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Chapter 24 – Home Energy Assistance Program Page 10 of 33

If the documentation listed above is unavailable for any Household Member the Subgrantee may allow the Household Member to provide one of the following documents:

Two recent paystubs (within the last sixty (60) days) showing Household Member’s full SSN A recent (within the last year) Social Security Administration letter or notice showing Household Member’s full SSN A Notice of Decision issued by a Public Benefits Agency that shows the Household member’s full SSN An Income Withholding Order/Notice for Support showing Household Member’s full SSN

If the Household includes a foster child, an official statement from DHHS confirming the nine-digit social security number of the foster child is acceptable documentation.

If the Household includes a child under the age of 24 months old who has not received a SSN, the Application is processed. However, the Primary Applicant must provide the child’s SSN for subsequent Program Year Applications, after the child reaches the age of 24 months old.

4. On the Application Date, all Household Members must be full-time residents of the State and reside in the Dwelling for which they will receive benefits during the Program Year’s Heating Season and have a Direct Energy Cost or Indirect Determinable Energy Cost.

5. As part of the application process all Household Members 18 years of age or older must sign a release to grant permission to share their personal information between the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, the Maine Department of Labor, the Social Security Administration, Subgrantee and other organizations designated on the permission to share form and MaineHousing to determine eligibility for Benefits as well as eligibility for other programs administered by State, Federal and local agencies.

6. A Household’s eligibility to receive benefits from Programs is contingent on the resolution of any Overpayment as described in Section 13, Errors and Program Abuse. During repayment a Household will be eligible for ECIP if they enter into and are in compliance with the terms of the repayment agreement. The Household will not be eligible under the HEAP Weatherization and the Department of Energy Weatherization Assistance Program, CHIP, or the Heat Pump Program until repayment is complete.

7. Roomers may be eligible Households if the Primary Applicant can show a rental agreement that was in existence prior to the Application Date and the Roomers meet all of the other eligibility criteria. The Roomers cannot comingle funds or share expenses with the lessor’s Household.

8. A member of the Household who is away from the Dwelling Unit part of the time must be included as a Household Member unless the member is a full-time college student as described below in Section 3(9).

9. A full-time college student, up to age 23 years old, or more than 23 years of age if permanently or totally disabled, who is a dependent of the Household may be excluded from the Household if the Primary Applicant chooses as long as the student is not the Primary Applicant.