Poor to get less help with heating bills

WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 (UPI) -- Low-income residents who apply for state help to pay their heating bills this winter will get less money than last year, reports Stateline.org.

The situation is blamed on a projected nationwide increase in requests coupled with potential cuts in federal funding.

Federally funded state programs helped a record 5 million low-income Americans pay their heating bills last year. But demand is expected to increase this winter due to high jobless rates and heating fuel costs.

"Unemployment remains high and poverty rates are up. You have continuing high natural gas and heating oil prices and a return to normal, colder winters," Mark Wolfe, head of the National Energy Assistance Directors' Association, said.

"As it stands, states will have to spread less money between more applicants," Wolfe said.

States in the Northeast, upper Midwest and Rocky Mountains expect the largest increase in the number of people asking for help to pay their heating bills. To meet the demand, states will either tighten eligibility or lower assistance stipends, Wolfe said.