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DEO LIHEAP Policies and Procedures Manual Page 8

b. Use the most recent benefit payment matrix provided by DEO to determine the amount of the benefit. J. DEO – The State of Florida’s Department of Economic Opportunity, which is the state LIHEAP grantee Subrecipient for Florida, designated by HHS to receive funds annually for program purposes. The LIHEAP program is administered through the Division of Community Development, Bureau of Economic Self-Sufficiency. K. Direct Client Assistance –The designated line item in the subrecipient’s budget summary which indicates which type of LIHEAP assistance is provided: Home Energy, Crisis, or Weather-Related/Supply Shortage. L. Eligible Actions – An action which provides for an intervention to mediate a crisis situation. All applications for Crisis Assistance must be acted upon by subrecipient, with an Eligible Action taken to mediate the crisis within 18 hours of the Application Receipt. Eligible Actions include: 1. Approval of application; 2. Denial of application pending further information; 3. Denial of application because applicant is deemed ineligible; 4. Contact with utility vendor to halt power disconnection or interruption in services; or 5. Written referral to, along with providing applicant assistance in contacting, another Subrecipient if LIHEAP funding is not available or the applicant is ineligible. M. Expenditure – The payment of LIHEAP funds in the provision of services to eligible households. Allowable expenditures include, but are not limited to: client benefits, administrative costs, program outreach costs, travel, and training. N. Financial Activity (FA) – Reimbursement request submitted to DEO for expended funding/charges incurred through a given grant. O. HHS – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Community Services, Division of Energy Assistance. The federal funding grantor for LIHEAP. P. Home Energy – The source of heating or cooling in a residential dwelling. Q. Home Energy Assistance – Assistance provided to an applicant to reduce the applicant’s overall home energy burden. Subrecipient must provide at least one Home Energy Assistance benefit per calendar year. 1. A client may not receive more than one Home Energy Assistance benefit per calendar year. 2. The benefit is not contingent upon current or past due amounts and can be used as a direct credit to the client’s account.