When the Trump administration slashed the workforce of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, that included the entire staff managing Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP.
The program provides money for energy bills, weatherization and minor energy-related home repairs. It is unclear if that funding will still be available to people needing help nationwide.
Jacqueline Hutchinson is the director of advocacy for the Consumers Council of Missouri, a consumer advocacy organization, and said the full impact of the staff cuts is not yet known.
Hutchinson said the money to provide utility bill assistance has been allocated to states through the end of September, but without federal staff, it's unclear how the program would continue.
“Who's going to allocate the money and get that money to the states to start next winter's program?” Hutchinson said.
Last year, 130,000 Missourians split approximately $80 million from LIHEAP to pay utility bills.
Once the federal funds get to each state, they are then sent to local or regional organizations called “community action agencies” that provide the dollars to those in need in their areas.
Central Missouri Community Action provides LIHEAP funding for eight mid-Missouri counties, including Audrain, Boone, Callaway, Cole, Cooper, Howard, Moniteau and Osage.
Darin Preis is the agency’s executive director and said he was shocked to hear of the cuts.
“I thought, oh my gosh, this could really affect a lot of families that we are assisting throughout the state of Missouri and specifically to central Missouri through our programs,” he said.
Preis said that the agency does not anticipate any immediate disruption to services since most of the federal dollars for the next few months have been sent to Missouri.
“We will continue providing that assistance to families who are struggling in central Missouri,” he said.
Across the eight counties Central Missouri Community Action serves, nearly 14,000 individuals in nearly 5,000 households utilized those funds to keep lights on and temperature controlled, Preis said. The agency sent more than $3 million in utility assistance to those households.
“Of those served, the huge majority of them are people on fixed income — so people with disabilities or elderly households — and it's really important funding to help them not have to make a choice between, am I going to pay for my medicine this month, or do I need to cut down on my grocery bill because I've got to pay this utility bill,” he said.
Ultimately, LIHEAP money is received by utility companies providing electricity, gas or water. Without financial assistance to pay bills, those in need could risk getting disconnected.
Evergy is the electric provider for much of western Missouri and parts of Kansas. According to the utility, nearly 70,000 of its customers received bill assistance last year.
Courtney Lewis, an Evergy spokesperson, said in an emailed statement that LIHEAP is "an important program that assists some of our communities' most-vulnerable residents" and the company is waiting for more details on the future of the program.
Ameren provides electricity for most of mid-Missouri. In an emailed statement, Joe Solari, the company’s vice president of customer experience, said LIHEAP “provides a vital source of aid to millions of American families, and we strongly support the program.”
Ameren and its partners advocate for “maximized” federal funding for LIHEAP, according to Solari.
Many utility companies offer payment plans and grants to those struggling to pay bills. Customers in that situation are urged to reach out to their provider to discuss options.
Spire is the gas utility that serves much of western and eastern Missouri.
“We are currently analyzing information and can’t speak to any potential impact at this point,” said Spire’s Director of Public Relations Jason Merrill in a statement.
In a statement to the press, Consumers Council of Missouri Executive Director Sandra Padgett emphasized the compounding impact LIHEAP cuts could have on the price of energy in Missouri — due to utility companies' requests to state regulators to increase prices and pending legislation that would have the same effect.
"Any cuts to LIHEAP will be detrimental to Missourians, who are already struggling to keep up with increasing electric and gas bills," Padgett said.
"Ameren, Spire and Liberty currently have rate requests pending and Senate Bill 4 is projected to add an additional, annual $1,115 to household annual energy costs if signed by Gov. Kehoe."
Hutchinson with the Consumers Council of Missouri said federal LIHEAP staff provide oversight of the program and training for state workers administering the funds.
She said Missourians who depend on federal energy assistance and may be worried about losing it should not panic at this point.
“There are a lot of capable organizations and people on the ground who are working to make sure that doesn't happen and to make sure that the most vulnerable folk are not impacted by this,” she said.
