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Worked at Salvation Army Emergency Services which is in separate building from their thrift stores. These emergency handout centers are located throughout most of US in cities/towns of 15k or more. This location handles most of the emergency requests for the towns in which they are situated including paying light/gas bills if you are unable. Programs have very little funding so the assistance is VERY limited but can try it.
I once knew people who would cease paying their power bill during the winter months because of the no shut off rules the power company had. What always got me was it always seemed such a surprise to these folks that the moment the spring came and the no shutoff date ended off went their power.
Have you or anyone you know had their electricity or gas turned off due to lack of payment and found the bill was just to high to pay? What did you do?
I work for a utility. Like all other payment problems the first and best thing to do is to contact the party to whom money is owed, the utility. They will have special payment plans available. Often they are restricted in their ability to turn off utilities based on time of year, age of customer, desperate economics of customer, etc.
They need to proactively ask for help. Even asking late is far better than not asking at all.
My M-I-L allows her gas bill to go unpaid all winter long, then pays it off with her Income Tax Refund. Foolish in my view, but it works for her. Her Gas Company, the same utility for which I work, has a special payment plan which allows exactly this method.
What would you tell someone who had a good job, paid bill's on time, got injured on the job, who is now suffering from PTSD, anxiety and depression. Someone who can barely make it to work due to anxiety and can barely take care of his family? Someone who was a hard worker who through no fault of his own is in a financial predicament so dire can't catch up on anything. In the last week his fiancee's brother passed away, his car got repossessed and utilities get shut off today. Is there anyone who can help us? Anyone at all? My life is slipping away faster than I can keep up with
What would you tell someone who had a good job, paid bill's on time, got injured on the job, who is now suffering from PTSD, anxiety and depression. Someone who can barely make it to work due to anxiety and can barely take care of his family? Someone who was a hard worker who through no fault of his own is in a financial predicament so dire can't catch up on anything. In the last week his fiancee's brother passed away, his car got repossessed and utilities get shut off today. Is there anyone who can help us? Anyone at all? My life is slipping away faster than I can keep up with
Back when I was around age 30, I'd get things shut off because I didn't get around to mailing a check. I had lots of money. Paying bills on time wasn't a priority. I was working long hours midweek and playing on weekends. I don't recall ever getting electric shut off but certainly phone and mortgage payments. I had my car towed off once. I grabbed my checkbook, rode with the driver, and paid off the loan in full. This was long before auto-pay existed. I can only imagine what my credit score was at the time. Now, I just set up pretty much everything to auto-pay in full. I haven't paid anything late in decades.
every now and then one of my offices has its electric turned off. its really annoying but it isnt because we cant afford it. sometimes things get missed when you have multiple locations to deal with.
What would you tell someone who had a good job, paid bill's on time, got injured on the job, who is now suffering from PTSD, anxiety and depression. Someone who can barely make it to work due to anxiety and can barely take care of his family? Someone who was a hard worker who through no fault of his own is in a financial predicament so dire can't catch up on anything. In the last week his fiancee's brother passed away, his car got repossessed and utilities get shut off today. Is there anyone who can help us? Anyone at all? My life is slipping away faster than I can keep up with
1) contact social services and tell them what is going on, apply for Medicaid
2) MOST IMPORTANTLY get him to emergency psychiatric care, PTSD, anxiety and depression can all be dealt with through meds and therapy ( ask me how i know), he needn't be crippled by it any longer
3) are you working? Or can you get a second job? Or are you him?
4) what do you mean " can barely get to work"? Is he working or not?
5) call the utilities companies and tell them what is going on. They may be able to work with you/him
6) contact Catholic Charities they can provide food, can provide a one time payment of a bill to live such as utilities or rent
7) cut cut cut consumption once utilities are restored. Cut electric use to one lamp in the room, only a tv, cut heat to 60 °, wearing sweats or sweaters if cold. Cut a/c use etc. Cut consumption so bill is lower.now is NOT the time to over consume. Use cheap candles safely for light if need be, such as a $9.99 pk of 50 4 hour tea lights.one a night is cheap to light the way. Use only an led night light fir light in a room. UNPLUG anything not in ise. Phamtom power drain raises utilities bills. There are countless ways to cut comsumption of utilities. Think before turning something on.
8) go to food banks, church free suppers etc for food. Save all money to pay bills necessary to life.
9) dont let him bury his head in the sand and ignore life, life happens, you learn to deal and move on.
10) get him to apply for SSDI, and keep appealing denials until he sees the administrative law judge to get approved.back up claim with every single medical record he ever had in his life.
Ask me how i know all this. Actually don't, ibe explained in several posts herein as to the way my life has gone, and i dont feel lije repeating it here. Just trust me. Do those things to get him back on his feet.
Best of luck to you/him.
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