The Executive Director of the Social Service Agency BCMW says all recipients of the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program will receive an extra $200 due to rising costs. The money will go directly to their utility and will be marked as a LIHEAP credit on their July bill.
Sue Castleman says if someone is eligible and has not yet applied for LIHEAP assistance for the program year that began last September, Tuesday is the final day to apply for the current funding period. They can contact the BCMW office in their county for additional information. In Marion County, the number to call is (618) 532-7388.
Governor Pritzker says he has made an unprecedented $386-million investment to support families with bill assistance for heat, gas, and electricity bills to serve more than 250,000 statewide.
Castleman says 400 Ameren customers alone in Marion, Clinton, Bond, and Washington Counties will receive the payments, with Tri-County Electric, and many municipal utility companies, as well as propane dealers, participating.
The latest $200 bonus payment is on top of $44-million made available to 50,000 residents statewide through the Utility Disconnection Avoidance Program for current year LIHEAP recipients who were in imminent threat of utility shutoff. Castleman says those payments can be up to $5,000, with four payments over $3,000 going out to residents in the four BCMW counties.
