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Iowa LIHEAP Policy and Procedures Manual

1.00 Overview

Effective 09/01/2023

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1.00 OVERVIEW

1.10 Program Overview The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), is a federally-funded program designed to aid qualifying low-income Iowa households (homeowners and renters) in the payment of a portion of their residential heating costs for the winter heating season, to encourage regular utility payments, to promote energy awareness and to encourage reduction of energy usage through energy efficiency, LIHEAP customer education, and weatherization. All LIHEAP customers applying for this program will simultaneously be making application for the Weatherization Assistance Program, as required by state law.

Federal administration of the program is assigned to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Community Services (OCS), and the program is administered in Iowa by Iowa Department of Health and Human Services/Community Action Agencies Unit (Iowa HHS/CAA Unit). Iowa Department of Health and Human Services administers the LIHEAP program by contracting with community action agencies (CAAs) meeting program and fiscal guidelines required by federal law.

CAAs are required to sign a contract which specifies required and allowable program activities, including federal Department of Health and Human Services regulations, special conditions, transfer of electronic data to fuel vendors and the state, program and fiscal reporting to Department of Health and Human Services, and audit requirements.

THE CONTRACT REQUIRES UNIFORM ADMINISTRATION. INDIVIDUAL CAA POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MAY NOT SUPERSEDE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES IN THIS MANUAL, UNLESS EXPRESSLY GRANTED IN WRITING BY THE COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCIES UNIT. NO ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS MAY BE IMPOSED THAT WOULD DELAY OR RESTRICT THE APPLICATION, VERIFICATION, APPROVAL, LIHEAP CUSTOMER NOTIFICATION OR PAYMENT PROCESS.

ALL PROVISIONS OF THE ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, INCLUDING PAYMENTS, ARE SUBJECT TO THE AVAILABILITY OF FEDERAL FUNDS.

1.20 Purpose of this Manual The purpose of this manual is to provide information, policies, and procedures needed to administer the LIHEAP program in Iowa. This policy and procedures manual does not attempt to exhaust or mandate every activity. The manual is offered in a spirit of administrative assistance and uniformity. However, the federal and state monitors will base their visits and reports on the administrative rules, federal regulations, state plan, HHS contract, Iowa LIHEAP Policy and Procedures Manual, and the Members Only page of https://humanrights.iowa.gov/dcaa. Any local variations not approved by the HHS may result in disallowed CAA administrative expenses.