Dan Gaiewski

• Winter Heating Program
• Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month
• Upgraded DSS Phone System
• Preventing Financial Scams Among Connecticut Seniors

While the $500 million emergency fund plans to cover the lack of funding for the national Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), there are other state resources available now.

The Connecticut Energy Assistance Program and Eversource offer resources for those in need to help to cover the cost of their home energy bills this winter. Visit ct.gov/dss or the Eversource website for more information.

In honor of Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, I wanted to share some free pancreatic cancer support and resources to help those diagnosed with this disease:

• Contact the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network at 866-458-3286
• You can also visit pancan.org/ReduceYourRisk

In our most recent legislative session, we passed a bill requiring health insurance companies to cover biomarker testing to diagnose and treat diseases like cancer. It is critical to always be looking for common sense solutions like this one to catch diagnoses like pancreatic cancer early and treat it properly.

The Department of Social Services (DSS) has successfully launched a new streamlined and user-friendly experience for callers with an upgraded phone system. 

The Benefits Center phone number has not changed.  Customers still contact DSS at 1-855-6-CONNECT (1-855-626-6632). ​ 

The new system includes: 

• A simplified phone menu designed to help customers reach the right service
• A self-service experience for checking case status and benefit information 

Customers who enter their Client ID when calling will benefit from a customized service and be routed to the correct call queue. Additionally, for those who prefer to self-serve, the system now allows them to: 

• Check if DSS has received their documents and when they were reviewed
• View their case status and, if active, access benefit details 

Customers now have access to call-back options, allowing them to: 

• Save their place in line, or
• Schedule a call at a time that works best for them 

The Connecticut Intelligence Center, a law enforcement partnership within the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, is warning about a dramatic increase in financial scams targeting the elderly in Connecticut and the nation.

The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received 859,532 complaints in 2024, with losses reported at $16.6 billion, a 388% increase from 2023. In 2024 “false pretense” scams cost an estimated $31.9 million to Connecticut victims, most of whom were 65 or older, according to the 2024 Crime in Connecticut Report.

What to Watch Out For

• High pressure, urgent timeline (“you must send money now”).
• Request to pay with gift cards, wire transfer, prepaid cards, personal checks or cryptocurrency.
• Caller says you must not contact family or police.
• Caller ID spoofing (it may show a local number or government agency but is fake).
• Unwilling to meet in person or hesitation to identify themselves with official credentials.

What to Do if You Believe You Are a Victim

• Contact the local police to report the incident.
• Do not transfer money and do not give any payment information.
• Do not give any personal information or confirm/repeat social security numbers, birthdates, bank information or account numbers.
• Verify by calling the family member with a known number not one provided by the caller.
• If you have already made a payment contact your bank or the payment service immediately

Where to Go for Help

• National Elder Fraud Hot Line- 1-833-372-8311
• Elder Fraud- Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
• Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
• File a Suspicious Activity Report with CTIC or download the “CT SAFE” application on your phone.