3001-5 Actions Taken on the Application

3001-5 ACTIONS TAKEN ON THE APPLICATION

3001-5 A. ENTERING APPLICATIONS

Refer to Administrative Procedures Manual, section 101-7 .

3001-5 B. DUPLICATE APPLICATIONS

ECOS Energy Community Online System screens for duplicate household members or head of household members that have previously applied during the application entry process. A warning will pop-up on the screen if a name, date of birth, or social security number entered into ECOS Energy Community Online System is already in the system. When this situation arises the caseworker determines if the application being entered has a duplicate household member or an application that has already been approved. The caseworker can determine this by conducting an advanced search on the Household Select screen using the lookup category "Household Member Name."

3001-5 C. EXPEDITE PROCESSING OF THE APPLICATION

Expedited service is provided to SRHUD Subsidized Rental Housing Utility Deposit applications and households facing immediate service terminations (including households facing eviction when the applicant's heat is included in the rent and there is an eviction notice or the threat of action taken because the utility account has reverted back to the landlord's name due to nonpayment), or who are without heat who also meet the expedite criteria as outlined below. Expedited service results in a promise of payment (pledge to vendor) to remedy the heating assistance emergency.

Criteria for Expedited Processing:

Expedited service is provided to a household if they have submitted a SRHUD Subsidized Rental Housing Utility Deposit application or if all of the following expedited service criteria are met:

The household has requested expedited service;

The household meets the "crisis" or "life-threatening crisis" criteria as defined in MS Manual Section 3000-2.

The household has submitted a complete, verified, and signed application, including a rent receipt or rental agreement if heat is included in the rent; and

The household has submitted a metered fuel (natural gas or electric) shut-off notice or written or verbal equivalent from the vendor or an eviction notice for a renter will be evicted for nonpayment of rent where their heat is included in the rent.

Note: Client statement is acceptable when an applicant claims to be out of or within 48 hours of being out of deliverable fuel.

Expedited Time Frames:

Households eligible for expedited service because of a SRHUD Subsidized Rental Housing Utility Deposit application submission will have their application processed within 10 days after receipt of the completed application in a DPA Division of Public Assistance office. SRHUD Subsidized Rental Housing Utility Deposit applications are accepted year-round, October 1 through September 30.

Crisis applications are accepted October 1 through June 30 and should be processed within 18 hours after DPA Division of Public Assistance receives a complete application for a life-threatening crisis and within 48 hours for non-life-threatening crisis. If an applicant does not meet the expedite criteria, the caseworker is required to contact the applicant by e-mail or phone to inform them that they do not qualify for expedited processing and their application will be worked in order of date received. The caseworker should also direct the client to other community resources that may assist with the prevention of a service disconnection.

3001-5 D. CHANGES REPORTED TO DPA Division of Public Assistance

Changes reported for any DPA Division of Public Assistance program after the initial HAP Heating Assistance Program application submission but before a case decision is made will be considered in the initial HAP Heating Assistance Program eligibility determination. This includes additional HAP Heating Assistance Program applications submitted by the applicant.

Address or vendor account changes reported after an eligibility decision has been made should be documented and entered into ECOS Energy Community Online System . This updated information is important because DPA Division of Public Assistance requests client's annual fuel consumption data from the approved vendors at the end of the season. Also a HAP1 State of Alaska's LIHEAP application is mailed to the client at the beginning of the following season.

To update the client's information select "Reopen" on the Eligibility/LIHEAP Certification screen, and then select "Application Maintenance Reopen" , this will allow you to update the client's information, then return to the Eligibility/LIHEAP Certification screen and select "Close."

3001-5 E. APPROVING THE APPLICATION

A Notice of Action must be sent to the household following a determination of eligibility. Approved households must receive a notice of action no later than 45 days after HAP Heating Assistance Program receives a complete application for non-expedited applications. Expedited applications must receive a notice of action with the time frames listed in HAP MS 3001-5C .

3001-5 F. PENDING THE APPLICATION

Caseworkers request additional verification if the application or supporting documents contain unclear, inconsistent, or contradictory information.

When information from another source contradicts statements made by the applicant, the applicant must be provided an opportunity to clarify the questionable information.

1. Pending

When an application is incomplete and the necessary information cannot be obtained from the databases available to DPA Division of Public Assistance , a notice requesting additional information is sent to the applicant. This request is sent on a Notice of Action form and is known as a pend notice. Applicants are given 30 days to respond to a pend notice. If the requested information is received within the 30-day period, the application can be processed using the original application date. If the information is not received within the 30-day pend period, the application is denied. A new application is required if the applicant is still in need of assistance.

There are instances when a client requires additional time to provide requested information. When this situation arises the application can be repended/extended for an additional 15 day period before taking action on the application.

2. Reasons for Pending

The pending reasons, as programmed into the ECOS Energy Community Online System , are listed below:

Unsigned Application - The caseworker sends a pend notice and a copy of the application form to the applicant for signature and keeps an electronic copy of the original application in ILINX.

Missing proof of income

Missing social security number and/or birth date

No visible means of support

Mobile home dimensions missing

Child Support verification request

Number of bedrooms missing

Who lives with you

Other (free form)

Subsidized housing verification

Temporary shelter

Rent receipt/agreement request

Missing proof of seasonal income

Physical residence address request

Proof of ID (social security card, CIB Certificate of Indian Blood card, state-issued ID, tribal ID card, or other government issued ID card) for the head of household. This includes proof of ID notated in EIS Eligibility Information System .

Proof of heating and/or electric bill.

3. Reasons for Re-pending

Reasons for re-pending an application are:

The initial pend notice was unclear.

The time frame for the initial pend notice was incorrect (less than 30 days.)

There are extenuating circumstances in which a re-pend is necessary. This should be documented in the case note.

3001-5 G. DENYING THE APPLICATION

A denial notice must be sent to the applicant explaining the reason for the denial. This notice should be sent as soon as possible following the determination of ineligibility, but no later than 45 days following the receipt of a complete application.

Applicants denied for failing to provide needed verification by the end of the pend period will be sent a notice of denial at the end of the pend period.

If the applicant provides the verification after the pend period but within 30 days of the application filing date, the caseworker must accept the verification and make an eligibility determination without requiring a new application. If the household is found eligible, the caseworker will use the original benefit start date.

Note: When the deadline for processing an application or providing verification does not fall on a workday, it will be extended to the next workday.

3001-5 H. REASONS FOR DENYING AN APPLICATION

The following is the list of reasons why a heating assistance application may be denied, as displayed in the drop-down menu selection on the ECOS Energy Community Online System LIHEAP Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program Certification screen:

Incomplete Application: An application that was pended for the 30-day and/or 15-day period for missing information and the information was not received by the deadline.

Withdrew Application: When a client has requested in writing to withdraw their application on file.

Does Not Meet Energy Burden Requirement: Already The household's gross income, household size, dwelling size, and estimated annual heating costs, using community heating points, are used to compute the household's estimated home heating burden, expressed as a point value. An applicant whose household heating cost points are calculated to be less than 2.0 is ineligible for heating assistance.

No or Low Heating Costs: An applicant who pays $200 or less annually or does not pay in money for heat or rent, is ineligible for heating assistance. Examples include:

An applicant who is receiving State of Alaska GRA General Relief Assistance where the heat is included in the rent and the State is paying the entire monthly rental payment.

An applicant who is living with a separate household who is paying for heat and not charging the applicant for rent.

An applicant who self-harvests wood or coal and provides no receipt to indicate they have a cost (in money) associated with obtaining their fuel.

Program Out of Funds: Used when the program has run out of funding.

Household Over Income: A household with income that exceeds 225 percent of poverty is ineligible for heating assistance.

Household Over Income - Seasonal/Self Employed: A household with income that exceeds 225 percent of poverty is ineligible for heating assistance and the household income was based on an average of the prior 12-month period.

Household Already Received Benefit: Use when the household, or a person included in the household, has already been served by the Heating Assistance Program during the current program season.

HAP Heating Assistance Program provides one heating assistance benefit per household each season. Household composition is determined at the time the benefit is approved. Once a household is approved, all members included in that household are considered served for the season. If a household member later moves into or out of the household, that person is generally not eligible to receive another heating assistance benefit during the same season.

Deny the application using this reason when:

The household has already received a heating assistance benefit during the current program season.

The applicant was included in another household that already received a heating assistance benefit during the current program season.

The applicant is currently living with a household that already received a heating assistance benefit during the current program season.

The household is applying for SRHUD Subsidized Rental Housing Utility Deposit and received a HAP Heating Assistance Program benefit within the past 180 days, or received a SRHUD Subsidized Rental Housing Utility Deposit benefit within the past 24 months.

NOTE: In cases where two adults in the household who both contribute to the heating costs have separated after the award has been issued and the adult(s) who left the household request heating assistance separately, the worker should refer to MS Manual Section 3002-1A7 to determine how to treat this situation.

Subsidized with Heat Included: A household living in subsidized housing and is not responsible for paying for all or a portion of their heating expense separately from their rent.

SRHUD Subsidized Rental Housing Utility Deposit - Unqualified: When a household does not meet the eligibility criteria to receive a SRHUD Subsidized Rental Housing Utility Deposit payment, as listed in MS Manual Section 3006 .

Area Served by Different Agency: An When a household resides in an area that is served by a tribal LIHEAP provider and the household members meet the acceptance criteria as listed in MS Manual Section 3001-2G and Addendum A .

Temporary Housing: An applicant that is residing in a dwelling normally intended for temporary occupancy, and has resided there less than 60 consecutive days before the date of the signature on the completed application. The exception to the rule is a household in temporary shelter that is applying for a utility deposit to move into rental housing in Alaska. Examples of temporary shelter include: a crisis center, hotel, motel, bed & breakfast, boarding home, hostel, tent, car, van, or pick-up camper.

Physical Address Not Located in Alaska: A household's dwelling for which heating assistance is requested must be located in Alaska and at least one member of the household must be physically present in the state at the time of application submission.

Moved: The client has moved into a new residence before an eligibility determination was made. They will need to reapply with their new address and associated heating and electric account information.

Ineligible Dwelling: The client lives in a hospital, nursing home, Alaska Pioneer Home, a long-term care facility, public or private institution to receive treatment for a mental or physical illness, student dormitory, correctional facility, military base, or the home is located out-of-state.

Not a U.S. Citizen or Legal Alien: When the household does not include a U.S. Citizen or Qualified Alien.

Other: Used when the reason for denial does not fit into any of the other denial categories.

Low Points: When the household does not meet the energy burden eligibility requirement of 2.0 points. The caseworker can also elect to use "Does Not Meet Energy Burden Requirement" or "No or Low Heating Costs."

Low Points - Subsidized Housing: When the household lives in subsidized housing, pays a portion or all of their home heating expenses and does not meet the energy burden eligibility requirement of 2.0 points.

Energy Bill Credit Exceeds Maximum Allowed: Used when an applicant has a credit balance with the vendor supplying the household’s primary heating fuel that is sufficient to cover the household’s estimated primary heating fuel expenses for a 12-month period, resulting in less than the $200 minimum annual heating expense requirement for Heating Assistance Program eligibility.

NOTE: This denial reason is only used when the credit balance applies to the household’s primary heating fuel expense and causes the household to no longer meet the $200 minimum annual heating expense requirement. If the household meets the minimum annual expense requirement for primary heating fuel but the electric account has a credit balance that affects a requested 50/50 split, refer to HAP Heating Assistance Program MS 3008-3A .

Tribal LIHEAP Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program : This is not an available option for caseworkers to select. This denial reason is generated automatically at the time of application registration when a household resides in a Tribal LIHEAP Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program service area and if applicable, meets the Alaska Native or American Indian member requirement. The application is automatically denied and a denial notice sent to the household. The registering office assistant or caseworker must file the application in the client's ILINX folder and forward a copy the application to the identified Tribal LIHEAP Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program office. Additional information regarding tribal applications is in manual section 3001-2G .

3001-5 I. REOPENING AN APPLICATION

Applications may need to be reopened to redetermine eligibility after a fair hearing, case review, or a tribal referral is returned to DPA Division of Public Assistance because the household does not meet tribal affiliation requirements.

Eligibility Technician IIIs and above are able to reopen applications.

If you reopen an application but are not taking action, it is important to make sure that the Current™ queue is updated so that the application can be claimed for processing.

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