Page 44

42

accurately determine eligibility, the LSP will be required to pay back a portion or all of the benefit during monitoring. Note that incomplete status is only used for items that are relevant to the eligibility review. An application is not, for example, to be deemed incomplete if the only thing that is missing is a utility bill, which is part of the benefit review following eligibility review. The household must receive a written notice identifying items that need to be submitted to complete the application and a timeline for submission. The letter must indicate that the file will be denied if the items are not submitted within fourteen (14) calendar days. LSPs must retain documentation of the household's notification letters, which include the client’s appeal rights, in the client's file. The incomplete letter must be sent within one (1) business day of incomplete status determination. LSPs may inform the applicant of the incomplete status via electronic notification or a telephone call, but LSPs must also send out the incomplete letter through postal mail or e-mail or hand a copy of the letter to the applicant if the applicant is physically present. The incomplete letter must be documented in the electronic application file. If the applicant returns the requested documentation to the LSP, the documentation must be uploaded to the electronic application file in the statewide database within fourteen (14) days. Eligibility must be determined for the application within the later of fourteen (14) days of receipt of the missing information or fifty-five (55) days from the application date. Applicants who do not submit the required information within fourteen (14) days will have their applications denied by the LSP. The denial letter will specify that any appeals must include the requested information in order to be taken into consideration. Alternatively, applicants may submit a new application with updated income and household information fifty-five (55) days following their previous application date. Denied Applications If upon completion of the EAP application, a household is found to be over the income or does not meet another criterion of the Energy Assistance Program, the household is ineligible for EAP benefits. Applications may be denied for the following reasons, not necessarily limited to: • Over income guidelines. • Failed to meet other eligibility criteria. • Failed to submit required documents to complete eligibility process. • Falsified information or documentation which was discovered by the LSP prior to awarding benefits. The applicant must be notified of their denial in writing using notification letters generated by the statewide database. LSPs must retain documentation of the household's notification letters, which include the client’s appeal rights, in the client's file. The denial letter must be sent within one (1) business day of denial determination.