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Vermont Department for Children and Families Seasonal Fuel Assistance Rules Economic Services Division 2908 Verification
2908 Verification (06/22/2024, 23-18)
a. When the Department has reason to question the eligibility of a household for benefits, the Department may require the household to provide additional evidence to verify one or more eligibility factors.
1. If the Department requires a household to provide additional evidence to verify an eligibility factor, the Department must notify the head of household.
2. If the Department provides a head of household with a written notice requiring additional evidence to verify an eligibility factor, the household must provide sufficient evidence to the Department no later than ten days after the date of the written notice.
3. If the Department does not receive sufficient evidence within ten days after the date of the written notice, the Department must deny the application or close the case.
4. If a household provides the Department with sufficient evidence to verify the eligibility of a household after the application is denied, but within 30 days of the date after the application is received, the Department must reprocess the application using the date the application was initially received by the Department.
5. If a household provides the Department with evidence after the application is denied, and more than 30 days after the date the application is received, the head of household must submit a new application for fuel assistance.
b. The head of household shall be primarily responsible for providing verification.
1. With the household’s consent, the Department must assist in the verification process if the household is unable to obtain the required evidence.
c. The Department must verify all sources of household income, and a person’s self-declaration of income, by itself, shall not be an acceptable method of verification.
1. Notwithstanding this subsection (c) of this rule, if the Department is unable to verify self- employment income because a business has been in operation for less than one year and has not filed income tax forms, then the household member must provide: