State extends LIHEAP season; encourages those that need help to apply

WILKES-BARRE — Department of Human Services (DHS) Acting Secretary Meg Snead this week reminded Pennsylvanians that support from the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) is still available.

The LIHEAP season has also been extended by two weeks, from May 6 to May 20, allowing additional households the opportunity to apply for LIHEAP Cash and LIHEAP Crisis benefits.

“Pennsylvanians may still need help with their heating and water bills, and those who do should know that programs like LIHEAP and LIHWAP are still available,” Snead said. “Households who could benefit from this program should apply. LIHEAP and LIHWAP help some of the commonwealth’s most vulnerable citizens — children, older Pennsylvanians, people with disabilities, and low-income families — make ends meet and keep their homes safer.”

LIHEAP is a federally funded program administered by DHS that provides assistance for home heating bills so low-income Pennsylvanians can stay warm and safe in their homes. Assistance is available for renters and homeowners, and the LIHEAP application season is currently open until May 20.

DHS has been able to provide increased benefits for this extended LIHEAP season due to the availability of funds through the federal American Rescue Plan Act. The minimum cash grant for LIHEAP is $500, and the maximum cash grant is $1,500. Those who need the LIHEAP crisis grant — the benefit for people who meet the poverty limits and are in jeopardy of having their heating utility service terminated or have less than two weeks’ worth of fuel — can receive a maximum grant of $1,200. LIHEAP is distributed directly to a household’s utility company or home heating fuel provider in the form of a grant, so the individual or households do not have to repay assistance.

The income limit for the program is 150% of the Federal Poverty Limit. For a household of four, this would be $39,750 gross income per year. Pennsylvanians do not need to know their own eligibility in order to apply for these programs. Those who applied and were denied previously but have experienced a change in circumstances can reapply.

The Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) helps Pennsylvanians with low incomes maintain access to drinking and wastewater services. Assistance is available for families who have past due water bills, had their service terminated, or received a notice indicating that their service will be terminated in the next 60 days. Households can receive LIHWAP grants for both drinking water service and wastewater service. Grants are issued directly to water service providers, and families must meet income requirements.

House passes legislation to make Pa. safer

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives this week passed a bipartisan package of legislation to make Pennsylvania safer through smart justice, said Pennsylvania House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff, R-Centre/Mifflin.

“Presently, like the rest of the country, Pennsylvania does not have a problem with not having enough laws and penalties on the books,” Benninghoff said. “We have a problem of local leaders and political prosecutors not enforcing the laws we have. This package of legislation will ensure a safer Pennsylvania by demanding current law be followed and enforced, crime victims have access to the rights and protections they should be afforded, and our cyber-security efforts are expanded to prevent and combat attacks on our cyber infrastructure.”

The package of legislation includes:

House Bill 2238 (Rep. Martina White, R-Philadelphia): Amends the First Class City Home Rule Act to provide for term limits for the district attorney.

House Bill 2271 (Rep. K.C. Tomlinson, R-Bucks): Amends Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) to strengthen penalties on those who sexually extort their victims to such a degree that the extortion leads to serious bodily injury or death.

House Bill 2275 (Rep. Martina White, R-Philadelphia): Amends Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) to grant the attorney general the authority to investigate and institute criminal proceedings for a violation of certain firearm laws within Philadelphia.

House Bill 1123 (Rep. Ed Neilson, D-Philadelphia): Amends the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency Law to establish a fund under the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) to be used to offer up a monetary reward to individuals who provide information leading to the capture and arrest of a perpetrator of criminal homicide of a law enforcement officer.

House Bill 2464 (Rep Sheryl Delozier, R-Cumberland): Amends the Crime Victims Act to give crime victims legal standing.

House Bill 2525 (Rep. Aaron Kaufer, R-Kingston): Amends Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) to provide a process by which crime victims can request dissemination of criminal history investigative information which is relevant to a civil action arising out of the crime, provided the victim swears under penalty of law that the information is material and necessary to the civil action.

House Bill 2412 (Rep. Craig Williams, R-Delaware): Amends the Administrative Code to allow the Pennsylvania National Guard to provide functional support for cyber-security needs across the Commonwealth.

“Recurring news reports of unchecked violent crime in our Commonwealth’s cities demands a state response in the face of local inaction,” Benninghoff said. “This package of bills is a significant step forward in giving our communities additional tools to keep Pennsylvanians safe, protect victims of crime, and defend critical infrastructure.”

State awards funding for waste, recycling programs

Nearly 160 county and municipal governments will be getting a boost to their recycling and leaf-collection programs this year, thanks to $30.5 million in Recycling Development and Implementation Grants from the Wolf Administration.

Grants were awarded to 157 county and municipal governments — including five in Luzerne County receiving a total of $1.2 million — for recycling collections and education, as well as leaf litter pickup.

“These grants help bolster recycling in communities all over Pennsylvania and reduce the amount of waste going into our landfills,” said DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell. “Whether it’s from increased education for residents or an entire facility for sorting recyclables, these grants are making a difference.”

Many of the grants are for community leaf collection programs. Leaf litter cannot be sent to landfills, and many municipalities prohibit open burning.

“Composting leaf waste from residential areas is safer and more environmentally friendly than burning leaves, which causes air pollution,” McDonnell said.

Pennsylvanians recycle approximately 6 million tons of materials per year. These materials are reintroduced into the manufacturing process, saving valuable resources, creating jobs and other economic benefits, and realizing vital environmental benefits.

Examples of eligible projects include operating leaf compost facilities, developing web-based programs on recycling for consumers, expanding recycling processing facilities, installing data collection systems on recycling vehicles, continuing and creating curbside recycling programs, and developing educational materials to encourage residents to properly recycle.

Luzerne County recipients

Dallas Area Municipal Authority, $350,000

West Wyoming Borough, $206,729

Wyoming Borough, $32,938

Exeter Borough, $350,000

Duryea Borough, $269,833

Treasurer Garrity warns of unclaimed property texting scams

Treasurer Stacy Garrity this week warned Pennsylvanians that scammers are using text messages to target potential unclaimed property claimants.

The Pennsylvania Treasury Department never reaches out to people in regard to any program, including unclaimed property, via unsolicited text messages.

“We have to constantly be on guard against scammers,” Garrity said. “I urge anyone who receives a phishing message about unclaimed property to ignore it and promptly delete it. Do not click on any links, and do not respond to these messages. If you have any concerns, reach out to my office. We’ll be very happy to help.”

Treasury’s Bureau of Unclaimed Property can be reached by email at tupmail@patreasury.gov or toll-free at — 800-222-2046.

The amount of unclaimed property currently safeguarded by Treasury totals more than $4 billion. Anyone can search the online database at patreasury.gov/unclaimed-property any time to see if they have property waiting, and – if so – start the claim process online.

“About one in ten Pennsylvanians is owed some of the more than $4 billion in unclaimed property waiting at Treasury,” Garrity said. “We’re always working to return as much as possible to the rightful owners. The average claim is about $1,500, which can really make a difference in someone’s life, whether they need it to pay their bills today or want to save for the future.”