13000 Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP)

13200 Applications Processing

13210 Date of Application - An application signed by an adult household member must be received during the designated application period.

The application date is the date a signed paper application is received at the DCF Regional LIEAP processing office or the date a LIEAP online application is received with an electronic signature through the agency's self-service portal (SSP). An application filled out through the agency's SSP is not complete until it has been electronically signed, submitted and the system issued a confirmation number to the applicant. All eligibility requirements will be tested according to the current household situation. If the application lacks necessary information or verification alternatives are not available, staff will send a notice "Request for Information (RFI)" identifying the information needed to determine eligibility. If the applicant does not provide the requested information or verifications within ten calendar days, staff will process the denial, generating a system notice mailed to the applicant.

Households who apply during the last week of the application period will be given 10 days to provide any missing verification or other requested information. Initial applications received by DCF after the close of business (5:00 p.m.) on the last business day of March will be denied.

Faxed or emailed applications will be accepted as if they were original copies and contained original signatures. Applications submitted using either of these methods are subject to the same deadlines for submission. Applications submitted without a signature are not considered to be an application and will not be considered for eligibility until a signed application is obtained. Failure to receive a signed application by the close of business (5:00 p.m.) on the last business day of March results in the application not being considered.

13220 Priorities in Processing Applications - In order to meet federal requirements, applications are processed in the following order of priority:

Priority Applications - Two categories of priority applications exist. Households who have medical support equipment and disconnect as noted or households who have been disconnected are subject to an 18-hour processing window. Households who have exhausted or have a very low primary heating fuel supply, or have been notified of a disconnect that will occur within the next 48 hours from their gas or electric utility service are subject to a 48-hour processing window. In no case does the 18 or 48-hour processing window begin until all necessary information to determine eligibility is made available to DCF LIEAP staff. 18-Hour Priority – Hous eholds with medical support equipment must have an immediate pending shutoff (48 hours) or are already disconnected for their primary heating fuel system . Households without medical support equipment must already be disconnected to meet this priority. These households receive expedited "crisis" processing within 18-hours of receiving the application and complete information, including the signed signature page of the application. If the household also contains members using medical support equipment (e.g., dialysis machine, oxygen concentrator, intermittent positive pressure breathing machine, infant respiratory failure alarm), processing occurs within 18 hours of receiving the completed application. When an 18-hour priority application is received, eligibility is determined and telephone communication made to the energy provider, indicating the benefit level, expected day of issuance, and the type of payment mechanism. If the LIEAP benefit is insufficient to accomplish utility reconnection or provide a delivery of bulk heating fuel, or if the case is denied, the household is referred to other community resources for assistance. Upon receipt in the DCF Regional LIEAP processing office, the crisis applications are coded "18-hour priority." Eligibility is determined and data entry completed within 18 hours of receipt of the application and complete information. If an 18-hour-priority application is received on a Friday, efforts are taken to accomplish eligibility determination, communication with the provider, and data entry before 5:00 P.M. If such expedited processing is not possible, the prohibiting conditions will be documented. 48-Hour Priority – For households who have exhausted or have a very low primary heating fuel supply, or have been notified of a disconnect that will occur within the next 48 hours from their gas or electric utility service are subject to a 48-hour processing window. These households receive expedited "crisis" processing within 48 hours of receiving the application and complete information, including the signed signature page of the application. When a 48-hour-priority application is received, eligibility is determined and telephone communication made to the energy provider, indicating the benefit level, expected day of issuance, and the type of payment mechanism. If the LIEAP benefit is insufficient to accomplish utility reconnection or provide a delivery of bulk heating fuel, or if the case is denied, the household is referred to other community resources for assistance. Upon receipt in the DCF Regional LIEAP processing office, the crisis applications are coded "48 hour priority." Eligibility is determined and data entry completed within 48 hours of receipt of the application and complete information. If a 48-hour-priority application is received on a Friday, efforts are taken to accomplish eligibility determination, communication with the provider, and data entry before 5:00 P.M. If such expedited processing is not possible, the prohibiting conditions will be documented.

Second Priority Applications - all other applicant households that do not meet either the 18- or 48-hour definitions.

Timely and efficient payment of benefits will be assured by making an eligibility determination on each application in no more than 45 days after the date of the application. (Refer to 13210 .)

13230 Proof of Information Requirement - The applicant must provide the following verifications at the time of application:

The sources of all income received during the last 30 days from the application date by everyone living at the address.

Proof of all gross income anticipated to be received during the month of application except for: Temporary Assistance to Families (TANF), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Social Security benefits, Kansas Unemployment Compensation (income levels from these sources will be verified by staff), and Interest income less than $50 per month.

Proof that the primary heating fuel consumed at the residence is purchased in the name of an adult household member or in the name of the landlord.

The account name and number of utility accounts.

Proof that the selected wood vendor is actually a "commercial" vendor, if not already known to the program. Acceptable verification will be the following: Advertisements published in phone directories or newspapers for the sale of wood, or previous tax returns showing reported income from the sale of wood.

Prudent person concept shall be acceptable in all other information supplied by the client.

If the application lacks required verifications or contains questionable information, the applicant is notified and given ten calendar days to provide the verification. Denial is made if the information is not provided within the time allowed.

13235 Safe at Home Program Applicants - The physical address of a participant in the Safe at Home (see Section 1723) program is not required for purposes of determining eligibility and benefit level. To ensure the address is protected, only the Safe at Home mailing address will be received and documented. In the event the physical address is provided or obtained, it will not be recorded or documented in the case file or within the agency. Staff will note in the case file that the client is a Safe At Home participant. A utility bill and/or utility account number for the primary heating fuel must be provided for energy vulnerability determination. A utility bill and/or utility account number must be provided for any other utility vendor to receive LIEAP benefits.

13240 Eligibility Notices - Households ineligible for assistance are informed of the reason(s) using a system generated notice.

Households eligible for assistance are informed of the benefit amount and expected date of receipt using a system generated notice.

13250 Appeal Procedures - This program follows TANF appeal procedures except that the request must be made within 30 days of the date of the benefit issuance or denial notice, if the concern is regarding assistance level or denial, or within 90 days of the application date if the concern is regarding timely processing. Refer to 1610 . Staff should submit any written appeal received to the LIEAP Site Manager. The Site Manager will mail the appeal to: Office for Administrative Hearings, 1020 S. Kansas Ave, Topeka KS 66612-1327.