MONROE COUNTY, Pa. — As the days and nights are getting colder,  people are turning on the heat. Now nearly 300,000 families across the Keystone State are now left wondering how they’ll pay for heating costs.

The State Department of Human Services announced that the low-income home energy assistance program, or LIHEAP, funding is delayed due to the federal government shutdown.

“We are always happy to direct people to the services that could help them, but when there are no services, it becomes a very frustrating job for the people answering the phones,” said Tom Campbell with the Pocono Mountains United Way. 

He says non-profits are working tirelessly to help people in need navigate the lapse in service. 

“This is not the first time that we’ve run across a situation where resources were either delayed or not available at all, but having it happen at the same time as snap and LIHEAP hold back on top of that timeline is going to hit people a lot more than it normally would,” said Campbell. 

The Department of Human Services says the delay in LIHEAP benefits is set to resume on December 3rd. But officials say, on top of snap benefits on hold, that month can cause a cycle of financial strain for families and seniors. 

“So often when people fall behind on finances for whatever reason, they need to decide what can I pay, sometimes that’s the rent, sometimes that’s the car payment, and sometimes they decide to hold back on utilities,” said Campbell. 

The Pocono Mountains United Way is urging people in Monroe County to talk to their home heating provider if they are struggling to make payments due to the delay in LIHEAP. They can also connect with the Pocono Info Helpline. 

“It is a very localized service where people can call and ask pretty much any question for help on what may be going on in the area, and because its manned by people who are working and living right here in Monroe County, we are very tuned into the services that are in our area, not just on a regional basis,” said Campbell. 

For more on the Pocono Info Helpline, click here.