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EAP Policy Manual FFY24 Chapter 3 Program Eligibility Requirements Page 2 Minnesota Residence Anyone applying for Primary Heat or requesting Crisis or ERR must be living in Minnesota. Receipt of a LIHEAP grant in another state does not disqualify a household from receiving a grant from Minnesota LIHEAP and will not affect the household’s grant. Vulnerability to rising energy costs Households must be vulnerable to increased energy costs to be eligible for EAP. Vulnerability means an increase in energy costs results in additional shelter costs for the household. Households vulnerable because their energy bills will rise and fall with the market include: • One that pays an energy vendor for home energy. • One that pays the actual heat bill to the landlord. • One that lives in Section 8 housing and pays for heat or electricity based on usage. Households vulnerable because their rent may increase with an increase in energy costs include: • One that pays for heat as part of the rent. • One that lives in HUD 236 or FHA 515 and pays the greater of 30 percent of their income or the base rent of the unit. Social Security Numbers (SSN) EAP uses Social Security Numbers (SSN) to ensure eligible applicants and household members receive only allowable benefits. Federal law allows states to require applicants to disclose their SSN to prevent, detect, and correct fraud and abuse. U.S. HHS Information Memorandum (IM) LIHEAP-IM-2010-6 strongly encourages states to require SSNs in determining eligibility for LIHEAP. The IM also states: “HHS has determined that Section 205(c)(2)(C)(i) of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. § 405(c)(2)(C)(i), grants States the discretion to require that individuals disclose their SSNs for ‘the administration of any law, general public assistance, driver’s license, or motor vehicle registration law within its jurisdiction.’ HHS has further concluded LIHEAP is a ‘general public assistance’ program administered by States, and as such, Section 205(c)(2)(C)(i) of the Social Security Act authorizes States to require SSNs as a condition of eligibility for use in verifying the identity of individual applicants and their household members.” SSNs are required for all applicants unless they are: • Applying as an eligible non-citizen, e.g., a permanent resident, asylee, refugee, etc. • Children under one year old