By The Star Staff
Low income families can now request up to $1,000 to pay their electric utility bill, officials said Monday.
Gov. Pedro Rafael Pierluisi, Family Department Secretary Ciení Rodríguez Troche Administration of Socioeconomic Development of the Family (ADSEF) head Alberto Fradera made the announcement that low-income families who have had problems with the payment of electric utility and have a suspension notice may request the economic assistance.
“In times of need, it is essential that the government is present, providing support and solidarity to those who need it most. To help our families pay for electric service, starting today, we will begin the application process for the Energy Assistance Program for Low-Income Homes. This aid will be available from today until September 30 of this year and is awarded once per fiscal year to qualifying families. This Program has an allocation of $16 million available for the subsidy, which is directed solely to the payment of electricity for the applicant’s home or family,” the governor indicated at a press conference.
This assistance is part of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) administered by the Department of the Family, through ADSEF. Likewise, the chief executive reported that beneficiaries of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program will receive automatic help to pay for energy services.
To help families who have arrears and notice of suspension of electric energy service, 13 million dollars were allocated, while 3 million dollars were allocated for the Program for TANF beneficiaries.
The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program helps meet immediate energy needs for families living below 150 percent of the poverty level established by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), the federal agency that grants the funds.
“The mere possibility of a disconnection of the electrical service generates great anxiety, especially for those people who live in vulnerable conditions. Programs like this allow us to support this group of people, the majority being older adults who live in poverty, thus alleviating their burden. We urge anyone who has received a disconnection notice and does not have the means to cover it to access the platform. However, it is important to emphasize that this benefit is granted once a year and the payment is made by electronic transfer to the individual’s account with LUMA Energy,” explained the Family Secretary.
The administrator of the ADSEF called for “people to access pr.gov to apply since it is an easily accessible procedure. The portal contains details of the requirements and required documents. The citizen chooses a date for the virtual appointment, and a technician will assist him with the procedure via phone call without the need to visit a government office. Suppose they do not have access to the digital platform. In that case, the citizen may request by calling 3-1-1 or visiting the local office of the Family Department of their municipality.”
Among the documents that must be presented are photo identification, a recent energy bill, a suspension notice, and evidence of income. In the case of TANF beneficiaries, it is not necessary to make any procedure or request since the payment will be received automatically.
“As a result of efforts that I led during my years in Congress, Puerto Rico receives the maximum funds allowed by law. Although it is not parity with the states, before, they received less than $4 million. In 2013, the allocation to our Island tripled, which has continued to increase to meet the needs of the American citizens of our Island. My administration’s commitment to The well-being of our people is unquestionable. And we will continue to focus on creating public policies that promote equity, inclusion, and sustainable development for everyone in Puerto Rico,” concluded the first executive.