Sophia Schmidt

Pennsylvania opens its low-income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, today, a month later than usual.

Justina Ray is a preschool teacher and mom of two who lives just north of Philadelphia.

She says she's been waiting to turn on her heat until she can get a LIHEAP grant to pay her heating bill.

She's relieved that the program is up and running.

Pennsylvania plans to start sending out its first LIHEAP payments in the coming weeks.

For NPR News, I'm Sophia Schmidt in Philadelphia.

I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News in Washington.

Several states have delayed their low-income home energy assistance programs, or LIHEAP, while they wait for federal funding.

Mark Wolf heads a group that represents the state agencies involved.

He says it usually takes the federal government about a month to release LIHEAP money after Congress passes a funding bill.

But that was before the Trump administration fired the staff that administer the program this spring.

The Department of Health and Human Services says it will work swiftly to administer the funds.

For NPR News, I'm Sophia Schmidt in Philadelphia.