Massachusetts Senate backs income checks for Mass Save aid in some of the state’s poorest areas

A Massachusetts energy debate is putting the spotlight on one of the state’s most vulnerable groups.

As CommonWealth Beacon reported, lawmakers say stricter income checks could help safeguard benefits funded by ratepayers. Critics, however, warn that the proposal could create new barriers for households that have only recently begun accessing the program’s support.

One of the biggest divides is over Mass Save funding. The Senate left the program’s overall budget untouched, while House leaders supported a $1 billion reduction, according to CommonWealth Beacon.

Backers of tighter rules say more screening is warranted. Advocates like Kyle Murray, Massachusetts program director at Acadia Center, say the better solution is to make access easier, not harder.

“This is really trying to solve a problem that doesn’t exist,” Murray told CommonWealth Beacon. “At a time when self-attestation has finally got the moderate-income program really running well … this really seems counterintuitive to trying to achieve those results.”

To read the full article from the Cool Down, click here.