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EAP Policy Manual FFY24 Chapter 2 Applications & Application Processing Page 9 Home Visits At a minimum, provide home visits when the applicant cannot: • Physically access your intake site. • Complete a mail-in application. Application Processing Application processing and benefit determination are two key functions of EAP. Both activities are ultimately completed in eHEAT, but appropriate business practices and protocols are necessary to ensure households are treated equitably and in accordance with program policies. The application is processed using the information submitted by the household. During application processing Service Providers may need to make changes to the information submitted to correct inaccuracies. Work with the household when changes are necessary. Any changes must be documented. The primary business practices affecting application processing and benefit determination are related to the application and benefit priorities. It is a policy of EAP that households must be served immediately if they are in urgent need of service to get or keep heat in their homes. This prioritizes the application process. Application Processing Timelines Applications must be acted upon in a reasonable time as required by the LIHEAP statute. A reasonable time to process a complete application is within 30 days. Due to the large volume of Recertification applications and Pre-Applications at the beginning of the program year, the application processing timeline does not take effect until January 15. After that date, the expectation is that Service Providers pay benefits within 30 days of an application being made “Complete” in eHEAT. If Service Providers are unable to meet the reasonable time requirement with their existing staffing pattern, additional staff, including temporary workers, and/or extra hours must be implemented to ensure the 30-day timeline is being met. Application Processing Protocol Application processing involves several steps. In its simplest form, it involves entering the application data on the computer and letting eHEAT determine eligibility and benefit amounts. The protocol for prioritizing households and making payments determines when information is ultimately entered into the software.