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2026 - 2027 I PY27 NH Fuel Assistance Program (FAP) Procedures Manual 58 14. BENEFIT REFUNDS

Each program year, all deliverable fuel and utility vendors are sent a new Vendor Agreement. This Vendor Agreement includes stipulations regarding when FAP benefit funds must be refunded. These benefit refunds, also known as benefit returns, are then deposited into the CAA FAP account to be reissued or returned to the NH DOE.

Refunds from Vendors to CAA

If an account is closed with FAP benefit funds remaining, the participating vendor must return the funds to the CAA within 30 calendar days. It is not the intent that the customer should be reimbursed by the vendor. However, a customer closing an account may be reimbursed for a previously paid bill with approval from the CAA once it is verified that it is the customer funds, not FAP funds, that are being reimbursed.

For all benefits returned the vendor must identify the household name, case number and program year, and the reason the funds are being returned. The program year listed should be the program year when the benefits were awarded. For example, if a benefit was returned to a CAA in January 2026 (PY 2025-26) but was initially paid to a vendor in January 2025 (PY 2024- 25), the correct program year is PY 2024-25. This is important as benefits are governed by different rules during the active contract timeline versus after the CAA contract expiration.

Refunds received during Program Year Active Contract Period

When a benefit is returned from the vendor to a CAA, the funds should be deposited into the CAA’s designated FAP bank account. The benefit return should be logged in the ECOS software and, whenever possible, the remaining funds should be credited back to the eligible household. Any refunds received by the CAA but not reissued should still be logged into ECOS. If the funds are for a program year that is still under an active contract, the funds remain available to the CAA. Since FAP contracts are active for two years, this will include the current program year and the program year immediately prior. The refunds will be tracked in ECOS and balanced through the weekly reimbursement process.

Benefits should be reissued to all households who remain eligible. If CAAs have a refund that should be reissued to a household, CAA staff should use all contact information on file to contact the household. The staff should document the outreach attempts in the case notes. If CAAs have attempted to communicate with the applicant with the contact information on file and there is no response after 45 days, the CAA can consider the benefit forfeited. If the full benefit amount was returned, but there is no response from the applicant after 45 days, the