allocation.
- The source does not state whether legislative leaders have approved the transfer or when they will decide.
- The source does not state the date or source of the nearly $6 a gallon heating oil price figure.
Read the original at CT Mirror