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ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS

Section One: Application Process Intake, Operations & Policy Manual Program Year 2026 24 Distribution of Authorization Copies Once the applicant and intake worker have signed the energy assistance application, the authorization form is now complete and ready to be turned in for approval, data entry and payment. Intake and application processes may vary across agencies; staff should verify policies and procedures with their local energy assistance coordinator. The Original document must be maintained for agency records and should also be the document used for data entry. After the information from the form is entered into OPUS, it should be kept as part of an official agency file. It is not necessary to maintain separate number and alpha files. All official program files must comply with standard records management principles. There must be a date recorded on all authorizations for audit purposes. The Original document should be kept in the sub-grantee or sub-recipient’s official program files. All documentation used to establish household eligibility must be attached. The file should contain all copies of correspondence pertaining to the application and should be considered as the official program file. Upon request, the Client Copy must be given to the client to retain for future reference. In accordance with the Federal LIHEAP Statute, the Oregon LIHEAP State Plan indicates that: “Households are notified regarding the amount of assistance committed at the time of their intake. Applicants who apply by mail will receive a notice by mail or may be notified by telephone.” Each agency must have a process in place to assure compliance with this program guideline. Staff should verify policies and procedures with their local agency. Completed Files A completed file must have the following: • File is defined as an original application with all supporting documentation for a single payment, from a single funding source including original signatures. “Signature-on-file” is not acceptable. • The completed application and OPUS must match. 1. The file must contain one of the following with all required signatures and dates in addition to the current program year disclaimer: