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 State Median Income 60.00% 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 crisis is found to exist in households that are at imminent risk of losing home heating because they have nearly exhausted their current supply of primary heating fuel or have received a shutoff notice from their natural gas or electricity company, and the company either provides metered service for their primary heating source, or supplies service to a necessary component of their primary home heating equipment. Criteria for determining the existence of a home heating crisis include, but are not limited to, the following circumstances: (1) the household’s primary heating fuel tank is at 25% or less of its full capacity; (2) there is one week’s supply or less of fuel for households whose primary heating sources include firewood, wood pellets, or coal; (3) the household has received a disconnect notice for a metered utility, and the utility is responsible for either providing the household’s primary fuel source, or for operation of a necessary component of the household’sprimary home heating equipment. 4.3 What constitutes a life-threatening crisis? A life-threatening crisis is any medical condition (physical, cognitive, or other) that requires a member of the fuel household to remain in the home and not be temporarily relocated to an alternate residence (such as another home belonging to family or friends, a commercial lodging establishment, or a residential shelter). The medical condition must be documented in writing (a letter or an email written within 30 days of the crisis fuel application) by a Vermont-licensed medical practitioner who is knowledgeable about the household member's condition.Services to resolve the home heating crisis must be completed within 18 hours of the household being determined eligible. If necessary, a benefit to pay for the special trip, start-up, or similar charges may be included in the crisis fuel grant. 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): Fuel tank needs repair or replacement in order to safely fill 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: Priority: If the head of household is elderly or disabled or if the household has transportation issues, they are allowed to apply for crisis assistance by phone, and not come into the office. All required paperwork is done by mail. If the households has atleast one member who is a member of a "Vulnerable Populations" meaning is age 60 or older, is under the age of 6, or is in recipt of federal disability, they can call the Afterhours Crisis Fuel Assistance Hotline on Weekends and Holidays only from 8:30 AM- 4 PM. The Crisis Fuel Program started the last Monday and in November. This componet of the program operates the first Saturday after the Crisis Fuel Program as began. Afterhours Furnace Repair and Replacement begins when the Crisis Fuel runs the last Monday in November and runs through the end of April (5 Months). It serves households that have a no heat due to the furnace, heating failure or Malfunction, or unsafe heating system operation. This program does not require that the household have a “vulnerable” household member. This program does not accept “out of fuel” calls. It operates 7 days a week from 5 PM- 10 PM and also on weekend and Holidays from 8:30 AM- 4 PM. All required paperwork is done by mail for the elderly, and disabled, or young children. They also have the option to go into the Office to complete the needed paperwork. 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: The Department for Children & Families' "Economic Services Division" (ESD) processes eligibility year-round for seasonal fuel assistance benefits. ESD's Office of Fuel & Utility Programs maintains Crisis Fuel grant agreements with the state's five Community Action Agencies (CAA) to operate this component of the program from the last Monday in November to the last business day in April, or until funds are exhausted. Those 5 CAA are BROC Community Action, Capstone Community Action, Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity, Northeast Kingdom Community Action,and Southeastern Vermont Community Action) While the crisis benefit given is intended, at a minimum, to alleviate the immediate heating crisis, there are limitations and guidelines on the amount of benefit to be distributed per crisis assist. They are:For oil, kerosene and propane: 125 gallons (NOTE: 24-25 Margin Over Rack price per gallon averaged $3.00. (With Kerosene averaged $3.78 per gallon, Oil averaged $3.21 per gallon, and Propane averaged $2.01 per gallon) For firewood: They can provide one cord and for For coal and pellets: They can provide one ton. For metered service (Electric or Natural Gas) to run a heating system: sufficient payment to the company to maintain service for one month. 4.9 If you have a separate component, how do you determine crisis assistance benefits? Amount to resolve the crisis. $0 Other - Describe: 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. The five Community Action Agencies operate 19 separate offices that are geographically accessible to all households where crisis fuel application intakes are performed. By comparison, the Economic Services Division operates 12 district offices. 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? Benefit Levels, 2605(c)(1)(B) 4.12 Indicate the maximum benefit for each type of crisis assistance offered. Winter Crisis $2,479.64 maximum benefit Summer Crisis $0.00 maximum benefit Year-round Crisis $0.00 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 Space heaters and or "canning" can be provided by the Community Action Agencies to divert a heating crisis until a fuel delivery can be completed. Canning is where an agency provides a 5 gallon can and authroization to fill it with either #2 heating oil or Kerosene that the participant can put in their heating tank to hold them over until a full delivery can be made. 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. The Vermont Public Service Board's Rule 3.300 "Disconnection of Residential Gas, Electric and Water Service" established detailed rules that utility vendors must comply with year-round for shut offs. The full Rule 3.300 is available on-line at: Commission Rule 3.300 - Disconnection of Essential Service | Public Utility Commission (vermont.gov) Disconnection of Residential Gas, Electric, and Water Service (vermont.gov) 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.