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Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program Division 10 Service 415 Program 415 Chapters 05 - 65 North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services

Deadlines for Processing 415-15-05-15 (Revised 10/1/2023 ML #3750) View Archives

The date of application (Application Received Date in SPACES) is the date the Human Service Zone (HSZ) receives a signed Application for Assistance provided the application was submitted during normal North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services business hours. When an application is submitted after normal business hours, on a weekend, or on a North Dakota Department of Health and Human Service holiday, the application is considered received the next business day. The HSZ must document the date an application is filed by recording the date it was received on the application. The processing timeframe begins the day following the date of application.

NOTE: If the application is signed but not dated, the date stamp (date received in county) will be considered as the date the application was signed.

Applications from fixed-income households that arrive before October 1 will be considered to have been received on October 1. Although the application received date is prior to October 1, the worker will have 45 days from October 1 to process the application.

NOTE: The first calendar day following receipt of the signed application is Day 1 of the 45 day processing timeframe.

Additional time may be allowed due to an extenuating circumstance. An extenuating circumstance may be determined by the eligibility worker, but reason for the extenuating circumstance must be documented in the case file.

If the application is incomplete, every attempt must be made by the HSZ board to help the household obtain the necessary information to ensure prompt processing.