The new proof rule is for crisis help
Wyoming opened 2026-27 Low Income Energy Assistance applications October 1 with an important new crisis-assistance condition. The Department of Family Services says households requesting crisis help must show at least one verifiable payment toward their primary utility, secondary utility or both within the past sixty days.
The official page says a household is not eligible for crisis assistance if that effort cannot be verified. This is a specific crisis-help test, not a statement that every seasonal applicant must first pay the entire overdue balance. Applicants who need more help after seeking seasonal benefits can contact the program.
Seasonal benefits have a separate clock
The seasonal application window runs through April 30, 2027. Benefits may be used through May 31 or until the approved amount runs out, whichever occurs first, and do not pay bills from before October 1, 2026. The program says amounts depend on energy needs, income, household size and available funding.
Homeowners, renters and people in permanently parked RVs can apply under the residency and income rules. A new application is required each heating season. Preserve payment evidence and current bills if seeking crisis assistance rather than assuming an old award carries over. The revised official page confirms the new condition, while local October 1 reporting brings it to winter-budget attention.