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poverty

Energy assistance updates, tips to keep your utility service on during the pandemic

The pandemic has been so hard on Illinois utility customers that it’s gained national attention. An economist discovered that close to 1 percent of all residences in Illinois were cut off for nonpayment in October 2020, according to an in-depth report by the Washington Post. Steve Cicala, an economist at…...

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Washington Post: Nearly 1% of all Illinois residences were cut off for nonpayment in October 2020

In a special report from Peoria, Washington Post reporter Greg Jaffe uncovered grim statistics about shut-offs in that Central Illinois city.  It indicates, as one researcher said, that our social safety net is in “grave need of repair.” Jaffe reports: As the pandemic dragged on month after month, hundreds struggled…...

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