Some Relief in Ohio, Minnesota and Kansas for the Propane Crisis

The disruption of propane supplies has sparked response through the country.  Unfortunately, this has pretty much been in the form of relaxed shipping and trucking regulations.  Unlike natural gas and electric companies, there is little in the way of outright financial assistance.

But some relief in various forms is available in some places in the U.S.  In Ohio, Prism Propane can't cut the costs--or the shortage--but they are evenly short-filling their fuel to their customers.  They are also offering their customers electric heaters at cost to help them fill the heating void.  If you're a customer, call 877-887-7476 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. to reserve yours.

In a couple of states, there are some financial relief programs just for propane users.  In Minnesota, hotlines have been set up for propane users who need to be directed to the state liheap program or, for those who don't qualify, to nonprofit agencies that can help.  Several sources of help have sprung up, and the information is here.

In Kansas, a propane energy relief program  has been set up.  Applications will be taken through March 4th from families making between 130% and 180% of the poverty level.  Households with lower income than that are encouraged to apply for the regular liheap program.

For all heating issues, try your own state's low-income heating programs to see what they may have for you.

Property Tax Breaks

When people think about "tax breaks," they are usually considering income taxes.  But have you considered your property taxes?  There may be a chance to cut down on your present or future property taxes.

One is property tax breaks for the aged or disabled.  In many states, like Ohio, Alabama, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Montana, etc., there are property tax exemptions that reduce the property tax burden on those two groups.  For more information, see the Retirement Living page on taxes for each state.  They will provide further links to each state's tax information.  In some states, elderly or disabled veterans may be eligible for tax breaks, too. Here's the rundown for various states.

Another possibility is  tax abatements on property that you are considering buying.  This usually happens when a city decides that it wants to fire up development and home ownership in some depressed area of the city, and that the best way to do this is to let property owners fix up the building, adding improvements without increasing taxes on the property, usually for some fixed time, like 10 or 15 years, or to allow commercial developers to build on it in the first place.  Some big cities where it is available include Cleveland, Toledo, and New York, but it's available in different cities all over the U.S.  This is usually limited to specific areas of the city, so check to see if the property you are considering is included.  Note that this is something that is usually possible at the time of purchase, rather than for existing property with no new improvements.  When considering a property purchase, contact the Housing Department or Development Department of the city in which you are thinking of purchasing property and see if a property tax abatement is possible.

Takin' It To The Bank

In your quest to find out about all the money you can get, there is free, skilled, legit help along the way. People turn up their nose at public assistance and food stamps, but the fact remains that, along with earned income tax credits, these are some of the biggest financial programs available. There are also sources of financial help you may not know about--help with fuel bills or insulation, for instance. And, for people in Arkansas, Florida, Kansas, Maryland, Mississippi, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and the District of Columbia, there are people who can tell you what major financial help programs you are eligible for.

The Benefit Bank has a network of agencies that host them throughout each of these states. When you go to their website, you can enter your address, city and state, and pick which services you would like information about: taxes, benefits, or voter registration, and click "search." It will pull up a list of Benefit Bank places that provide counseling. You can call the one most convenient to you and set up an appointment to meet with them. You will need to bring supporting documents, like pay stubs, so ask what sort of documents you need. Check out this site and find someone who can really help you get money.