It's no secret that a past due bill can cause huge problems. However, you're not alone in your financial worries. Georgia has many community and assistance programs that help eligible families pay overdue bills and get out of financial hardship.

Here's How To Get Help Paying Your Bills

1. Georgia's Weatherization Program

The Georgia Environmental Finance Authority offers a weatherization program. Within this scheme, you can receive funds for heating and cooling bills and the renovation or repair of homes. They're distributed on a needs-must basis through Community Action Agencies, prioritizing low-income households.

If you're interested, call 404-656-3862 for more information or contact your nearest Community Action Agency.

2. Link Up Georgia

Another way to find help to pay a past due bill is to use the state's Link-Up scheme. It reduces the hook-up fees for all eligible customers. For instance, AT&T-Georgia reduces its telephone service hook-up charge by 100% for all qualifiable customers. Not to mention that other phone companies take part in the program too.

Bear in mind that you must receive benefits from another program to qualify. The other programs can be any of the following:

• Food Stamps
• Medicaid
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
• Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)
• Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
• Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA)

3. Georgia's Low Income Energy Assistance Scheme

If the past due bill is for energy, you can use this scheme to fund it. Low-income people who meet the following requirements can receive money from the Low-Income Energy Assistance federal scheme:

• You are a US citizen or a legally admitted alien.
• You are responsible for paying for your home's heating.
• You have an annual income of below 150% of Georgia's poverty level.

Depending on the area you reside, contact these numbers to find out more about the LIHEAP scheme:

Savannah-Chatham area	912-238-2960
DeKalb County (outside the city of Atlanta), Rockdale County, and Gwinnett County	404-929-2454
Macon-Bibb County	478-738-3240
Department of Human Resources Fulton County and DeKalb County (in the city of Atlanta)	800-869-1150 and 404-320-0166
Augusta area	706-722-0493

4. Georgia Community Action Association

In the state of Georgia, there are 20 Community Action Agencies. They serve all 159 counties! As we alluded to earlier, these agencies distribute many resources from a wide variety of programs, including but not limited to the following:

• Head Start
• Emergency assistance
• Home weatherization
• LIHEAP
• Transportation
• Case Management

5. Lifeline

With lifeline, you can get a $13.50 credit on your telephone bill. If you have a small past due bill, it's perfect! However, you must use the AT&T-Georgia company to receive the full credit. With other companies, you get $10 in federal credit.

6. State Of Georgia Rental Assistance Program

The Georgia Department of Community Affairs offers its GRA program to help pay past due rent or utility bills to eligible families and individuals. The payment goes directly from the state to your landlord or utility provider.

To qualify for the program and pay a past due bill, your household must have a combined income of less than 80% of your area's AMI (Area Median Income) and meet other (fairly stringent) requirements.

7. Try Title Pawns

If you don't qualify for state or federal assistance programs, you can always try title pawns. What is a title pawn and how does it work? It’s simple: if you are at least 18 years old, outright own a vehicle, and have a lien-free title to it in your name, you can borrow up to $15,000 cash.

The actual amount depends on the value of your vehicle (car, van, or truck), to pay a past due bill. You leave your title as collateral with the lender who places a lien on it, and after you pay off the borrowed amount, the title ownership returns to you.

Remember that you should only apply for the amount you need to cover the bill, not the amount you wish for. Otherwise, you're giving yourself another massive financial burden.

Follow the steps below to get a title pawn from us at Georgia Auto Pawn, Inc:

1. Get in touch with your local Georgia Auto Pawn, Inc. by calling your local store or using the convenient online inquiry form to send your basic information straight to the storefront.
2. Wait for one of our loan experts to call you. They need to confirm your information, and explain the required items, and our process for getting title pawns.
3. After that, head to your nearest Georgia Auto Pawn, Inc. storefront. Don't forget to bring your driver's license (or another kind of state-issued identification), lien-free vehicle title, and your vehicle.
4. One of our loan associates will perform a quick, five-minute inspection of your vehicle and approve your paperwork to figure out whether you qualify.
5. Next, complete the process with the help of the loan representative.
6. Finally, receive the money you need and leave with your vehicle on the very same day!

Get Title Pawns To Pay Your Past Due Bill Right Now!

Paying a past due bill is essential to ensure the knock-on effects don't last a long time. Even if you don't qualify for the state and federal initiatives we've discussed here, you may well be eligible for a car title pawn in Georgia. Get in touch with us today to find out more!

Note: The content provided in this article is only for informational purposes, and you should contact your financial advisor about your specific financial situation.