The effects of state utility shutoff moratoria on credit delinquencies during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The number of people in financial distress was expected to increase in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the most vulnerable populations likely suffering the most. To protect the most disadvantaged, states implemented emergency measures such as utility shutoff moratoria, which prevented utility companies from disconnecting families’ energy and water services due to non-payment. Using credit bureau data on five million consumers, we investigate how a utility shutoff moratorium impacted consumers’ credit delinquencies. We find that adults living in states that implemented such protections were less likely to be late in the payment of their credit cards and auto & retail loan bills during the pandemic. We also find that a state utility shutoff moratorium reduced the likelihood of consumers’ unpaid debt being sent to collections during the pandemic. Residents of majority-Black communities benefited the most from a utility shutoff moratorium. These results suggest that families in states with a utility shutoff moratorium used this economic relief to pay their financial obligations in time.