Wilmington Announces Expansion of Utility Relief Fund to Assist Residents 18 Years and Older with Emergency Water Utility Needs

Mayor Purzycki and City Finance Director J. Brett Taylor announced on March 3, 2021 an expansion of the City’s Utility Payment Assistance Program. Since last December the program was for residents ages 65 and up. Anyone 18 years old and up are now eligible. 

The Utility Payment Assistance Program is funded through the federal CARES Act. Any Wilmington resident who is 18 years or older can request up to $3,000 to pay their delinquent water/sewer bills. Funding for the program will be available through December 31, 2021, but will end sooner if funds are exhausted due to demand. Funds will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. Click here to submit an application. 

You may also download the application here and mail it to the Finance Department, Account Services Division, 800 N. French Street, 1st Floor, Wilmington, DE 19801, or hand-deliver the application to the City/County Building in person. Though the building is still closed to the public, you can place the application in the Finance Department’s drop box in the lobby of the Louis L. Redding Building on North French Street. The application and supporting documentation should be placed in an envelope with your name and utility account number on it.  The building is open Monday to Friday between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:45 p.m. for drop-offs.  

To be eligible for the expanded assistance program you must: 

• Be at least 18 years of age at the date of application
• Provide proof of age, such as a driver’s license or official State ID with picture
• Reside within the City limits and be the owner of the property, which must also be your principal residence
• Request only one credit per property even if there are joint owners
• Have a City of Wilmington water utility account that is three months past due
• Provide proof of income at or below the 100% federal poverty guidelines for the most recent 30 days; if additional household members, then the gross countable income of all members may not exceed 165% of the current federal poverty guidelines, which are provided at the end of this release

Once all the requested documentation is received, the process will take approximately 15 business days to receive a notice of approval or denial in the mail. You may also receive a payment agreement letter, which would need to be signed before payment is posted depending on your account status according to the grant agreement. Eligible applicants will receive a credit payment that will be applied to their existing utility account. Payments will post within one to two billing cycles.

For more information, call 3-1-1 and request utility payment assistance or ask to speak to an Account Services representative.