Utility Assistance

Utility assistance is intended to help households that generally have enough income, month to month, to remain in their home but have experienced a temporary financial disruption for which they need one-time assistance. 

Assistance is for a single month and is not intended or likely to cover a full month of utilities.  It is a partial subsidy, meaning eligible applicants will need to show they can pay for the remaining amount of their due utilities in order to qualify.

Applicants requesting assistance with utilities must have made three payments during the moratorium (November – March) or 60% of their payments over the last year.

Utilities must be in the applicant's name, and they must reside at the residence for utility assistance.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

• Polk County Residency 
• Valid photo identification
• Social security card 
• Verification of all household income and expenses from the last 30 days
• Eligibility requires applicants to provide evidence there is income going back at least 30 days, and continuing, and that their current rent is affordable in future months
• If eligible, General Assistance will provided assistance based on family size

To apply for assistance, fill out an online application or a paper application and bring it to the General Assistance office.  You can also apply by phone by calling (515) 286-2088 or by sending an e-mail to GA.Intake@polkcountyiowa.gov. In most cases, an interview will take 15-20 minutes to complete.