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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

Applications - Receipt of 415-15-05-25 (Revised 10/1/2021 ML #3625) View Archives

The county social service office shall provide application forms to any individual, agency, fuel vendor, etc., who may wish to distribute and assist a potential applicant in completing the form. ALL applications MUST be received by the county social service board, however, and reviewed for eligibility. NO OTHER agency may make any decision regarding eligibility or the level of benefits.

Application may be received, filed and maintained at any HSZ within the state, based on what is most convenient for the applicant or recipient.

NOTE: When a household applies for fuel assistance and is income-eligible for prior months when they were living in a different county (in the early months of the same fuel season), the current county will complete the eligibility process. The eligibility will be based on the cost of heating at the time of the application.

Example: Household lived in Burleigh County from October through December and did not apply for fuel assistance. The household moved to Morton County in January and applied for fuel assistance. The Morton County LIHEAP staff will determine eligibility that includes October through December. The LIHEAP Share percentage will be based on the household's current income and estimated cost of heating and will be applied to prior months in which eligibility exists.

Face-to-face interviews shall not be required unless factors affecting eligibility cannot be clarified by telephone or mail. Circumstances which may indicate the need for a face-to-face interview include: 1. An applicant has a history of misrepresentation; 2. An applicant has difficulty understanding written communication; 3. The application has discrepancies or complex resource information which cannot be resolved by telephone or mail; and