Shutdown shuts out low-income Wyomingites from heating help, threatens SNAP
FROM WYOFILE:
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.
“The program has been paused because there are no remaining federal funds to authorize new benefit payments or to approve applicants until Congress passes a spending bill, the federal government reopens, and funding has been received by DFS,” according to a press release from the agency.
After this story first published Thursday, DFS announced that SNAP benefits are also in jeopardy due to the shutdown. Specifically, those who use the program won’t receive their November benefits until federal funding is restored.
More than 28,000 residents relied on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to buy groceries in the most recent fiscal year.
“We understand the uncertainty about November’s SNAP funds may create a hardship for families and elderly who rely on this resource, and we want to give them time to prepare,” DFS Director Korin Schmidt said in a press release. “We will continue to work with our clients to process applications and renewals so that benefits can be issued as soon as Congress reinstates funding.”
The agency is actively working with local food banks and other community partners in the absence of the benefits.
During the state’s 2025 fiscal year, 44% of SNAP recipients were children ages 17 and younger, 36% were adults ages 18 to 59, and 13% were adults ages 60 and older.
The federal shutdown has already lasted two weeks, and there is little sign in Washington that things will change anytime soon.
Details
When the application window opened in September, the department experienced high call volumes. That may have been related to Rocky Mountain Power’s rate hike, Kelly Douglas, a DFS spokesperson, told WyoFile.
Before the funding ran out, DFS was able to approve 1,168 households for this winter. Those residents will be supported through May. However, they represent just a fraction of the 8,236 households the program was able to assist last season.
“This is hard for them,” Douglas said. “And we are doing our best. At DFS, we work directly with clients, and we understand the hardship. And it’s been hard.”
While approvals are paused, Douglas said new applicants should continue to submit applications and respond to requests from DFS for additional information. That way, Douglas said, delays can be minimized once the federal government reopens and the agency receives funding.
As they are with SNAP benefits, the department is looking to community partners in the meantime to help bridge the gap.
“Sometimes crisis prevention can be as simple as food on the table and heat in the house,” Douglas said. “We know this can help with all kinds of crises that come down the line. So we really work for concrete support for our families and individuals that need that extra boost.”
Both renters and homeowners can qualify for the program, but must meet the income requirement of no more than 60% of the state median income level. The amount awarded is based on several factors, including energy needs, income and family size. The program prioritizes households with children 5 years old and younger, residents who are 60 and older, as well as residents who are disabled.
Republicans and Democrats appeared no closer to an agreement on Thursday when the Senate again failed to advance a bill to reopen the government. A split between the two parties over extending subsidies for the Affordable Care Act marketplaces — which drastically reduce health insurance premium costs — led in part to the current shutdown.
Between 11,000-20,000 Wyoming residents are at risk of losing their coverage due to the anticipated cost increases, according to Healthy Wyoming.
Republicans have promised to discuss health care subsidies once the government is funded, but Democrats have rejected that, insisting instead on legislation.
WyoFile is an independent nonprofit news organization focused on Wyoming people, places and policy.
This story was posted on Oct. 16, 2025.