Published By Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc.
The public has been dealing with the coronavirus quarantines for more than three months. Stress is starting to show in many households as people try to stretch scarce dollars even further. An issue that is critical deals with public utilities and services to customers.
Utilities are in a tight spot financially. There has been an increase in unpaid utility bills. Many hard-working people, especially low-paid employees, are confronting food or electricity and water bills. It is challenging to cover both because the pandemic has hit financial wellness. In ordinary circumstances, non-payment of the utility bill will ultimately end up in services being shut off. That can create severe emergencies in various homes as the hot summer begins without the electricity needed for air conditioning.
Local governments are starting to consider the idea of placing a ban on utility shutoff. The intent is to protect people who are having a hard time making ends meet through no fault of their own. Those bans can be a lifesaver, but they might stipulate that late bills are ultimately going to be paid. In other words, a shutoff ban is just a temporary relief. People might get socked with larger utility bills later to make up for the earlier non-payments.
Employers need to help those who are facing trouble. Getting some advice on how to handle the utility bills is essential. Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services has a financial wellness program that can come to the rescue.
We Use Knowledgeable Counselors
Countrywide has a nationwide network of certified counselors who are experts in every day financial issues. There is a counselor located in the community of every Countrywide client organization. These financial wizards have stepped up their services during this time of coronavirus quarantines.
Something these counselors do is stay on top of developments. They know about the possibility of shutoff bans, and they also are aware there may be some strings attached to this assistance. A financial wellness plan member can anticipate a Countrywide counselor providing the kind of guidance necessary to weather the storm.
This could be making good faith efforts to pay the existing utility bills. That can convince a utility’s management that a person has every intention of making good on any debts. Freeing up the money for this strategy requires looking at an already strained budget. The Countrywide financial wellness counselor can do a budget analysis to determine ways that some cash can be available to at least pay some of the utility bills on a routine basis.
Employers Can Rescue Employees
Many organizations have done everything possible to assist employees who were caught in a financial wellness bind. The level of corporate empathy is commendable, but more support may be needed. The Countrywide plan is a benefit that those in an emergency can immediately use. Our counselors give priority status to a Countrywide plan member. Moreover, meetings are easy to arrange, and the counselors’ practice social distancing. Any plan member can feel safe and confident when dealing with a Countrywide counselor.
Our benefit is something that is intended to help all employees. We ask employers to help us design a plan that competently fulfills the need for financial wellness assistance. Decision-makers of client organizations will be shown all our benefit options and asked to select which services will be part of the plan document. We support those choices with some of the best member services in the industry. Our administration is deliberately streamlined to provide help as soon as possible.
Utility shutoff bans are a godsend to lower-paid employees. However, there may be a reckoning later off the balances. Countrywide advice will be available to help a hard-working person meet that problem successfully. If you have any questions about our services, please feel free to contact us at your convenience. We will then explain how Countrywide has a significant benefit for these difficult times.