Applications up for low income heating assistance

(Host) State officials now estimate that more than 40 thousand Vermonters will apply for low income heating assistance this winter.

Fuel Assistance Director Richard Moffi says the combination of higher prices and a downturn in the state economy is driving an increased demand for the program.

VPR's Bob Kinzel reports:

(Kinzel) Applications for the fuel assistance program this year have already exceeded last year's total and the program will continue to accept applications through February.

Richard Moffi is the state's Fuel Assistance Program Chief. He says the good news is that the federal government this fall doubled its appropriation for the program when heating oil prices topped four dollars a gallon.

Now that prices have gone down, Moffi says the additional federal funds will make it possible for the state to expand the number of people who can receive fuel assistance:

(Moffi) "We're looking at processing over 41,000 applications for assistance this year it's a real solid indicator of how worried people are about staying warm this winter even with high fuel prices and the state of the economy even though prices have come down from the summer time highs anything over $2 a gallon is a budget buster for a low income families and folks on fixed income."

(Kinzel) The increased federal funds have also allowed the state to increase the average fuel assistance benefit to roughly $1,700 - that's almost $400 higher than last year.

Moffi says this increase is very important because there are a number of Vermonters living at or below the federal poverty level of roughly $11,000 a year:

(Moffi) "Forty percent of our clients are elderly or disabled and they're living on a fixed income Social Security or disability benefits and individual living on less than nine hundred dollars a month in Vermont that's a pretty tough road to hoe."

(Kinzel) A second assistance program has just started taking applications. It allows individuals to receive up to 125 gallons of fuel in a crisis situation. Moffi says this program is operated by Vermont's five regional community action agencies:

(Moffi) "The nice part about the crisis component as a safety net for low income Vemonters operates at a higher income level so folks who are not eligible for seasonal fuel assistance can find help often at their local community action agency office through the crisis fuel assistance program."

(Kinzel) Moffi says elderly and disabled Vermonters can apply for the crisis fuel program over the phone with their local community action agency.

For VPR News I'm Bob Kinzel in Montpelier.