Senator tells fired HHS worker he ‘probably deserved’ it
Senator Jim Banks told a fired Health and Human Services worker harsh words.
- The entire staff of the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) was laid off, jeopardizing assistance for millions of Americans needing help with energy costs.
- The layoffs, part of a government-wide mass firing of 10,000 employees, were led by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. under the direction of President Donald Trump.
- The cuts leave $378 million in cooling and emergency assistance funds in limbo, as the staff responsible for distribution were among those laid off.
- LIHEAP, which assists approximately 6.2 million low-income households, is crucial for ensuring safe housing temperatures during extreme weather conditions.
- The impact of the layoffs will be acutely felt in the South, which experiences high electricity rates and a significant number of energy-insecure households.
The entire staff of a federal agency that helps the poor and economically struggling pay their light bills was laid off this week. The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps people pay for energy based on income and need and helps millions of Americans with heat and cooling costs.
About 10,000 people were fired from the Department of Health and Human Services. The move, led by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., was in line with plans to cut government spending touted by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, who leads the new Department of Government Efficiency.
The mass firing hit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; the Food and Drug Administration; and the National Institutes of Health.
Mark Wolfe, executive director of the National Energy Assistance Directors Association, told USA Today that HHS laid off the whole LIHEAP staff Monday, March 31, as part of the purge.
The program helps about 6.2 million people in low-income households keep access to the power needed for staying safe in extreme hot and cold weather. The program can be lifesaving for homes under freeze or extreme heat warnings.
According to the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance, the South has some of the highest electricity rates in the nation paired with some of the highest bills. According to analysis, they found that the four-state region including Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee and Kentucky averaged 11 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) in 2015. The average monthly bill for the region was $138, outpaced only by Alaska and Hawaii. The noncontiguous states paid 28 cents per kWh and about $151 per month.
Here’s what we know about the federal staffing cuts and how LIHEAP helps people in Mississippi.
What is LIHEAP?
The Mississippi Department of Human Services manages the program in the state. It’s offered in all 82 counties, and the funds are prioritized based on need.
“Vulnerable households include those households with members who are elderly, disabled, or with children age 5 or younger,” the site reads.
According to the 2024 fiscal year plan, the state planned to use about 45% of funds on heating assistance, 40% for cooling and 5% for crisis assistance. Any funds not used for heating would be used for cooling help later in the year.
When will people feel the cuts?
According to Wolfe, About $4.1 million in funds were released to LIHEAP for fiscal year 2025 last year. That accounts for about 90% of the allocated funds.
The last 10% – about $378 million – is used for cooling and emergency help. That can’t be released, he said, until HHS decides how much goes to each state. That person was fired.
“My concern is that the Administration could say that without an allocation or staff to oversee the funding, they cannot distribute the $378 million to the states,” Wolfe said.
What is energy insecurity? Why is it important to keep your house at a healthy temperature?
According to a 2024 analysis from the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA) & Texas Energy Poverty Research Institute (TEPRI), about 15.4 million households across the South have energy insecurity. About 7.5 million are estimated to have received a cutoff notice, and paying a utility bill is a top cause for people taking out payday loans.
Five million households in the South have had to leave their homes at an unhealthy temperature (too hot or too cold). That can lead some people, mostly kids, at a higher risk of health issues like asthma.
About 3.9 million homes in the south lack access to working cooling equipment, which can lead to heat-related illness or death.
What does LIHEAP help with?
According to DHS, the program can help pay a home power bill, an energy crisis or weatherizing a residence to help cut power costs.
The state was allocated $38,416,289 for fiscal year 2024, according to LIHEAP Clearinghouse. The program helped 30,253 households with heating, 28,668 with cooling and 8,222 with a crisis. Heating help is offered Oct. 1 through April 30, and cooling assistance is available May 1 to Sept. 30.
LIHEAP and the Energy Crisis Intervention Program (ECIP) can help with:
- Gas.
- Wood.
- Electricity.
- Liquid propane or butane gas.
- Some other services.
Mississippi makes the payments directly to the energy supplier.
The Mississippi program also can provide items like blankets, fans, space heaters or air conditioners as in-kind or other benefits.
Crisis services can include things like heating and cooling system repair or replacement, buying a wood stove or helping with utility/gas hookups.
Energy providers work with the state to delay shutoffs on unpaid accounts on days the National Weather Service issues an excessive heat or freeze warning for that county.
Why are utility bills in the South so high?
Several factors go into the region’s disproportionately high bills, according to the SEEA and TERPI data. That includes housing segregation policies that still keep Black voices out of some conversations on clean, affordable energy and how the power reached rural communities historically.
The fact most houses in the South – about 53% – were built well before current energy codes is also a huge hurdle. According to the analysis half of Southern states are still using a code developed more than 10 years ago, some actively work to roll back policies meant to help maintaining the house more comfortable and affordable.
According to SEEA and TERPI, the high bills hit low-income households and people of color the hardest. More than a third of people in the South struggle, leaving people in a state of energy insecurity.
Most counties in the region (1,229) have energy burdens that exceed a 6% affordability benchmark. Only 88 counties across the South have energy burden that would be affordable for low-income families.
The review used a few Mississippi counties as examples. In Rankin, a low-to-medium-income household would make about $51,646. At a 6% energy burden, they’d pay $258 per month, or $3,099 per year. In Noxubee, a LMI household would bring in about $28,800 per month. With a 16% energy burden, they’d pay $384 per month or $4,608 per year.
Why do Black people, the elderly pay for for heating and cooling?
According to the SEEA and TERPI analysis, access to less energy efficient housing – like older properties – and fewer resources to cut costs hits minorities across the South. The majority of Mississippi counties have high energy burdens on low-income homes paired with a high percentage of minority residents.
While they might use less energy, a building using more power per square foot than it should can make the cost disproportionate.
Elderly people also can be left footing a higher bill. Mississippi also has significant overlap when looking at a high energy burden on the poorest residents and the rate of people older than 65 by county.
Summer heat hits Mississippi hard, can be deadly
The National Weather Service ranks 2024 as the hottest year on record for the country and second-warmest year on record for Mississippi.
According to 2023 National Weather Service data, Mississippi had two heat-related deaths. One was in an outside or open area and another was in a mobile or trailer home. About 555 people died as a result of hot weather across the country, most of them (448) in Arizona.
Who qualifies for help from LIHEAP in Mississippi?
According to the Mississippi Department of Human Services, to get assistance, a person would have to:
- Have a power bill due to a landlord or electric company.
- Be a a citizen or permanent resident of the U.S.
- Have a “household income at or below the 60% of the state median income for their household size.”
Applicants have to provide documentation, and they can apply for LIHEAP help at the same time as SNAP and Medicaid.
Know your neighbor: How many in Mississippi get Medicare, Medicaid? Half of kids get federal health insurance
Are there other Mississippi programs to help with your light, heat bill?
According to LIHEAP Clearinghouse, there are some help options for low-income Mississippi residents.
Mississippi Power reportedly drops the base charge for “for eligible low-income and elderly customers receiving SSI or TANF.” Call 1-800-532-1502 for more information.
Project SHARE from Mississippi Power is administered by the United Way. It helps the elderly and disabled with energy bills.
Entergy Mississippi’s Helping Hands also works to weatherize about 100 residences per year, including plugging draft, caulking and replacing doors and windows. Call 1-800-368-3749 for information.
The company also has Power to Care which uses donations from customers and the company to help low-income elderly and disabled people and Beat the Heat, an annual fan giveaway for the people who need them most.
The Salvation Army administers Sharing the Warmth for Atmos Energy. It uses customer and company donations to help people who meet specific criteria pay their gas bills. Learn more at atmosenergy.com/community/sharing-warmth/.
Community Action Agencies across the state might also be able to help with basic needs like education costs, housing, education costs or utility bills. To find CAAs near you, look for your county name at mdhs.ms.gov/community/.
You can find more assistance programs through the Missississippi Public Service Commission at https://www.psc.ms.gov/ubpa.
Contributing: Medora Lee
Bonnie Bolden is the Deep South Connect reporter for Mississippi with Gannett/USA Today. Email her at bbolden@gannett.com.
