Help with bills and assistance from Area Agency Aging North Florida.
The non-profit Area Agency on Aging for North Florida, Inc. can provide funds for paying utility bills, energy conservation measures, and air conditioning repairs to seniors in the northern part of Florida. They also help with holiday needs, can arrange Meals on Wheels, and offer home or respite care. Those are just a few examples of the assistance programs offered. Many other resources are provided for the elderly, including counseling, referrals, and financial assistance for other bills as well as housing, medications, and more.
Senior citizens who are found to be eligible for assistance from the non-profit can receive financial assistance for paying past due utility and cooling bills. Other programs can help the elderly in other ways. For example, air conditioning repairs may be provided, free fans during the summer, government programs such as LIHEAP, and a host of other programs are provided by the Area Agency on Aging for North Florida, Inc. Or the elderly can get free Thanksgiving or Christmas gifts or attend parties. Much more is offered as well.
The programs and resources are funded from a variety of sources. The primary method is The Department of Elder Affairs. which gathers the funds from the community and government grants. The Florida Agency on Aging is the leading local nonprofit organization that distributes that money throughout the northern Florida area, including in Jacksonville and Duval County.
Eligibility requirements on utility assistance from the Area Agency on Aging
There are a few conditions in place, including the following. Applicable families will need to meet all three of these specific criteria for assistance. The utility or summer cooling bill must be past due or show a threat of imminent disconnection. At least one resident in the home needs to be at least 60 years of age or older. Funds are only offered for the low income, so the total household income will need to be within 150 percent of the federal government poverty level. This will be roughly under $18,000 per year for a home with one resident. The range will increase based upon the number of people in the home, and it will increase by $3,960 for each additional resident.
All aid provided is based on agency and government funding. The Area Agency on Aging for North Florida, Inc. will pay up to $600 up to twice per year. So that is a maximum of $1200. It will be paid out for each and every case of cooling or heating problems, including delinquent bills. The funds and the program can also buy firewood or air conditioners, place fuel oil in a home, make repairs or anything that solves a senior citizen’s home energy emergency. The goal is to help people keep their power on and make it through the winter, and especially help seniors make it safely the hot and humid Florida summer.
Contact information
The elderly across the region can apply. This particular utility bill assistance program and other Area Agency on Aging for North Florida services are available in the counties of Holmes, Bay, Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Washington, Gulf, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Taylor, and Wakulla counties.
The demand is great, and funding is always limited. So to learn more about this program, to determine if you’re eligible, or to apply for help, call the Aging and Disability Resource Center, which is staffed and run by the agency, at 1-800-963-5337. Or the main address is 10688 Old St Augustine Rd, Jacksonville, FL 32257.
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