I'm Poor & I Need Help Paying My Bills
To an individual needing help paying bills, there are avenues open that range from the federal government to local agencies and churches. This assistance can come in the form of taking advantage of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or from grants provided by the United States Department of Agriculture, which sets up a program to provide grants to help poor rural residents.
Other People Are Reading
-
Types
-
Agencies have been set up to help individuals and families in need. They run the gamut from providing money to people who are unemployed to taking care of medical needs. In addition, there are programs designed to consolidate multiple debt payments into one monthly payment that might be more manageable. In many areas, churches and non-profit organizations have set up programs to help out local residents, such as the Wise Area Relief Mission (WARM) program in Wise County, Texas, while the Federal government has the SNAP program in place to help out low-income families have food on their plates.
Functions
-
The various agencies involved in helping out the poor have different functions. For example, the Department of Social Services can assist in setting up meal assistance programs, while a credit counseling agency can initiate a Debt Management Program (DMP). Although the specifics might differ from agency to agency, all of them have been designed to help out those in need. Individuals who have disabilities can contact the local Social Security Office to fill out an application for government assistance.
-
Benefits
-
The benefits of seeking assistance from agencies set up for the purpose of helping out its clients range from providing receiving immediate financial assistance (in the case of some local churches) to receiving training in areas such as financial literacy. In order to help the individual in need, some agencies will provide important counseling and advice on how to manage budgets and how to avoid some of the pitfalls which target individuals in need.
Warning
-
When an economy suffers a downturn, more people are placed in positions of financial instability. Suddenly, where money may not have been an issue, it now becomes a serious problem, and that causes some individuals to panic. When money is tight, they may find themselves falling for scams, most of which usually involve paying a fee to have all debt erased. The individual pays the fee, only to find the debt is still there. Also, when an individual needs money, he may take out a "Pay Day" loan, which only provides temporary financial relief and ultimately adds to the debt he bears.
Prevention/Solution
-
Setting up a monthly budget is an immediate solution that can be addressed. By looking at how income is spent each month, unnecessary expenses can be targeted. Giving up a single luxury each week will provide more money for the household. This money can be applied to paying off bills. In addition, referring to the monthly budget on a regular basis can help focus on the household finances, possibly reducing future impulse spending which could cause an individual to go over budget.
-
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images
