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 HHS Poverty Guidelines 130.00% 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. A utility crisis exists when a households: • services is disconnected, • • provides information regarding a new connection fee, • • has a verified active cut-off order, • • receives a refusal notice to provide fuel, • • has a prepaid account with less than $25 minimum balance, • • enters into a payment plan with the supplier to prevent service cut-off. • In the event of limited funding priority is given to cutoff notices within 72 hours and households that contain at least one member who is 60 years or older, blind, disabled, or a child under five years of age. 4.3 What constitutes a life-threatening crisis? A life-threatening crisis exists when a member of the household has medical equipment verified by a licensed health care professional that would be life threating without the availability of the energy source. This can include: • using life sustaining medical equipment in the home or medication that requires refrigeration such as insulin. • A life-threatening situation exists during extreme temperatures when a household's utility responsible for summer cooling or winter heating is in crisis. Extreme temperature is a heat index of at least 101 degrees Fahrenheit or higher; or 32 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. Life-threatening referrals are accepted year-round by telephone. Information about the program and the call in number is provided on the OKDHSLive application, OKDHSLive and OKDHS.org websites. 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: Oklahoma does not use resources (assets) to determine eligibility for energy assistance. Renters with utilities included in rent, and renters in subsidized housing receive the same benefit amount as homeowners. Renters in subsidized housing must be responsible for at least a portion of cooling/heating utility in order to be considered vulnerable. Renters with utilities included in rent must verify that a specific portion of the rent is for utilities or be charged a surcharge during high usage months to be considered vulnerable. In addition to the crisis open enrollment period, OKDHS offers a year-round crisis program to households with a member that has medical equipment that would be life threatening without the use of the utility and during extreme temperatures when a household's utility responsible for summer cooling or winter heating is in crisis. The program is available by telephone referral, information about the program and the call-in number is provided on the OKDHSLive application, OKDHSLive and OKDHS.org websites. The energy crisis is established in the same manner as our regular crisis open enrollment period. The household must provide medical documentation from a licensed healthcare professional to establish the medical equipment crisis. 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: In addition to the crisis open enrollment period, OKDHS offers a year-round crisis program to households with a member that has a medical equipment that would be life threatening without the use of the utility and during extreme temperatures when a household's utility responsible for summer cooling or winter heating is in crisis. The program is available by telephone referral, information about the program and the call-in number is provided on the OKDHSLive application, OKDHSLive and OKDHS.org websites. The energy crisis is established in the same manner as our regular crisis open enrollment period. The household must provide medical documentation from a licensed healthcare professional to establish the medical equipment crisis. 4.9 If you have a separate component, how do you determine crisis assistance benefits? Amount to resolve the crisis. $0 Other - Describe: The crisis benefit is the minimum amount to resolve the crisis for one month up to the maximum payment of $750 each federal fiscal year. If the amount due to resolve the crisis exceeds the maximum crisis payment allowed, the household must provide a feasible plan to pay the difference in order to be approved for the crisis payment. 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. During open enrollment crisis applications can be submitted online, mail, fax, or phone during business hours. Households can apply for crisis assistance at any of the offices throughout state. Life threatening crisis program does not require an application. Referrals for the program are accepted by telephone year-round. A licensed health care professional must verify the medical equipment is lifesaving. 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. 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? During open enrollment, crisis applications can be submitted online, mail, fax, or phone during business hours. Staff utilize the services available to assist homebound or disabled household apply for benefits such as translation services, in-home visit, or proxy an application over the phone. Life threatening crisis program does not require an application. Referrals for the program are accepted by telephone year-round. A licensed health care professional must verify the medical equipment is lifesaving. Life threatening is a fast track to provide special assistance for those that meet the life-threatening medical equipment or extreme temperature requirement and have an energy crisis. Benefit Levels, 2605(c)(1)(B) 4.12 Indicate the maximum benefit for each type of crisis assistance offered. Winter Crisis $0.00 maximum benefit Summer Crisis $0.00 maximum benefit Year-round Crisis $750.00 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. Regulated utilities in Oklahoma have a moratorium based on severe weather. If the high temperature is or predicted to be at least 32 degrees or below on the day of disconnection or the nighttime low is predicted to be 20 degrees or less, the utility will suspend disconnection of service if the gas service is used for heating purposes. If the temperature is or predicted to be 101 degrees heat index or higher on the day of disconnection, the utility will suspend disconnection. One of the largest electric companies has a slightly lower temperature threshold for summer disconnections. They also do not disconnect if the predicted or actual high is 32 degrees or below or nighttime is or is predicted to be 20 degrees or below. 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.