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VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT

OF SOCIAL SERVICES ENERGY ASSISTANCE

11/13 VOLUME X, CHAPTER A, PAGE 1

1. LEGAL BASE

The Virginia Energy Assistance Program (EAP) was established in accordance with the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act (LIHEAP) of 1981 (Title XXVI of Public Law 97-35) and Title III of the Human Services Amendments of 1994 (Public Law 103-252) and amendments which authorize grants to states to assist eligible households to meet the costs of home energy. The Act also established a Leveraging Incentive Program

The State Department of Social Services (VDSS) has been designated to administer the EAP in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Most determinations of eligibility will be made by the VDSS computer for all components of the EAP. Virginia EAP regulations can be found on the internet at http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?000+reg+22VAC40-680.

2. PURPOSE OF PROGRAM

The EAP consists of three components: Fuel Assistance, Crisis Assistance and Cooling Assistance. The Program purpose is federally defined.

The federally defined purpose of the Fuel Assistance Component is to assist low-income households, particularly those with the lowest incomes, which pay a high proportion of household income for home energy, primarily in meeting their immediate home energy needs. The benefit is not intended to meet the household's total home energy cost during the heating season.

The purpose of the Crisis Assistance Component is to assist households with energy related emergencies that cannot be met by Fuel Assistance or other resources.

The purpose of the Cooling Assistance Component is to assist households in acquiring or repairing cooling equipment or payment of electric bills to operate cooling equipment.

Assistance for all components will be provided through vendor payments or direct payments to eligible households. Benefits received through the EAP will not be counted as income in determining Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), public assistance, or Medicaid eligibility.

3. OUTREACH AND PUBLIC INFORMATION

The provision of outreach services and the dissemination of public information are required by federal law. The state department of social services (VDSS) and the local departments of social services (LDSS) partner to fulfill this responsibility. Outreach services and public information provided may include the distribution of new releases, the publicizing of websites and public service announcements, the distribution of informational brochures, fact sheets, posters, and a referral to a toll-free assistance line, government entity or community based organization. An eligibility screening tool is available to the public on the internet https://commonhelp.virginia.gov/access/.

The availability of EAP public information at the state and local level will increase program visibility and public access across the state. TRANSMITTAL #13-1