| Free Cash Grants for Senior Citizens | | Print | |
| Written by annie | |||
| Tuesday, 26 September 2006 15:33 | |||
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Are you a senior citizen with financial problems? Well, you can always ask for free cash grants. Yes, the government has several free cash grants available for seniors like you. These free cash grants are offered if you have difficulties like financial problems, conflict with building owners and disputes with utility companies.
Free cash grants are designed by the governments to provide quality service to its constituents that are in need, especially the senior citizens. Those who are eligible for these incentives are seniors who are able and want to live independently. There are seniors who don’t want to reside in nursing homes, and this is where cash grants come in to help them.
There are a number of free cash grants available and each has its own requirements and coverage. Let’s discuss some of them in this page.
The first is the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE). They help in the rent by preventing any future rent increases. However, they do not reduce the rent for seniors. SCRIE will pay acceptable increases in rent on the senior’s behalf. Here are the requirements in order to be eligible for this free cash grants:
- You must be 62 years old or older - You should be head of the household and live in a rent-controlled apartment - You must have a previous tax year’s household income not exceeding $20,000, and must pay more than one-third of the total income for rent.
Recertification application for this must be applied every two years. To receive these free cash grants benefits, apply to Department of Aging.
The second one is the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP). It gives free cash grants to pay bills for low-income individuals and families. Age requirements for the applicants must be 60 years or over. Free cash grants are given on a first-come-first-serve basis and starts in November.
If you have an emergency such as unpaid utility resulting in a shut-off, you can apply for emergency HEAP free cash grants. The Emergency Assistance for Adults (EAA) is one source for free cash grants. Under this program, free cash grants are given to senior citizens who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and need emergency free cash grants to pay threatened utility shutoffs, home repair and other emergencies.
There is also a free cash grant of $375 to homeowners for part of the previous year’s rent or real property taxes. This is given as a cash credit or cash payment. These free cash grants can be availed if filed for 3 years retroactively.
Below are the requirements to qualify for this,:
- you must be a resident of New York for one year - own or rent the same house for 6 months, and current market value of the place must be $85,000 or less - pay rent or real property tax, - average monthly earning is $450 or less, excluding gas heat or electricity - should not be claimed as dependent on any one else’s tax return.
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| Last Updated on Wednesday, 27 September 2006 14:50 |