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 All Household Sizes State Median Income 60.00% 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. Crisis Assistance is deemed necessary when a household is in danger of running out of fuel or where a client receives a shutoff notice from their utility company. This crisis must be resolved within 48 hours. 4.3 What constitutes a life-threatening crisis? A life threatening crisis would be a situation where a resident is at the risk of having their services shut off, especially where they have elderly people and/or young children in the household. This type of crisis must be addressed within 18 hours. 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): 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): 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: Crisis situation requires a shut off notice. For the vulnerable populations (the elderly, disabled and families with young children), their applications are processed immediately after they are submitted, and the Program reaches out to the utility company (sometimes through the Board of Public Utilities) to suspend shut off activities to allow for processing and issuances of benefits, ensuring that their utility services are not disrupted. Determination of Benefits4.8 How do you handle crisis situations?Separate component 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: Once a client makes a request for crisis assistance, the Agency will verify that a LIHEAP application has been processed. The Agency will then call the utility company/vendor to verify the emergency, determine the client's vulnerability, and then issue the proper emergency benefits. If the client has not received a regular benefit before the crisis, regular benefits are processed at the same time and issued during the next credit or check run, provided they are eligible for assistance. Where a client with a shut off notice is deemed not eligible, due to income being above the SMI or utility accounts not in their names, they are referred to other programs available in the State such as NJ Shares Smart Utilities Program and PAGE (Payment Assistance for Gas and Electric) that can assist them. 4.9 If you have a separate component, how do you determine crisis assistance benefits? Amount to resolve the crisis. $0 Other - Describe: Depending on the availability of funds the program isues up to a maximum of $800.00 as a Crisis Benefit. Depending on the availability of funds emergency heating system repairs will be performed for up to a maximum cost of up to $2,000.00. 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. 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. Travel to the sites at which applications for crisis assistance are accepted? Yes No If No, explain. Agency staff are mandated to perform home visit to take applications from residents who are disabled and/or homebound. 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? Agencies are mandated to perform home visits to assist disabled and/or homebound residents complete their applications. Benefit Levels, 2605(c)(1)(B) 4.12 Indicate the maximum benefit for each type of crisis assistance offered. Winter Crisis $800.00 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): 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. The Moratorium protects the following specific categories of clients from having their utilities shut off between November 15 through March 15 - TANF, SNAP, LIHEAP, PAAD, USF. The Program also assists clients who can establish economic hardship, and are placed on the FreshStart Program by their utility companies. There is also a Winter Termination Program, due to a legislation by the New Jersey Legislation, that protects all residents who request for protection from their utility companies from service (gas and electric) termination from November 15 through March 15 of the following year. 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.