Shutdown shuts out low-income Wyomingites (and Montanans) from heating help, threatens SNAP

The heating program helped over 8,000 households keep warm last winter. Meanwhile, SNAP benefits — which help feed thousands of residents — are also in jeopardy.

The federal government shutdown has forced state officials to pause a program that helps thousands of Wyoming residents stay warm in the winter. A second federal program that helps low-income residents buy groceries is also in jeopardy.

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.

by Maggie Mullen