Money has been tight for many Americans over the last two years.

As inflation remains high, an increasing number of Pennsylvanians have looked to LIHEAP for help heating their homes.

The rate of inflation has been above the Federal Reserve’s target rate of about 2 percent since February 2021.

After topping out at 9.1 percent in June, the rate was down to 6.5 percent according to the latest data — December — released by the U.S. Department of Labor.

For those who are having trouble affording heat for their home, Pennsylvania offers LIHEAP — Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program. The application period runs through April 28.

“LIHEAP is a federally funded program administered by DHS that provides assistance for home heating bills so Pennsylvanians with low incomes can stay warm and safe during the winter months. DHS encourages anybody who may need assistance to apply at www.dhs.pa.gov/compass or via their local County Assistance Office,” DHS Deputy Communications Director Laura Humphrey said. “Pennsylvanians do not need to know their own eligibility in order to apply for LIHEAP, and those who have applied and were denied previously but have experienced a change in circumstances can reapply.”

There has been an increase of more than 10 percent in the LIHEAP applications received by the department this year compared to last year.

“For the week ending Jan. 21, DHS has received 391,034 applications for LIHEAP assistance since the start of the season,” Humphrey said. “Last year as of this date, DHS received 348,369 LIHEAP applications — an increase of 42,665.”

“LIHEAP is a federally funded program administered by DHS that provides assistance for home heating bills so Pennsylvanians with low incomes can stay warm and safe during the winter months,” according to a DHS release. “Assistance is available for renters and homeowners.”

“LIHEAP helps some of the commonwealth’s most vulnerable people — children, older Pennsylvanians, people with disabilities, and families with low incomes — make ends meet and keep their home safe through the winter,” Deputy Secretary Inez Titus said. “Nobody should ever have to worry that their heat will be shut off during the coldest and darkest months of the year, so I encourage anyone who may need help, or anyone who has loved ones or neighbors who could benefit from this program, to apply for LIHEAP today.”

“LIHEAP is distributed directly to a household’s utility company or home heating fuel provider in the form of a grant, so the individual or households do not have to repay assistance,” according to the release. “The minimum LIHEAP cash grant is $300 and the maximum cash grant is $1,000. Those who need the LIHEAP crisis grant — the benefit for people who meet the poverty limits and are in jeopardy of having their heating utility service terminated, have already had their heating utility service terminated, or who are out of or have less than two weeks’ worth of deliverable fuel, such as fuel oil, propane, coal, or wood — will be eligible for a maximum of $1,000.”

“The income limit for the program is 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Limit,” according to DHS. “For an individual, that is a gross income of $20,385 per year, and for a family of four, that is a gross income of $41,625 per year.”