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Louisiana LIHEAP Service Delivery Guide 30 | P a g e

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ii. The applicant shall receive notification of the hearing no less than five (5) business days before the scheduled hearing, to enable a proper preparation of the applicant's appeal. iii. The applicant shall have an opportunity to review his/her claim file, which contains all the evidence to be presented, prior to the hearing. iv. The hearing officer shall be an impartial adjudicator who has not participated in the decision being appealed. v. The applicant is guaranteed the right to: o Have a representative at the hearing; o Present evidence, including oral and/or written statement on his/her behalf; o Present witnesses; and o Cross-examine witnesses. vi. The applicant shall be given the opportunity to elect to have the matter determined through use of a declaration in lieu of personal appearance. vii. The hearing officer shall issue a final decision, in writing, within thirty (30) calendar days following the conclusion of the fair hearing.

B. Subgrantee Internal Grievance Procedure All Subgrantees are required to maintain a written internal grievance procedure for their customers. The grievance procedure ensures that the Subgrantee resolves customer dissatisfaction with issues not related to eligibility decisions. Such grievances include, but are not limited to:  Manner in which a service is rendered by the Subgrantee  Quality of the service  Behavior of Subgrantee personnel The grievance procedures should be developed in accordance with the following guidelines:  Written in a manner which is easily understood by customers  Posted in areas which are frequented by customers