Low Income Grants

Guest commentary: Without low income and energy efficiency fund, utility ...

Since 2002, the Michigan Public Service Commission has awarded more than $500 million from the Low Income and Energy Efficiency Fund to Michigan organizations to provide shut-off and other protections to low-income utility customers across the state.

But that fund -- which has helped thousands of Michigan utility customers keep their heat and lights on -- has been eliminated.

The Michigan Court of Appeals recently issued a decision finding that "the administration of a LIEEF does not fall within the scope of the PSC's general statutory powers."

The court based its decision on the fact that the Michigan Legislature omitted obsolete references to the fund in Public Act 286 of 2008, even though subsequent legislation referred to the fund and despite continued recognition by the Legislature that the LIEEF disburses approximately $90 million annually.

The MPSC is now working to determine how the elimination of this fund will affect its six pending utility rate cases related to the LIEEF. The first involves a $17.4-million contribution for the LIEEF in Consumers Energy's natural gas case, which must be decided by the MPSC by Aug. 13.

In addition, the MPSC will have to deal with the grants made for Fiscal Year 2012 that are slated to be distributed in October. This includes $62 million in grants already announced and $18 million in grants yet to be announced.

The well-known and respected organizations that have received millions of dollars in grant money from the LIEEF -- such as the Salvation Army, the Heat and Warmth Fund, Michigan Community Action Agencies, the Michigan Department of Human Services and others -- will soon have to turn away people who come to them for help with utility bills.

And innovative programs funded by the LIEEF -- such as the Low-Income Energy Affordability Demonstration Project, designed to help struggling families pay utility bills before they find themselves in a crisis -- will be halted.

Also looming on the horizon are drastic cuts to the federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, administered in Michigan by the Department of Human Services.

The result will be unprecedented. Thousands of low-income utility customers -- some only recently considered low-income because of prolonged unemployment -- will have their utility service shut off just before the heating season without much recourse.

The MPSC is studying all possible legislative and appellate options and is awaiting comments from interested people, including public utilities whose uncollectables -- paid for by rate-payers -- are likely to increase drastically in the future.

Government Grants Available for Low Income Families | Government ...

Available for low income families. Free government programs are granting financial support to purchase home, renovate home, rent, payment for mortgage, payment for utility check, buying a car, grocery shopping, financing children education, taxes, healthcare for senior citizens, services for legal matters, and all-purpose welfare. There are also programs offered for helping you to replace supplies from a fire loss.

With so many programs from the government to support your financial problem, you just have to apply for them. Choose which program you are about to enroll in. The free government funding available among others are long-term treatments for in-home care, therapies for special needs, difficulties in hearing, hearing aid devices, glasses, appliances of health, dental cares, therapies for physical and occupational, disorders of neurological and sleep, abuse of drug and alcohol, hospital expanses, nursing home, heart diseases, cancer, diseases like Alzheimer and Parkinson, surgery, stroke, prescribed medicines, supplies of health products, disorders of mental and emotional, treatment for fertility, disabilities to learn, disorders of eating, retardations, therapies for speech, disabled veteran assistance, assistance for AIDS victims, procedures of dermatological, insurance, legal services, and so many more.

It is not difficult to obtain grants from the government. You have to be an American citizen to apply for free grants from the US government with the vary amount of $5,000 to $500,000 or even more. The color of your skin does not even matter, for America is a free and democratic country. There are 10 programs for African American citizens. There are also a lot of financial support programs for Hispanic. Almost 20 programs which to apply to if you are a Christian. The US government provides many free grants for every faith and religion, such as Jew and Catholic. By being in the low-income families, you will have around 30 programs to choose for. Do not worry for unemployed and underemployed people, as many as over 500 programs are available for you. Evidently, the lists of personal grants are never ending.

For those of you who are eager to know about the list of free government grants , you can see some of the grants as follow:

Congressional Record

Recognizing and serving low-income students in higher education, an examination of institutional policies, practices, and culture

Economic adjustment in low-income countries, experience under the Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility

Pell grants, background and issues

Senate reports