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ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS

Section One: Application Process Intake, Operations & Policy Manual

Program Year 2026 16 ➢ “Payee” or “Power of Attorney” Arrangement ➢ Incarcerated Account Holder 43. Account Status: Enter the status of the account for each account. 44. Authorized Amount: The calculated energy assistance benefit amount for the household. (See Benefit Matrix in Section Five.) 45. Vendor Amount: The benefit amount committed and paid to each vendor. 46. Payment Comment Box: This section must be used to describe special circumstances. This includes, but is not limited to: • Direct Payments • Reason for denial or void • Justification for Crisis Payment or Combo payment • Justification for Crisis Benefit Amount (particularly when the benefit exceeds documented need or may result in a credit on a utility/vendor account). 47. Direct Pay (For LIHEAP only.): Used when the applicant household is receiving all or part of the LIHEAP benefit amount. Insert the authorized amount to be paid directly to the client. In general, agencies are encouraged to make payments to the utility or fuel vendor wherever possible. If a direct payment is made, the comment box must include the reason the authorized amount is being paid directly to the client. For more information, please see Section Three. 48. Matrix Energy Type: Enter the energy source type of payment if energy assistance benefit was applied to alternate energy source. 49. Program Type: Select the appropriate program type. 50. Approved/Denied: Mark approved or denied box. 51. Signatures/Verbal Signatures: The applicant signs and dates the application after they have reviewed the information and have read the applicant disclaimer. The intake worker then signs and dates the application; a copy of the application must be provided to the client upon request. Verbal Signatures: Verbal signatures are allowable for either phone intakes or circumstances where obtaining a traditional original signature is either not