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Issue Does it prevent household/programmatic eligibility determination? Does it prevent benefit eligibility determination? Missing income Yes Yes, because benefit eligibility cannot be determined before household/programmatic eligibility Missing Utility Bills No Yes Heating source not functional No Yes, for heating benefit only; electric benefit may still be released Excessive Credit Balance No Yes, for utility with excessive credit balance only Billing name/Non- Household Member Declaration Form issues No Yes

8.9 Crisis Benefits for Regulated Utilities Crisis benefits may be applied if the household owes money on the heating and/or electric source and is in imminent danger of disconnection or already disconnected. This includes outstanding arrearages that are currently being managed through a payment arrangement, but would otherwise have caused the household to have their service disconnected or scheduled for disconnection. The household must provide a utility bill with a disconnect amount, payment arrangement, or reconnection amount; or verification from the utility company that the client is up for disconnect, already disconnected, or enrolled in a payment arrangement. The allowable crisis benefit is the actual amount needed to maintain or restore service, up to the maximum crisis benefit of $400 per utility. The LSP must show how the crisis award was determined in the client file. Reconnection and connection fees and other penalties may be paid for with EAP funds. Deposits cannot be paid with EAP funds. The crisis benefit will be based on the family’s circumstance at the time of application. Calculating Crisis Benefits The LSP will apply the crisis benefit to the portion of the bill designated as the disconnection amount as well as any outstanding payment arrangement amount, up to $400 per utility. The LSP will then apply the regular benefit to the remainder of the bill. If a household’s primary heating source is electric, that household will be eligible for a total of $800 in crisis funding for the electric utility. The LSP, however, must take care to