Pennsylvania has reopened its water assistance program for low-income households.
The Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program first opened in 2022 as a temporary emergency program, established through the American Rescue Plan Act and 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act, to help families pay overdue water bills and maintain access to drinking and wastewater services.
Pennsylvania reopened the program this week for a second round, and it will run until August 11 or until its funding runs out, whichever comes first.
Eligible households can receive one crisis grant of up to $2,500 for drinking water service, and another for wastewater service, also up to $2,500. Grants are issued directly to water service provider, and the money does not have to be repaid.
If a household previously received LIHWAP for one water type, they cannot receive another LIHWAP grant for the same water type but could receive it for the other.
Crisis situations can include past-due water bills, utility service termination, and receiving notice that service will be shut off within the next 60 days.
Households may qualify if they rent or own their home, have an overdue bill that they must pay, and if they meet the income limit for their household size.
According to the Department of Human Services, receiving utility assistance through another program like the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, does not prevent a household from receiving LIHWAP assistance if they meet the eligibility criteria.
The maximum annual income for a one-person household is $20,385, while a qualifying four-person household can make up to $41,625. For every additional person in a household, $7,080 is added to the maximum total income.
LIHWAP applications can be submitted online at dhs.pa.gov/COMPASS, and residents can also apply for assistance by calling the Customer Service Center at 1-877-395-8930, or visiting a County Assistance Office.
In 2022, Pennsylvania received over 129,000 LIHWAP applications, and distributed around $43.2 million to help over 44,000 households.
State officials said earlier this year that Pennsylvania intended to operate an assistance program supported by LIHWAP funding, and the money for the new round of support was reallocated from other states that did not expend their water assistance funding.
More information on the LIHWAP program is available here.
(Original air-date: 7/14/23)
