3002-1 Types of Households

3002-1 TYPES OF HOUSEHOLDS

3002-1 A. TYPES OF HOUSEHOLDS

1. Eligible Household

An individual or group of individuals who are living together as one economic unit and for whom residential heating is customarily purchase in common, or who make undesignated payments for heat in the form or rent.

A household must meet all four of the following requirements to be eligible to participate in HAP Heating Assistance Program :

the dwelling for which heating assistance is requested is located in the state, and at least one member of the household is physically present in the state at the time of application for, and receipt of, heating assistance; and the household

physically resides in the dwelling for which heating assistance is requested; or

is seeking assistance to help with the general-use natural gas or electric utility deposit necessary to move into subsidized rental housing where heat is already included in the rent;

at least one member of the household is a U.S. citizen or qualified alien;

the household's annual home heating costs exceed $200;

the household's gross monthly income does not exceed 225 percent of the federal poverty guidelines for Alaska as listed in Addendum E .

2. Ineligible Household

A household is not eligible to participate in HAP Heating Assistance Program if any of the following situations apply at the time of eligibility determination:

The household is eligible for or has received benefits from a tribal organization providing heating assistance funded by LIHEAP Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program , unless an agreement to the contrary has been executed between the division and the tribal organization. (See Addendum A and Addendum B for a detailed listing of tribal organizations and communities served.)

The household resides in a crisis center, hotel, motel, tent, or other shelter normally intended for temporary occupancy, and has resided there for less than 60 consecutive days before the date of signature on the completed application; unless they are seeking a utility deposit to move into a qualifying subsidized dwelling.

The household resides in a hospital, nursing home, Alaska Pioneer's Home, or other public or private institution to receive treatment for a mental or physical illness.

The household resides in a student dormitory, correctional facility, or on a military base.

The household resides in a subsidized rental housing and has no direct home heating costs.

The household consists of a person who is house sitting, unless: The house sitter has been house sitting for more than 60 days and this can be verified by a letter from the homeowner. The house sitter is responsible for paying heating bills and can show proof of heating costs that exceed $200 annually for their current residence. The house sitter has not received heating assistance at another location. The homeowners have not applied for or received heating assistance during the current season for said dwelling.

NOTE: Applicants who are determined ineligible for tribal HAP Heating Assistance Program for failure to follow the rules of their tribal organizations, e.g., failure to submit an application during the tribal HAP Heating Assistance Program enrollment period are NOT eligible to receive HAP Heating Assistance Program through DPA Division of Public Assistance . Applicants who fail to submit an application through their tribal organization while funds are available are NOT eligible to receive HAP Heating Assistance Program through DPA Division of Public Assistance .

3. Multiple Households Residing in the Same Dwelling

When more than one household is residing in the dwelling, the caseworker must determine if the applicant household is:

Someone renting a room in the same dwelling as the owner,

The owner/occupant who rents out a portion of the dwelling, or

One or more individuals, none of whom are the owner, living together in the same dwelling, each with their own bedroom, and making common payments for the rent and heating costs at the dwelling.

If the applicant checks the application box for "Renting a Room," and they provide an agreement with their landlord showing heating costs are included in their rental costs the application is determined using ECOS Energy Community Online System Dwelling Type: Room Renter and Housing Category: 1-room dwelling such as a studio apartment, hotel room, or boarding room.

NOTE: A foster adult not considered a member of the household must be considered a household sharer, or room renter.

If the applicant owns the dwelling and is receiving rental income, eligibility is determined by counting all rental income, using the Housing Category for the total number of bedrooms in the dwelling, and counting the number of people in the applicant's household. A room renter is not counted as a member of the applicant's household. The owner/occupant's rental income may be considered a self-employment venture if the applicant chooses to deduct the non-personal costs of doing business.

If the applicant is sharing the dwelling with one or more households, and is not a room renter or an owner/occupant renting space in the dwelling as described above, the households are considered to be house sharers. The other household members are entered into ECOS Energy Community Online System as described in MS 3002-1 A. 4 below.

Note: Each household in the dwelling should be worked separately and then the share reduction applied. For example, if more than one household living in the dwelling contains an older adult, disabled person, or a child under 6 years of age, each household containing a member of this population would be entitled to the additional point before computing their percentage of the total residence.

4. Household Sharers File

If an applicant lists other households as living in the same dwelling, the members of the other households must be entered into the ECOS Energy Community Online System case note and the ECOS Energy Community Online System Application Members screen. In order to input information regarding multiple households on the ECOS Energy Community Online System Application Members screen the caseworker will need to select "Yes" from the drop-down menu for the question: Are there any other people living at this residence who are not listed on the application? This action will populate a free-form field with instruction: List names of other persons living at this residence and describe how rent and utilities are shared. Once this information is entered the caseworker will need to select the appropriate number of households from the drop-down menu for the question: How many households are in this dwelling? This ensures that each household in the dwelling gets their proportionate share of the grant, and if one of the households listed as house sharing subsequently applies for a grant the worker can cross reference the cases.

5. Housing Percent Share

If the household resides in a single residence with one or more other households, the total grant amount is reduced to the household's proportion of the total number of households in the dwelling. If there are two households the caseworker will go to the Application Members screen in ECOS Energy Community Online System and select "Yes" from the drop-down menu for the question: Are there any other people living at this residence who are not listed on the application? Then the caseworker will need to select the number "2" from the drop-down menu for the question: How many households are in this dwelling? These actions will result in a 50% reduction of the applicant's grant. If the applicant shared the residence with two other households and selected "3" for the question: How many household are in this dwelling? The applicant's benefit would be reduced to 33.33%. In a house sharer situation, a household's share should never exceed 50%. The amount each household contributes to heat or rent is not considered. Each household must apply separately to receive their share of the grant. The benefit is based upon the total number of eligible households in a residence, regardless of how many apply.

6. Deceased Household Members

If a household member dies, the remaining credit balance can be used by the remaining household members.

If there are no other household members, the remaining credit balance can be used by the estate to pay heating or electric service expenses incurred by the individual prior to their death. If any credit remains after paying these expenses, the vendor refunds the remaining credit to HAP Heating Assistance Program .

If the applicant, who is the sole household member dies prior to the date their case is processed, the caseworker needs to contact the client's primary heat and electric vendors to obtain the total amount of unpaid charges remaining on the client's accounts. The caseworker will issue the deceased client's grant up to the amount needed to clear the debt. The 50/50 grant split is not required in this situation. However, due to limitations within ECOS Energy Community Online System , if the total grant is more than the deceased client's total debt, the remaining balance will need to be issued to one of the vendors and then a refund request must be made to return the credit amount on the client's account to DPA Division of Public Assistance . See MS 3008-6 A for detail on how to proceed with a refund request.

When a household member dies in the month of application, the worker may determine whether the household will benefit better by using the signature month rather than the prior month's income due to the change in circumstance.

7. Dissolution of Household

In cases where households have been dissolved after the award has been issued and where:

two or more adults resided together at the original application location,

said adults applied for heating assistance together,

said adults contributed towards the total home energy costs,

one or more adult members meeting the criteria in b and c above leave the household, and

the member(s) who left the household apply for their own heating assistance grant,

The application will be pended to request proof of the new applicant's contribution to the shared energy costs at their previous (shared) residence. Proof of costs would include:

a copy of a heat or utility bill with their name on it at the old address; or

a rental agreement indicating rent paid is for housing and energy; or

a letter from other adults in the previous household verifying the applicant's percentage of contribution to the household energy costs; and

proof of a new residence, energy bills, and need.

Once this proof has been provided, the applicant who was listed on the previous application will be entitled to their percentage of any remaining HAP Heating Assistance Program benefit paid to the vendor. They are only entitled to their share of any remaining balance because they already received the value (heat) of any award already used to furnish fuel at the residence.

The vendor is contacted via phone and instructed to freeze the remaining balance on the account at the original location. The caseworker then follows up with a letter, in writing, to the vendor instructing them to send a portion of the frozen balance to the new applicant's vendor of choice. Copies of the letter are sent to all parties and loaded into ILINX. This action should be documented in the ECOS Energy Community Online System case note.

8. Categorically Eligible Households

Federal regulations identify households who receive TANF Temporary Assistance to Needy Families , ATAP Alaska Temporary Assistance Program , SNAP Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program , or SSI Supplemental Security Income , as "categorically eligible."

Household members are considered categorically eligible if they have received TANF Temporary Assistance to Needy Families , ATAP Alaska Temporary Assistance Program , SNAP Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program , or SSI Supplemental Security Income in any month during the following period: the month prior to the submission of the HAP1 State of Alaska's LIHEAP application through the month in which LIHEAP Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program eligibility is determined.

When all household members are receiving assistance from TANF Temporary Assistance to Needy Families , ATAP Alaska Temporary Assistance Program , SNAP Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program , or SSI Supplemental Security Income , the caseworker must use the eligibility, income, and alien status information displayed in EIS Eligibility Information System to process the application. Only countable income may be used when determining the benefit amount. Noncountable income must not be counted even if it appears in EIS Eligibility Information System . If the household provides complete income information with the HAP1 State of Alaska's LIHEAP application and using that information results in a higher benefit, the caseworker may use the income information provided by the household.

If only a portion of the household members are receiving assistance from TANF Temporary Assistance to Needy Families , ATAP Alaska Temporary Assistance Program , SNAP Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program , or SSI Supplemental Security Income , the household is a mixed household and does not fully meet categorical eligibility criteria. The caseworker may use information displayed in EIS Eligibility Information System to verify eligibility, income, or alien status for household members included in the qualifying public assistance case, meaning the TANF Temporary Assistance to Needy Families , ATAP Alaska Temporary Assistance Program , SNAP Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program , or SSI Supplemental Security Income case used to determine whether the household meets categorical eligibility criteria. The caseworker must obtain required verification for household members who are not included in the qualifying public assistance case.

Categorical eligibility streamlines the HAP Heating Assistance Program application process by removing the requirement to complete the full income verification process when all household members meet categorical eligibility criteria and the application can be processed using information displayed in EIS Eligibility Information System .

NOTES: Clients do not meet categorical eligibility criteria if they only receive Medicaid, or state funded programs such as: APA Adult Public Assistance , GRA General Relief Assistance , IA Interim Assistance , or SB Senior Benefits . However, receiving one of these benefits does not prevent categorical eligibility if the client also receives TANF Temporary Assistance to Needy Families , ATAP Alaska Temporary Assistance Program , SNAP Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program , or SSI Supplemental Security Income . Complete income verification submitted with the HAP1 State of Alaska's LIHEAP application may be used instead of income displayed in EIS Eligibility Information System only when the verification is complete, no pend is required, and using the submitted verification results in a higher benefit for the household.

9. Atypical Household Situations

a. Ionia

Ionia, Inc. is a non-profit organization set up to help mentally disabled individuals. All households have at least one disabled household member in it. Many of these families are related. They are all separate homes and cabins. There are 10 homes. The 54932 Burdock Road, Kasilof, AK, is a corporate address and mail is distributed to each household. The rent is based on the fair market value for a home in that area, not subsidized. Ionia, Inc. also sells wood, but the households are free to shop around for a cheaper price.

b. Office of Public Advocacy

Applications received from the Office of Public Advocacy are processed in the following manner:

The type of residence varies: group home, renting a room, living in an apartment, etc.

The caseworker will pend for information that is not provided, unless the applicant resides at the same physical location as last year and the needed information can be obtained.

The signature on the application must be that of the public advocate or the applicant.

10. Household Size and Composition

The household composition is an important factor in determining an applicant's eligibility and grant amount. If the household composition is not clearly indicated in the application, and cannot be ascertained through EIS Eligibility Information System , the application will be pended for this information.

All U.S. Citizens and Qualified Aliens residing in the household at the time of application are included when computing the household size.

Note: If a household member is not a U.S. citizen or qualified alien, they should not be counted as a family member in the case but their income is counted and included.

If a person who contributed financial support for the month prior to the application date is no longer in the household, the person is not counted nor is their income counted. A person moving into the household prior to the grant determination is included as a household member and their income is counted.

If the application lists another household member as a house sharer, the individual(s) that comprise the other household are not included in the applicant's household size.

An applicant's spouse living in the applicant's dwelling must be included in the applicant's household. The spouse cannot be considered as a house sharer.

11. Shared Custody Situations

A child (as defined in HAP MS 3000-2 ) can only be claimed as a member of one household. In situations where the parents of a child share custody and the child moves between the homes on a regular basis, HAP Heating Assistance Program will include the child(ren) on the first application received with the child(ren)'s information. See HAP MS 3003-2 for how to budget ATAP Alaska Temporary Assistance Program income in this situation.

12. When the Client's Household Composition Does Not Match Across Open DPA Division of Public Assistance Cases

In situations where the client's household composition does not match across their open DPA Division of Public Assistance cases, the living arrangements need to be verified, acted on according to each program's policy, and documented in the case note for each applicable program.

Example: Joe, age 31 is claimed as a household member on his dad's HAP Heating Assistance Program application. When the case worker checks EIS Eligibility Information System during the eligibility determination they see Joe is receiving SNAP Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits on his girlfriend's case, who lives at a residence separate from Joe's dad. Joe's living arrangements are now questionable and require an explanation from Joe. Additional verification may be sought if Joe's explanation is not satisfactory.

13. Vulnerable Populations

Households that include one or more members who are 60 years of age or older, legally disabled, or under six years of age are recognized by HAP Heating Assistance Program as vulnerable populations and are prioritized over non-vulnerable populations.

These households are considered to be given priority over other applicants because they receive an additional point in their benefit calculation and are sent current year applications before past recipients or other eligible households.

3002-1 B. RESIDENCY

To be eligible to participate in HAP Heating Assistance Program , the dwelling for which heating assistance is requested must be located in the state of Alaska and the household must physically reside in the dwelling for which heating assistance is requested. Additionally, at least one member of the household must be a U.S. citizen or a qualified alien.

Residency in the state must be verified. Documentation used to verify other factors of eligibility such as rent receipt and utility bill(s) will generally be sufficient to verify residency.

Note: If during the application process DPA Division of Public Assistance finds that an individual has open public assistance benefits of any kind in another state or they are an SSI Supplemental Security Income recipient with an out of state address, the individual is claiming to be a resident of that other state. Until we verify that the individual has reported their move to Alaska to the other state or SSI Supplemental Security Income , we must find their Alaska residency questionable. Once residency is no longer questionable, we can start benefits in Alaska as outlined in the program policy manuals.

3002-1 C. IDENTITY

The identity of the person listed as "head of household" on the application must be verified. When an authorized representative applies on behalf of a household, the identity of both the authorized representative and the head of household must be verified. Identity may be verified through readily available documentary evidence, such as a driver's license, BIA Bureau of Indian Affairs card, tribal membership card, work or school identification, bank statement or other document that contains the individual’s name. Any documents which reasonably establish the applicant’s identity may be accepted.

Identity may also be verified through DPA Division of Public Assistance -approved data systems, including but not limited to EIS Eligibility Information System screens, IEVS Instant Eligibility Verification System , SAM Secure Access Manager , or other available system interfaces.

Previously verified identity may be used when the verification is documented in a DPA Division of Public Assistance eligibility system or retained in ILINX.

If documentary evidence or system verification is unavailable, identity may be verified through collateral contact. The collateral contact must be someone who can provide accurate and reliable information regarding the individual’s identity, such as an employer, landlord, or social service agency working with the individual.

3002-1 D. CITIZENSHIP AND ELIGIBLE ALIEN STATUS

To receive heating assistance, a person must be:

A United States citizen or U.S. National;

A qualified alien; or

A Compact of Free Association (COFA) migrant from the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau.

All other household members are treated as excluded household members.

Every heating assistance household must declare that all household members have U.S. citizenship or satisfactory immigration status. This declaration is accomplished by:

providing the information of each household member on the HAP Heating Assistance Program application; and

the head of household signing the application.

1. United States Citizens and United States Nationals

United States citizens and U.S. Nationals include:

Individuals born in one of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands;

Naturalized citizens;

U.S. Nationals born in American Samoa or Swains Island. An individual who was not born in American Samoa or Swains Island, but one of his or her parents were born in American Samoa or Swains Island may be a U.S. National.

U.S. citizenship is verified only when questionable. Sources of verification include birth certificates, certificates of citizenship or naturalization provided by the USCIS U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services , U.S. passports, and official identification cards showing U.S. citizenship. U.S. National status may be verified with a U.S. passport stamped U.S. National.

Alien status documentation received by DPA Division of Public Assistance must be validated through SAVE Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements in IEVS Instant Eligibility Verification System .

2. Qualified Aliens

A qualified alien is a person who is a:

A lawful permanent resident admitted;

A refugee;

An asylee;

An alien who has had deportation withheld under 243(h) of the INA Immigration and Nationality Act as in effect prior to April 1, 1997; or 241(b)(3) of the INA Immigration and Nationality Act , as amended;

An alien granted parole for at least one year by the USCIS U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services ;

An alien granted conditional entry under immigration law in effect before April 1, 1980;

An alien who is a Cuban/Haitian entrant as defined in section 501(e) of the Refugee Education Assistance Act of 1980;

A battered spouse or child of a battered spouse of a U.S. citizen or permanent legal resident, and aliens protected under 1508 of the Violence Against Women Act of 2000;

Victim of trafficking under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (including certain family members of victims of a severe form of trafficking);

Non-citizen Native Americans as defined in 4(e) of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, 25 USC 450b(e) and 289 Native Americans;

Special immigrants from Iraq and Afghanistan admitted under section 101 (a)(27) of the INA Immigration and Nationality Act .

3. Citizenship for Certain Children Born Outside the United States

Effective February 27, 2001, the Child Citizenship Act of 2000 allows a child born outside of the United States to acquire citizenship of the United States automatically when all of the following conditions have been fulfilled:

At least one parent of the child is a citizen of the United States, whether by birth or naturalization;

The child is under the age of eighteen years; and

The child is residing in the United States in the legal and physical custody of the Unite States citizen parent, pursuant to a lawful admission for permanent residence.

Note: Because proof of citizenship is not automatically issued to eligible children, parents must provide proof of the child's relationship (such as a birth certificate) to their U.S. citizen parent and proof that the child is lawfully admitted into the U.S.. Parents of a foreign born child who meet the conditions of the new law should be encouraged to apply for a certificate of citizenship for their child with the USCIS U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and/or for a passport for their child with the Department of State.

4. Foreign Born Children Adopted by United States Citizens

Under the Child Citizenship Act of 2000, a foreign born child under age eighteen, who has been legally adopted by at least one U.S. citizen parent, automatically becomes a U.S. citizen when the legal adoption is finalized. Most of the time, a parent will be able to verify the U.S. citizenship of their child by producing a U.S. birth certificate.

Effective January 1, 2004, a new entrant (IR-3) program was implemented, which focuses on newly entering orphans with full and final adoptions abroad. Under this new program, these children will automatically receive a Certificate of Citizenship within 45 days of entry into the U.S.

5. Documentation of U.S. Citizenship and Eligible Alien Status

Verify U.S. citizenship only when questionable. Sources of verification include birth certificates, certificates of citizenship or naturalization provided by USCIS U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services , a U.S. passport, and official identification cards showing U.S. citizenship. U.S. National status may be verified with a U.S. passport stamped U.S. National.

6. Case Processing for Households with Eligible Aliens

Household Provides Documentation of Alien Status: An alien that provides documentation verifying eligible alien status, if otherwise eligible, can be issued benefits.

Documentation Not Provided with Application: A household member whose U.S. citizenship is questionable or who has not provided documentation of alien status is not eligible until citizenship/alien status is verified.

Documentation of Alien Status Not Provided Following the Request for Information: The person whose U.S. citizenship remains questionable or alien status is unverified at the end of the pend period shall be treated as an excluded member.

When a household indicates inability or unwillingness to provide documentation for any household member, that member is considered an excluded household member.

When the only member of an applicant household indicates inability or unwillingness to provide documentation of his or her own alien status or questionable U.S. citizenship, they are ineligible and the application is denied.

Note: When determining heating assistance benefits, the illegal alien's income is included in the income calculation but the person is not counted as a family member. For example, if the household consists of five members, four of which are legal and qualified, the caseworker would include the income from all five household members, including the illegal alien, but only consider the household a four-member household when determining household size and composition.

7. Ineligible Aliens

Any alien, legal or not, who does not meet the alien eligibility requirements is ineligible for HAP Heating Assistance Program . Ineligible aliens in households with eligible household members are treated as excluded members.

8. Categorical Households

Federal regulations call certain households "categorical" because they are enrolled in programs that are income tested and will usually be eligible for heating assistance. When all household members are receiving assistance from TANF, SNAP, APA, or SSI, the caseworker will use the income from the household's open public assistance case in EIS as their gross monthly income for the as their gross monthly income for the income portion of the heating assistance benefit calculation.

3002-1 E. SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS

Households must provide a SSN Social Security Number for each household member. If a household member does not have a SSN Social Security Number , the individual must apply for one.

1. New Social Security Numbers

If an individual is applying for an SSN Social Security Number for the first time, they must apply directly through the Social Security Administration (SSA), either in person or by phone. SSA Social Security Administration will send the individual a "Receipt of Application" for an SSN Social Security Number form, verifying an application has been submitted.

Parents may also apply for a newborn's SSN Social Security Number through the Health Analytics and Vital Records (HAVR) Enumeration at Birth Program. Hospitals give the parent an SSA-2853 form, "Information About When You Will Receive Your Baby's Social Security Card." This document certifies a Social Security Number was officially requested for the baby.

If the newborn's SSN Social Security Number is not provided at the time of application, the SSN Social Security Number or proof of application for a SSN Social Security Number is required within six months following the newborn's birth, or at the next application submission, whichever is later.

2. Verification

Social Security Numbers: Social Security Numbers do not need to be verified, unless questionable.

Application for a Social Security Number: Accept the client's statement they have applied for an SSN Social Security Number with the Social Security Administration. If the client's statement is questionable, require the client to provide SSA Social Security Administration 's proof of receipt of SSN Social Security Number application. In addition, instruct the client to provide the SSN Social Security Number once they receive their SSN Social Security Number card from SSA Social Security Administration . Obtain the SSN Social Security Number or proof of application for an SSN Social Security Number at the next application submission.

3. Case Processing Pending Receipt of SSN Social Security Number

Household members are allowed to participate if otherwise eligible while waiting for issuance of SSN Social Security Number from SSA Social Security Administration .

Households with SSN Social Security Number applications "in process" with SSA Social Security Administration are included in the case. However, this allowance is only available to the client at initial application. A client without a SSN Social Security Number in subsequent application submissions will be excluded from the household size but their income will remain countable.

4. Failure to Provide SSN Social Security Number

If the household is unable to provide an SSN Social Security Number or proof of application at subsequent application submissions, determine if good cause exists. Good cause includes but is not limited to SSA Social Security Administration caused delays.

If good cause exists the affected household member must submit a new application for a SSN Social Security Number to SSA Social Security Administration , in order to maintain eligibility status with DPA Division of Public Assistance

If good cause does not exist the affected household member will be treated as an excluded household member.

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