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Vermont Department for Children and Families Crisis Fuel Assistance Rules Economic Services Division 3112 Crisis Fuel Notice and Appeal Rights
3112 Crisis Fuel Notice and Appeal Rights (06/22/2024, 23-20)
a. When issuing a decision or taking an action affecting an applicant or a household’s benefits, the crisis fuel worker must provide written notice to the applicant or household of their right to appeal the decision or action.
1. The notice shall inform applicants and households of how and when to appeal.
2. An applicant or household, that is aggrieved by any action or inaction of a crisis fuel worker, is referred to in this rule 3112 as an “Appellant.”
b. An Appellant may request the Director of the Community Action Agency, where the crisis fuel application was submitted, to review the crisis fuel worker’s action or inaction.
1. An Appellant that wants a Director’s review must notify the Community Action Agency within two business days of the crisis fuel worker’s action or decision.
2. If the Community Action Agency has not acted on a crisis fuel application within one business day after the application was submitted, the Appellant must request an immediate review within three business days after the application was submitted.
3. A Director is not required to review a crisis fuel worker’s action or inaction if the Appellant does not request a review within the times provided in this subsection (b).
c. If an Appellant timely requests a Director’s review, the review must proceed as follows:
1. The Community Action Agency’s Director may have a designee conduct the review, so long as the designee is the not the crisis fuel worker who acted on or failed to act on the application.
2. A Director’s (or designee’s) review is intended to be an informal process conducted by the Community Action Agency in any manner that is not inconsistent with the law or these Crisis Fuel Assistance Rules.
3. An Appellant may have another person assist them during the review.
4. The Director or designee must listen to the Appellant and examine the Appellant’s application and case file.