Is free money from the government to pay bills a myth? This is a question asked by many people from low-income families who are struggling to pay their monthly expenses. There are some cases when these people get a call from somebody from the Federal or State government, saying that they have been selected as one of the grant awardees to pay their bills because they are a model citizen or taxpayer. Usually, they request you to give a couple hundred dollars as an ‘administration’ cost, and you will get thousands of dollars of free money in return.
You should be careful when you get a call like this because this is highly likely to be a scam. Never give out your data, especially the important ones such as your social security number, your parent’s name, etc. These scammers can utilize these data to harm you.
Back to the topic; are there any federal or state government grants to pay bills? In general, the federal government does provide direct grants (in the form of free money) available for individuals. That said, most of the grants are given for academic or scientific research purposes. In other words, currently there is no free money from the government to pay bills.
However, that doesn’t mean that the federal and state government abandons the low income families. The government grants and money are typically given to the state government, agencies and local nonprofit organizations and foundations that will give help to people from low income families.
Free Money from the Government to Pay Bills Alternatives
Below are some of the programs available from various sources that can help low income people to pay their monthly bills. However, please do remember that these are all temporary assistance. You cannot rely on them forever. The program is aimed to help low income families during the rough patch of their life.
For energy and utility bills, you can try ask your electric and utility providers. In some cases, they can provide emergency financial assistance and grant. Some provider works together with nonprofit agency that manages the money. To get more information on this matter, you should make a call and ask about the requirement and the application process.
Meanwhile, the next opportunity is housing, food and rent programs. Just as we’ve told you earlier, there’s no direct grant available from the federal government. However, the government has the Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) that distribute the grants to local nonprofits and charities. Currently, the program is not available in all communities, but it can give you help for food supplies, rent bills, etc.
Alternatively, you can look for help from charities and churches near you. For example, the Operation Round Up provides financial assistance to help you pay the bills. Other notable charities are the American Red Cross, Community Action Organization, Love in the Name of Christ, Net Wish, etc. Usually these charities work together with your local government.
Therefore, to learn about the available option near you, you should contact your Department of Social Services and ask for a consultation with a social worker. Explain your condition, and he or she may be able to help you get indirect free money from the government to pay bills.
References :
- Need Paying Bills : needhelppayingbills.com/html/grants_help_with_bills.html
- U.S. Free Government Grants & Money : usgrantsguide.com/gtypes.htm
- A government grant to pay your bills : cleveland.com/consumeraffairs/index.ssf/2014/03/a_government_grant_to_pay_your.html
- Government Grants : grants.gov/web/grants/home.html
- Image : freepay45.blog.fc2.com
