Page 54

SECTION 1100 APPLICATION PROCESSING

LIHEAP MANUAL JANUARY 2022 54

1100.6 APPLICATION (STANDARD OF PROMPTNESS) Cont’d • Date and time of pledge must be documented on the client’s bill; the pledge must be made within 18 hours of the application being made • Mail benefit within 10 calendar days of the application being made • Document the case record

• Crisis (Non-Life Threatening) applications must be accepted, processed, and the vendor and applicant notified within 48 hours of the application date and time. The vendor must be paid within 10 calendar days of the application being made. Crisis - Non-Life Threatening applies to households who:

o Have a disconnection notice and the service is in imminent danger of disconnection within the next 7 days of the application being made o Or service has been terminated o And meets the basic eligibility criteria

Then determine eligibility for: • Crisis - 48 hour standard of promptness to resolve situation • Approve application the same day • Key the application the next day • Contact utility company to verify status of service and amount needed to satisfy resolution of the crisis (document this in the case record) • Date and time of pledge must be documented on the client’s bill • Mail benefit within 10 calendar days of the application being made

Clients served with Crisis Intervention Assistance during the first 30 days of the program (priority period) are: • Households in which all of the adults are 65 years of age or older OR households in which all the adults are homebound may receive Crisis Intervention Assistance during the priority period if they have a disconnect notice or need service reconnected.

• Households in which an individual has a life-threatening illness, verified by a medical professional, AND a disconnect notice or need service reconnected may be served during the priority period regardless of age(s) of the adult household members. Clients served with Regular LIHEAP Assistance during the priority period are: Households in which all of the adults are 65 years of age or older OR households in which all of the adults are homebound.