NEW UTILITY DISCOUNT PROGRAM HELPING LOW INCOME FAMILIES

Thanks to collaboration between the Department of Telecommunications and Energy (DTE) and the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) the Commonwealth can now automatically provide for families in need of utility assistance as bills rise during the winter months.

EOHHS offers assistance to many through programs like: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Food Stamps and Social Security. By sharing some of its data on low income families, EOHHS will work with the utility companies to identify customers eligible for assistance and enroll them automatically. This program is just being launched and details will be worked out in the next few months.

-From One Family, Inc., 12/21/04