Utility Assistance Update

from the Commercial Appeal

Confusion clogs rules for qualifying for utility aid
Only working poor eligible for MLGW bill assistance
By Linda Moore

They've got the money, but Memphis officials in charge of a new utility assistance program say there is confusion about who qualifies for help.

As a result, phone lines are clogged by hundreds who don't qualify, possibly keeping those who do from getting through.

Earlier this month the city made available $2.5 million to help pay the utility bills for working poor residents in danger of having their utilities cut off.

The program is intended for those who often have to work two or three jobs to get by, but make above the federal poverty level -- too much to qualify for other utility assistance programs, said Sara Lewis, special assistant to the mayor overseeing the city's Youth Services and Community Affairs Office.

"This program was designed for those individuals who are in the gap, the working poor," Lewis said.

As of last week, about 70 people had been interviewed for the program and 30 had been approved. Residents can receive up to $1,000 a year -- $500 for the heating season and $500 for the cooling season.

The problem, said Demetria Adair, human services manager, is that most of the 5,000 people who have called about assistance are too poor.

"Seventy-seven percent of our callers are basically callers who are accustomed to receiving help from MIFA (Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association) or CSA (Shelby County Community Service Agency) and don't meet the guidelines," she said.

She thinks they also keep the phone lines busy.

"Those who may not work have the opportunity to sit at home and continue to call. When you're at work, of course, you can't do that," she said.

Other programs act as safety nets for those who don't work, have low income or need a little emergency help.

MIFA's utility crisis assistance program, for example, is not meant to help someone pay the utility bill each month.

"It's meant to be used as a stop-gap measure to help a family through a crisis," said Elizabeth Garrett, MIFA spokeswoman. Customers can qualify only every two years.

Residents can qualify for CSA's assistance program every year, said Kaye Lawler, administrator for the program, but most of the customers the new city program is targeting often wouldn't qualify.

"Our money is primarily for people under the federal poverty guidelines," Lawler said.

The city program requires an income that falls between 151 percent and 175 percent of federal poverty guidelines.

For example, the poverty line for a family of two is $14,000. To qualify for the city program a family of two must have an income of between $21,140 and $24,500.

The details are still being worked out, but to better reach the target community, the human services office is considering keeping phone lines open later than 5 p.m. and on Saturdays, Lewis said.

"These are people we're trying to give a hand up, rather than a hand out," Lewis said.

Do you qualify?

To qualify for the City of Memphis Energy/Utility Assistance Program for the working poor, applicants must be Memphis residents and must have received a cutoff notice from Memphis Light, Gas and Water.

Applicants must provide identification, proof of residency and income, and provide the names and ages of household residents. Age verification is required for children under 6.

The household size and income guidelines are as follows:

1 person: $15,704-$18,200

2 people: $21,140-$24,500

3 people: $26,576-$30,800

4 people: $32,012-$37,100

5 people: $37,448-$43,400

6 people: $42,884-$49,700

7 people: $48,320-$56,000

8 people: $53,756-$62,300

Those who meet the qualifications can make an appointment with the Office of Human Services at 575-7200.