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Wisconsin Residents at Risk as Federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program Employees Abruptly Fired 

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GLENWOOD CITY, Wis – A program that keeps Wisconsinites safe by ensuring homes stay warm and cool during extreme temperatures is at risk after abrupt actions by the federal government.

In early April, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) fired all employees of the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, which helps residents pay heating bills and address energy emergencies.

LIHEAP provides energy assistance to low-income households with high energy costs. The program ensures energy security, prevents utility shutoffs and protects vulnerable households, including seniors, veterans and families with young children. LIHEAP payments go directly to local utility companies, ensuring that businesses remain stable while keeping families focused on building financial independence.

The timing of this action is especially concerning as disruptions to the program could put households at risk of having their heat shut off when temperatures can still drop to dangerous levels and just before temperatures begin to rise. With no staff, it is unclear whether funding that thousands of Wisconsin households rely on for emergency heating and cooling will be available. Any disruptions to the program through staffing cuts would put the health and safety of Wisconsinites at risk.

In Wisconsin last year, LIHEAP served 74,389 disabled households, 77,526 senior households, and 33,373 households with children under the age of six. In 2024 West CAP served the following households across Barron, Chippewa, Dunn, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, St. Croix, as well as Washburn and Burnett:

  • 6,919 households received a one-time energy assistance benefit to their utility provider
  • 832 households received an emergency utility crisis payment to avoid shut-off
  • 891 households received a bulk-fuel summer fill to prepare for the cold winter months.

The LIHEAP program fills gaps as home heating and cooling costs remain unaffordable for many Americans. According to the National Energy Assistance Directors Association, home heating costs were expected to rise more than 14% in the Midwest Region for the winter of 2025 as compared to the previous year. LIHEAP is crucial for ensuring low-income households avoid utility shut-offs and can financially manage extreme temperatures without sacrificing their wellbeing.