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Iowa LIHEAP Policy and Procedures Manual 5.00 Program Eligibility Requirements

Effective 09/01/2023

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5.00 PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

A major function of the CAAs is determining eligibility for LIHEAP.

5.10 Eligibility Determination There are financial and non-financial parts to eligibility determination for the Iowa LIHEAP program. Financial eligibility is tied to the income of the household being 200% or below of the Office of Management and Budget’s federal poverty guidelines (FPG), revisions of which are published annually in the Federal Register (see Appendix B – Poverty Guidelines). Non-financial eligibility includes provision of a social security number (SSN), having an energy burden, and other issues.

There is no entitlement to LIHEAP or Weatherization benefits. Meeting eligibility requirements does not mean Regular Assistance, Crisis Assistance, Heating System Repair or Replacement, or Weatherization benefits will be provided.

5.20 Income See Section 6.00 of this manual for more information regarding income guidelines and calculations.

5.30 Who Can Apply Anyone applying for LIHEAP Regular Assistance or ECIP (crisis) assistance must be living in Iowa, in their primary residence that has a legitimate address, and have an energy/water burden (see Appendix D – Energy Burden Table or Appendix E Water Burden Table for more information). Someone facing eviction may apply for the program if LIHEAP assistance will avert the eviction.

The head of household (the household member responsible for payment of heating costs) or any other adult household member (unless the individual is under age 18 or legally emancipated, and applying as head of household) able to provide required documentation, sign the application, and attest to its accuracy, may apply for the program.

Household members can be listed on only one application per year, unless waived by the state LIHEAP office by email. When children reside in multiple homes throughout the program year (such as in the case of divorced parents or guardianship situations) both households can claim the children on a LIHEAP application regardless of the amount of time the children spend at each residence.

College students must live at home full-time in order to be counted as a household member. Students visiting home during semester breaks or over the summer cannot be counted as household members. If the student has any living facilities other than the home (e.g., live in a dorm room, rent a room, or an apartment), they cannot be counted in the household. College students living in dorm rooms are ineligible for LIHEAP.

Incarcerated individuals (regardless of length of incarceration) are ineligible for LIHEAP and cannot be counted as a household member if incarcerated at the time of application.

5.40 Eligible/Ineligible Dwellings Program rules stipulate that only owner-occupied or renter-occupied households are eligible for energy assistance. Only LIHEAP customers living in an eligible dwelling, with an energy burden (see Appendix D for more information), are eligible for LIHEAP benefits.

A LIHEAP customer/household member with multiple residences must apply based on their primary residence, regardless of length of stay (e.g., truck driver, travel for a job, etc.). If a customer has multiple