12 Fair Hearings,2605(b)(13) - Assurance 13

12.1 How many fair hearings did the Grant recipient have in the prior federal Fiscal Year? 0 12.2 How many of those fair hearings resulted in the initial decision being reversed? 0 12.3 Describe any policy and/or procedural changes made in the last federal Fiscal Year as a result of fair hearings? N/A 12.4 Describe your fair hearing procedures for households whose applications are denied and/or not acted upon in a timely manner. Except for emergencies, all non-emergency applications must be processed within 10 business days from the applicant's date of submission. LIHEAP crisis assistance must be expedited, and eligible households receive assistance within 18 to 48 hours upon the receipt of all required documents necessary for application. Individuals whose applications are not acted upon within the established timeframes may appeal at the agency and state level. Applicants should first file a written appeal with the Community Action Agency in which he/she applied for service(s), requesting a formal hearing within 30 calendar days of the agency’s Notice of Denial of Assistance/Services.•If the appeal is denied at the Community Action Agency, the applicant may file a written appeal to the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) within 20 calendar days of the agency’s notification of their hearing decision. The written appeal shall be submitted to:• Attention: Legal Counsel, the South Carolina Department of Administration Office of Economic Opportunity, 1205 Pendleton Street, Suite 366, Columbia, SC 29201. If the appeal is further denied by OEO, the applicant may file a written appeal within 20 calendar days of the applicant’s receipt of OEO’s written hearing decision. The Department of Administration’s Chief Legal Counsel will select a Hearings Officer to conduct the hearing within 30 days of receipt of the letter of appeal, utilizing the informal disposition procedures outlined in S.C. Code §§ 1-23-310 to 1-23-400 of the S.C. Administrative Procedures Act. •The funds or services in question must be obligated (set aside) until a final decision is reached. If the applicant is successful, the funds or services will be provided to the applicant. If the applicant is unsuccessful, funds are to be reverted to Client Assistance and made available to eligible participants. OEO will also provide training and technical assistance to agencies whose applications fail to be processed in a timely manner. OEO verifies applications are processed in a timely manner during monitoring. 12.5 When and how are applicants informed of these rights? An Appeal and Fair Hearing notice must be posted in the lobbies and at intake sites where LIHEAP applications are taken. The notice outlines the escalation process for appeals, beginning with the serving agency. Applicants are also informed of their right to appeal on the statewide application, the customer's commitment voucher, and OEO website. 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.