Low-Income Energy Assistance:
State Responses to Funding Reductions
HRD-88-92BR: Published: Apr 29, 1988. Publicly Released: Jun 2, 1988.
Additional Materials:
- Full Report:
Contact:
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the Department of Health and Human Service's Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) in 13 states, focusing on: (1) the availability and use of oil overcharge funds; (2) federal allotments to LIHEAP, total LIHEAP funding, and funding projections; (3) the effects of LIHEAP funding cuts; and (4) the states' and interest groups' perceptions of the impact of LIHEAP funding reductions.
GAO found that: (1) the states used only 14 to 22 percent of available oil overcharge funds for LIHEAP; (2) the states varied widely in the amount of funds they had remaining from the settlements; (3) five states had oil overcharge funds to cover proposed fiscal year (FY) 1989 LIHEAP reductions, while proposed reductions in three states exceeded the total amount available; (4) LIHEAP reductions averaged 9 percent in FY 1987 and 23 percent in FY 1988 and were projected at about 40 percent for FY 1989; (5) nonfederal funding sources helped to ease, but did not totally replace, federal funding cuts; (6) the total number of households receiving heating assistance declined by 6 percent between FY 1986 and 1988, with eight states reducing heating benefit levels; (7) the number of states transferring some LIHEAP funds to other block grants decreased from nine in FY 1986 to five in FY 1988; (8) five states reported negative effects of funding reductions in terms of reduced benefits, more restrictive eligibility criteria, elimination of weatherization programs, and program closings, while the other eight states reported no negative effects due to oil overcharge funds, improved economies, mild winters, or improved energy efficiency; and (9) state officials and interest groups believe that funding reductions will continue to have a serious negative impact, and states have used almost all available oil funds and exhausted other funding options.
Jan 8, 2021
-
Fair Labor Standards Act:
Tracking Additional Complaint Data Could Improve DOL's EnforcementGAO-21-13: Published: Dec 9, 2020. Publicly Released: Jan 8, 2021.
Dec 18, 2020
-
Amateur Athletes:
The U.S. Center for SafeSport's Response and Resolution Process for Reporting AbuseGAO-21-128R: Published: Dec 18, 2020. Publicly Released: Dec 18, 2020.
Dec 1, 2020
-
Military Child Care:
Off-Base Financial Assistance and Wait Lists for On-Base CareGAO-21-127R: Published: Dec 1, 2020. Publicly Released: Dec 1, 2020.
Nov 18, 2020
-
Drug Misuse:
Agencies Have Not Fully Identified How Grants That Can Support Drug Prevention Education Programs Contribute to National GoalsGAO-21-96: Published: Nov 18, 2020. Publicly Released: Nov 18, 2020. -
Federal Social Safety Net Programs:
Millions of Full-Time Workers Rely on Federal Health Care and Food Assistance ProgramsGAO-21-45: Published: Oct 19, 2020. Publicly Released: Nov 18, 2020.
Oct 1, 2020
-
Child Care Facilities:
Federal Agencies Need to Enhance Monitoring and Collaboration to Help Assure Drinking Water is Safe from LeadGAO-20-597: Published: Sep 28, 2020. Publicly Released: Oct 1, 2020.
Aug 21, 2020
-
Federal Employees' Compensation Act:
Comparisons of Benefits in Retirement and Actions Needed to Help Injured Workers Choose Best OptionGAO-20-523: Published: Jul 23, 2020. Publicly Released: Aug 21, 2020.
Aug 13, 2020
-
Social Security Disability:
Information on Wait Times, Bankruptcies, and Deaths among Applicants Who Appealed Benefit DenialsGAO-20-641R: Published: Aug 13, 2020. Publicly Released: Aug 13, 2020.
Aug 10, 2020
-
Child Welfare and Aging Programs:
HHS Could Enhance Support for Grandparents and Other Relative CaregiversGAO-20-434: Published: Jul 10, 2020. Publicly Released: Aug 10, 2020.
Jul 29, 2020
-
Economic Adjustment Assistance:
Actions Needed to Better Address Workers' Needs and Assess Program EffectivenessGAO-20-521: Published: Jul 29, 2020. Publicly Released: Jul 29, 2020.
Looking for more? Browse all our products here