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Nevada Division of Welfare and Supportive Services Energy Assistance Program Manual The AR must be 18 years of age or older, act responsibly on behalf of the applicant and be in a position to represent the best interests of the household.

An AR is informed of the household circumstances and receives all requests for information and notices. They hold the same responsibility as the applicant in securing information for determining eligibility and reporting changes. The AR is the only one authorized to sign on behalf of the applicant. ARs have the same access to case information as the applicant. Only one active AR will be recognized on a case. Designation of an AR is limited to the current certification period. The applicant may terminate the authorization in writing at any time prior to the end of the certification period. NOTE: If the AR is a DWSS employee, they must declare the relationship to management staff immediately and access to the applicant’s case must be secured (e.g., case file locked up, etc.). A. Abuse by an Authorized Representative An AR may be disqualified from representing an EAP household if evidence shows they misrepresented a household’s circumstances and/or knowingly provided misleading, incomplete or false information pertaining to the household. The applicant and/or AR may be liable for any overpayment resulting from inaccurate information provided by the AR. 209 ELIGIBILITY FACTORS The following eligibility factors must be evaluated prior to the approval of benefits: I. Citizenship – Refer to MS 300 II. Nevada Residency – Refer to MS 400 III. Household Composition – Refer to MS 1001 IV. Identification – Refer to MS 300 V. Social Security Number (SSN) – Refer to MS 511 VI. Energy Usage – Refer to MS 507 VII. Income – Refer to MS 700 210 VERIFICATION

Verification is the actual proof of certain eligibility or benefit calculation factors, such as income, residency, etc. needed to determine benefits. When verification is not available to the case manager through an electronic source or collateral contact, households are responsible for furnishing verification. Verification of all program eligibility requirements must be secured prior to the authorization and issuance of benefits. MTL 01/24 June 25, 2024 - 5 - Section 200 – Application Processing