4 CRISIS ASSISTANCE

Eligibility - 2604(c), 2605(c)(1)(A) 4.1 Designate the income eligibility threshold used for the crisis component Add Household size Eligibility Guideline Eligibility Threshold 1 1 State Median Income 50.00% 2 2 State Median Income 50.00% 3 3 State Median Income 50.00% 4 4 State Median Income 50.00% 5 5 State Median Income 50.00% 6 6 State Median Income 50.00% 7 7 State Median Income 50.00% 8 8 State Median Income 50.00% 9 9 State Median Income 50.00% 10 10 State Median Income 50.00% 4.2 Provide your LIHEAP program's definition for determining a crisis. If you administer multiple crisis assistance programs (winter, summer, and/or year-round), Include all program definitions. To receive a Crisis benefit, a household must: Request assistance with an energy emergency by either submitting a bill, disconnect notice or disconnection document verifying the energy emergency OR notifying the Service Provider of an energy emergency. • Be EAP eligible. • Have received a Primary Heat benefit that did not resolve the emergency. • Have the emergency verified and documented by the Service Provider with the energy vendor at the time the Crisis benefit is determined. • Be occupying the dwelling at the time Crisis is requested and the benefit is determined. • Not have a redundant heating system that has fuel. An exception is that households with a redundant heating system are eligible for Crisis if the heating system that is out of fuel is needed to allow continuous heat to the dwelling (e.g. if the electric portion of the redundant heating system is on an off-peak discount program that interrupts electric heat to the dwelling or if the operational heating system uses biofuel.) • Not have a Crisis payment that results in a credit on an account. • Have one of the following Crisis reasons: • Heat Related Shut Off. • Heat Related Disconnection Notice. • Less than 20% in Fuel Tank and Refusal to Deliver (RTD). • Less than One Week Biofuel. • Non-Heat Electric Shut Off. • Non-Heat Electric Disconnection Notice. • Senior Past Due or Current Energy Bill • Less than 10 Days Pre-pay Energy. • 4.3 What constitutes a life-threatening crisis? No heat in the house or no heat distribution, and air temperature is not at a safe level and the household does not have an alternative or temporary heat source. Crisis Requirement, 2604(c) 4.4 Within how many hours do you provide an intervention that will resolve the energy crisis for eligible households? 48Hours 4.5 Within how many hours do you provide an intervention that will resolve the energy crisis for eligible households in life-threatening situations? 18Hours Crisis Eligibility, 2605(c)(1)(A) Winter Crisis Summer Crisis Year-Round Crisis 4.6 Do you have additional eligibility requirements for Crisis Assistance? 4.7 Check the appropriate boxes below to indicate type(s) of assistance provided 0 Do you require an Assets test? Do you give priority in eligibility to: Older Adults (60 years or older)? Individuals with a disability? Young Children? Households with high energy burdens? Other (Specify): Energy Emergency In Order to receive crisis assistance: Must the household have received a shut-off notice or have a near empty tank? Must the household have been shut off or have an empty tank? Must the household have exhausted their regular heating benefit? Must renters with heating costs included in their rent have received an eviction notice? Must heating/cooling be medically necessary? Must the household have non-working heating or cooling equipment? Other (Specify): Malfunctioning heating unit that still operates Do you have additional/differing eligibility policies for: Renters? Renters living in subsidized housing? Renters with utilities included in the rent? Explanations of policies for each "yes" checked above: FFY26 EAP Policy: Household must have one of the following Crisis reasons: Heat Related Shut Off • Heat Related Disconnection Notice • Less than 20% in Fuel Tank and Refusal to Deliver (RTD) • Less than One Week Biofuel • Non-Heat Electric Shut Off • Non-Heat Electric Disconnection Notice • Senior Past Due or Current Energy Bill • Less than 10 Days Pre-pay Energy • Energy Related Repair (ERR) is a Crisis program for heating systems that do not heat, do not distribute heat, are malfunctioning or have health and safety issues (such as producing carbon monoxide). Households must be homeowners as landlords are required to maintain heat in rental units. • If the regular heating benefit resolves a crisis, no Crisis funds are used. Some crisis situations need to use the remaining regular heating benefit and Crisis funds. Determination of Benefits 4.8 How do you handle crisis situations? Separate component Benefit Fast Track, no separate amount of crisis funds is issued. Rather benefits are issued to crisis customers within crisis response time frames. Other - Describe: 4.9 If you have a separate component, how do you determine crisis assistance benefits? Amount to resolve the crisis. $0 Other - Describe: If the energy emergency cannot be resolved with the EAP funds available to a household, Crisis funds may pay for an arrearage if the funds do not create a credit balance. When a household has a delivered fuel emergency, a Service Provider may use Crisis benefits to pay an arrearage on the household’s energy vendor account. When Crisis funds are used to pay an arrearage, the remaining Crisis benefit may not be enough to provide a fuel delivery. In that case, use Crisis benefits to reduce the arrearage and use a “reasonability check” to estimate the household has less than 20% in their fuel tank. If the remaining Crisis benefit, combined with other resources (household or other), is enough to provide a fuel delivery, a Service Provider may authorize and pay the remaining Crisis benefit. Example 1: A household with a confirmed emergency is $800 in arrears with its delivered fuel vendor. A Service Provider may use Crisis funds to reduce the arrearage. Example 2: A household with a confirmed emergency is in arrears with its delivered fuel vendor. A Service Provider may use Crisis to pay the full arrearage, potentially leaving additional Crisis available to the HH. The service provider may combine the remaining Crisis with household resources and/or other program resources to authorize and pay for an additional Crisis delivery. Crisis Requirements, 2604(c) 4.10 Do you accept applications for energy crisis assistance at sites that are geographically accessible to all households in the area to be served? Yes No Explain. Offices are physically accessible to all households. Households may request Crisis assistance by telephone, fax, email, US mail or in person. Households are not required to request Crisis in person, as 4.11 states, households do not need to leave their home. 4.11 Do you provide individuals who are individuals with a disability the means to: Submit applications for crisis benefits without leaving their homes? Yes No If No, explain. Offices are physically accessible to all households. Households may request Crisis assistance by telephone, fax, email, US mail or in person. Households are not required to request Crisis in person, as 4.11 states, households do not need to leave their home. Travel to the sites at which applications for crisis assistance are accepted? Yes No If No, explain. Households are able to apply for Crisis benefits by mail, email, online application, telephone or fax. Local service provider staff can provide in-home assistance to complete an application. If you answered "No" to both options in question 4.11, please explain alternative means of intake to those who are homebound or physically disabled? Benefit Levels, 2605(c)(1)(B) 4.12 Indicate the maximum benefit for each type of crisis assistance offered. Winter Crisis $600.00 maximum benefit Summer Crisis $0.00 maximum benefit Year-round Crisis $0.00 maximum benefit 4.13 Do you provide in-kind (e.g. blankets, space heaters, fans) and/or other forms of benefits? Yes No If yes, Describe 4.14 Do you provide for equipment repair or replacement using crisis funds? Yes No If you answered "Yes" to question 4.14, you must complete question 4.15. 4.15 Check appropriate boxes below to indicate type(s) of assistance provided. Winter Crisis Summer Crisis Year-round Crisis Heating system repair Heating system replacement Cooling system repair Cooling system replacement Wood stove purchase Pellet stove purchase Solar panel(s) Utility poles / gas line hook-ups Other (Specify): A dwelling must have adequate electrical service to operate the heating system for the furnace to be repaired or replaced. ERR electrical repairs outside of the furnace are limited to the wiring (dedicated circuit) that connects from the furnace to the service panel or from the furnace to the thermostat. Energy Related Repair (ERR) is a Crisis program for heating systems that do not heat, do not distribute heat, are malfunctioning or have health and safety issues (such as producing carbon monoxide). Households must be homeowners as landlords are required to maintain heat in rental units. ERR may pay for all related costs including gas line installation, fuel tanks, fuel line burying, and duct work when the fuel type change is medically necessary. 4.16 Do any of the utility vendors you work with enforce a moratorium on shut offs? Yes No If you responded "Yes" to question 4.16, you must respond to question 4.17. 4.17 Describe the terms of the moratorium and any special dispensation received by LIHEAP clients during or after the moratorium period. 4.18 If you experience a natural disaster, do you intend to utilize LIHEAP crisis funds to address disaster related crisis situations? Yes No If yes, describe If any of the above questions require further explanation or clarification that could not be made in the fields provided, attach a document with said explanation here.