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How to Obtain Fuel Assistance Before Hot or Cold Weather

December 16, 2020 by Bethanie Ryan

Staying warm in the winter or cool in the summer is a basic human need. Often, when money gets tight, we tend to focus on shelter and food and forget how important utilities are. Or, we simply don’t know where to turn for help, and many suffer in the cold (or without cooling in extreme heat).

However, there is help! The LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) is a grant program that can help keep families safe throughout the year. Each state disburses its funds differently, so it is important to follow the application process for your state. Most programs are based on household income and must be at or below 175% federal poverty level. 

Generally, LIHEAP provides a monetary benefit to your main heating (or cooling for those who live in warm states) source. There is an application process that involves submitting proof of income, proof of citizenship, and the utility bills. The benefit is then sent directly to your utility company account. Many states also operate crisis programs, which can help pay off disconnect notices throughout the winter or summer months.

Some states also have PIPP (Percentage of Income Payment Plan) programs or Arrearage Crediting Programs, where the utility bill can be based on the household income, rather than usage; this can really help if you are low income or living on fixed income. Arrearage crediting is a benefit that reduces the portion of past due balances with each monthly payment you make.

It is a good idea to read your utility bills in full for promotions and any programs they may offer. Your local public utilities commission (PUC) offices will also keep on hand how to get help or settle disputes with utility companies.

Ask for help early before the bills pile up! Waiting until you have imminent shut off notices can put you at risk. Some programs have wait times, so apply as soon as you need help (not the day of disconnect!).

Check out more about LIHEAP here.

Go here to find your local assistance.

By Joyce McCauley-Benner

Filed Under: Live, Money Matters

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Check out "Learn the Basics of Unemployment Benefi Check out "Learn the Basics of Unemployment Benefits," courtesy of Women Deserve Better Expert and legal aid attorney Susan Schoppa.
https://www.womendeservebetter.com/learn-the-basics-of...

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A woman out of work recently sent us the following A woman out of work recently sent us the following email. We wanted to share her thoughts with you:
The most common feelings I experience as an unemployed job seeker: 
1. Rejection/Sorrow. Something is wrong with me… because it cannot be that I don't have more than the required training or education or experience... so it must be me.
2. Anxiety from inadequacy of effort. Something would come along if I just tried harder (more than daily searches, weekly job clubs, outreaches on LinkedIn, etc.).
3. Aloneness. Other people with fewer skills, less education and experience… are getting jobs. They won't understand how alone I am in this. Other people must have a lot of resources to not have to work for this long, and I am barely making it and can't afford things now. I am alone in this.
4. Hopelessness. Scores of applications and letters to employers have gone unanswered for weeks and now months. What's the use?
5. Blaming myself and/or self-doubt. Why didn't I see the writing on the wall and find something while I still had a job? I guess I really am as stupid as these employers think I am.
6. Confusion. I am now out of my routine, so things don't fall into place like they once did. Am I getting dementia? Is this normal?
7. Anger. If my employer thought I was so great to give me a very good review several years in a row, why haven't they told me of other available jobs after this one ended? Shame on them!
8. Embarrassment. People may think I lost my job because I was a marginal or lazy employee. They don't know how hard I worked, and that the termination was due to issues not of my doing. They may see me as someone who deserved this.
9. Fear. What if I can't find a job in time before we lose our place to live?
10. Happiness. It can be a good thing to start over sometimes.
Have you ever felt like this woman? Please know that there is help. Check out our latest article on Women Deserve Better, "Find Help When You Can’t Find a Job":
https://www.womendeservebetter.com/find-help-when-

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Are you struggling to pay your rent or mortgage? A Are you struggling to pay your rent or mortgage? Are you worried about losing your home? Here is some information about what could happen if you can't pay all of your rent or mortgage, courtesy of Women Deserve Better Expert and legal aid attorney Susan Schoppa.

www.womendeservebetter.com/how-to-find-legal-help-for-evictions-and-foreclosures 

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