I am in favor of this proposed change. 

This would help those in need of help access services. Applicants for assistance, particularly those in need of assistance for the first time, may not be aware that energy assistance application windows are limited and could miss out on help they need. This is especially relevant now, as many workers with senior-level experience are finding themselves laid off and facing age discrimination, recruiting scams, globalization of competition due to adoption of remote work post-covid-19 for some roles, and many other challenges finding work. Tech workers in particular may have had 20+ year careers with no difficulty remaining employed and no prior periods of unemployment. Eventually unemployment benefits do end, however the job search has no set period, and bills will accumulate. In addition, other categories of applicants face potentially overlooking the same application window begin/end dates. Those with certain disabilities could be especially impacted, such as those with disorders such as ADHD for example - or perhaps a parent who can't work as they have severely disabled children needing frequent or long-term hospitalization, or someone facing serious illnesses such as cancer treatments for themselves or a family member, as well as a multitude of other factors too numerous to list. Poverty itself, whether long-term or short-term, is a stressor that can be overwhelming - which overwhelm from any source increases mental load, therefore raising the risk of forgetting, quite ironically, details such as application deadlines for assistance that would lower that stress a bit and perhaps allow focus on educational goals, interview prep, or even just provide a fellow human being the rare moment without an impending catastrophe. We should endeavor to make it less cumbersome to apply for services whenever possible. Criteria for approval other than the technicality of getting in the application between certain dates would not change if I am understanding correctly. 

This would potentially also benefit the employees responsible for approving or denying the application and the integrity of the system as a whole. The workers would be less rushed and therefore less likely to make errors.

Long-term IT costs may also be reduced, if there are any IT costs directly attributable to maintenance of application windows currently that will become unnecessary if this proposal is approved. 

As a result, the common sense goals of 1. helping those truly in need while 2. simultaneously reducing both inadvertent errors and outright fraud will be supported to a greater extent by this change.