Trump Fires All LIHEAP Staff

WASHINGTON, DC — Many Rhode Islanders rely on LIHEAP each winter to help them keep their homes warm, which will be difficult next winter now that President Donald Trump has fired the program’s entire staff.

In fiscal year 2024, Rhode Islanders got approximately $26.9 million from LIHEAP to help heat their homes. The program is administered by states and accessed through local Community Action Agencies.  Eligibility for LIHEAP is based on income, family size, and the availability of resources.

Late last year, U.S. Sen. Jack Reed and other officials encouraged senior citizens and those receiving Social Security Disability or SSI benefits to apply for the assistance as early as possible. Applications are open to everyone through spring of 2025 — or until the funding is exhausted. But it remains to be seen how those applications will be processed or acted upon with the program’s staff eliminated by President Trump.

“I’m worried for Rhode Islanders who rely on LIHEAP after reports that President Trump abruptly fired its entire staff with no explanation,” Said U.S. Rep. Seth Magaziner, (D-Dist. 2)

Gutting the team that helps people keep up with energy bills, stay warm during freezing temperatures, and keep cool during blistering heat is as reckless as it is cruel.”

LIHEAP: How it helps

There are two components to the program. 

Heating Assistance: A grant to assist a household in meeting heating costs. The grant may be paid to either a heating fuel vendor or utility company, or in a few cases, directly to the applicant.

Crisis Assistance: A grant to help resolve a home heating crisis caused by a heat shut-off because of failure to pay a regulated energy bill, the inability to pay for deliverable fuel, or the failure of a heating system that is not repairable.