It may be 80 degrees outside, but winter is right around the corner. Now, there is good news for families who need help paying their heating bill.

On Thursday, state lawmakers will consider higher benefits for Connecticut’s Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

But there’s a catch.

The Trump administration wants to eliminate the program – leaving more than 100,000 Connecticut families in limbo.

Gabriela Tejada, of Bridgeport, is raising two kids. But even with a full-time job, she still needs help paying her heating bill.

“The prices are still going up and up every year, so I still need this assistance every year,” she said.

This winter, Tejada could qualify for more money. The Connecticut Energy Assistance Program, which administers LIHEAP, is proposing a 21% increase in benefits. State lawmakers will review the plan on Thursday.

A family of four earning up to $91,854 a year would receive a standard benefit of up to $645 – plus an additional $1,275 in crisis benefits if they run out of heating oil.

“It is a critical lifeline to many people and allows them to be able to heat their homes and keep themselves and their families warm throughout the winter,” said Dan Giancomo, Connecticut’s LIHEAP program director.

But there’s a big asterisk to all this.

Connecticut’s LIHEAP plan assumes that Congress will allocate the same funding as last year. Last week, the U.S. Senate proposed a $20 million increase, but the Trump administration wants to eliminate the program altogether.

“The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is unnecessary because States have policies preventing utility disconnection for low-income households, effectively making LIHEAP a pass-through benefitting utilities in the Northeast,” the White House’s 2026 budget request reads. “Further, LIHEAP rewards states like New York and California, two of the top recipients for LIHEAP funding, which have implemented anti-consumer policies that drive up home energy prices.”

A drop in federal funding could upend Connecticut’s plan.

“We would either have to reduce the amount of benefits that households are eligible to receive or we would have to delay when we could start to take applications,” Giacoma said.

Right now, online applications are set to open Sept. 1, with fuel deliveries starting Nov. 3. People can apply HERE.

The good news? Heating oil is cheap and plentiful, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s July report. And recent mild winters mean the state has LIHEAP money left over from last year.

But with demand for home heating assistance rising each year, nonprofits are still worried.

“That is anxiety-building. I would use those two words,” said Dr. Monette Ferguson, executive director of The Alliance in Bridgeport. “But we are experts at navigating difficult decisions.”

Demand was so high in 2024 that Connecticut lawmakers approved $17 million in emergency funding to keep heating assistance from running out.

Tejada said that if the federal funding doesn’t come through, her family could be left in the cold.

“As a low-income family, we would probably be struggling with a shut-off notice,” she said.

Connecticut lawmakers plan to vote on the LIHEAP Allocation Plan on Thursday.

Want to weigh in?

Residents can submit testimony HERE.

Here's how to get help paying heating bills: