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Mark Bain, who is part of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, rubs his hands together as he checks the level on his oil at home in hopes that he will have enough oil to outlast the shutdown, in Bloomfield, Conn., Monday, Oct. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

HARTFORD, Conn. – Jacqueline Chapman is a retired school aide who relies on a $630 monthly Social Security check to get by. She was navigating the loss of her federal food aid benefits when she learned the assistance she receives for heating her Philadelphia apartment may also be at risk.

“I feel like I’m living in scary times. It’s not easy to rest when you know you have things to do with limited accounts, limited funds. There isn’t too much you can do,

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