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pg. 67 CLAIMS AND RESTITUTION DLS Claims and Restitution Unit operates and manages CARS. This system tracks establishment and collection efforts for all claims involving public assistance programs administered by DSS, including the LIHEAP EA program. The EA component of LIHEAP interfaces with CARS. Once a household is approved for EA benefits, the Social Security Number of all household members listed on the E1MM screen are checked against CARS to determine if there is an outstanding EA claim against his-her SSN. If a CARS claim is outstanding and the application is determined eligible for EA, the calculated EA benefit will be reduced by the amount of the claim. The amount of the current year’s benefit that was recouped for the pre-existing CARS claim will display on the E1LW screen. If the CARS amount is equal to or greater than the EA benefit, the “EA Benefits” field will display $0.00 and:  A direct payment will not be generated to the applicant; or  The applicant’s name will not appear on the CEL sent to the supplier. If the CARS amount is less than the EA benefit, the difference between the two will be:  Sent to the applicant as a direct payment; or  Will appear on the CEL sent to the supplier. The E1MM screen will also indicate a “Y” in the CARS-Recoup field to indicate which member(s) CARS claim the recouped money was applied to. CARS Claim for EA Benefits When an agency determines a household has received EA benefits in excess of the amount the household was eligible to receive, the agency will initiate a CARS claim against the household to recover the overpayment. The overpayment threshold to initiate a CARS claim is $70 or greater. A CARS claim will not be filed for an overpayment less than $70. DLS or FSD may choose not to pursue legal remedies to recover overpayments less than $500. To initiate a CARS claim, the agency will compile an original CARS claim packet and one copy. Each packet should include:  Energy Assistance Claims and Restitution (LIHEAP-8) form (original to be included in original CARS claim packet).  Copy of the household’s LIHEAP application (LIHEAP-1) (front and back); and  Documentation supporting the overpayment. The agency will submit the original CARS claim packet to the LIHEAP team and maintain a copy for its files.