Eligible residents in Illinois will receive benefits to help pay for their water bills in only five days.

LIHWAP, or Low Income Household Water Assistance, benefits are available to those at risk of losing access to water for various reasons and can be applied for using the same application as the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

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LIHWAP is available to those who have had their water disconnected, are in danger of having water disconnected, or owe more than $50 in outstanding payment on the current water bill.

The water and sewer rate reduction benefit will be available to those who do not owe money on their water or sewer bill on July 1. The assistance is available at all times of the year and is open to those who used it in previous years.

LIHEAP payments are available to eligible Illinois residents for assistance heating their homes during colder months.

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Several states offer cooling assistance to low-income residents during warm summer months, and in some cases all year round. Illinois is one of the states that does not offer cooling assistance.

LIHEAP payments can be used to purchase, install, or repair air conditioning units, along with heat pumps. In addition, the payments can be used to pay for electric bills or security deposits for operating cooling equipment.