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Pocono News Section
More Money Released for LIHEAP
More Money Released for LIHEAP - Thursday, January 17, 2008 at 3:10PM EST
Reported by: David DeCosmo
Thursday, Jan 17, 2008 @03:10pm EST
OLYPHANT, LACKAWANNA COUNTY- The federal government has agreed to release additional money for a program that helps low income families pay their heating bills. or LIHEAP is used by many people in northeastern Pennsylvania. Here’s what the additional money will mean for them.
Thousands of people in Pennsylvania will be getting some extra help with their home heating bill this year. The White House Office of Management and Budget has agreed to release $450 million from the Low Income Emergency Assistance Contingency Fund. More than $44 million dollars will help families here in Pennsylvania
Joe Occhipinti of said the extra money should make a big difference for the people applying for assistance. "A lot of people right now can't afford heating oil. As we all know it’s gone through the roof. What will happen is a lot of these people who couldn't qualify now will be able to qualify because there was no more money left" stated Occhipinti.
Those who qualify will have to make sure their dealer accepts the LIHEAP program. Some won't because they've got to wait to be reimbursed at a later date for the fuel they deliver. It seems that cold temperatures and the general economic conditions have increased the demand for energy assistance this year.
Occhipinti continued "The demands are huge this year especially with one of our competitors going bankrupt. We've gotten hundreds of calls and we're booked to the max right now. There were a lot of those customers that were LIHEAP customers as well and we've taken them also."
It’s estimated that 16,000 Pennsylvania households will take advantage of the Emergency Assistance Program this winter. | | |
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