Low-income Wyomingites shut out of heating help during shutdown

Over 21,000 Wyomingites get WyoFile delivered straight to their inbox. Join your neighbors and stay informed with the stories shaping Wyoming.

The federal government shutdown has forced state officials to pause a program that helps thousands of Wyoming residents stay warm in the winter.

The Wyoming Low Income Energy Assistance Program helps eligible households by paying a portion of their winter home heating costs. However, the Wyoming Department of Family Services, which administers the program, has halted approval of new applications because it has run out of federal funding.

The stoppage comes as temperatures in Wyoming have begun plunging into the 30s as winter approaches.

“The program has been paused because there are no remaining federal funds to authorize new benefit payments or