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 HHS Poverty Guidelines 150.00% 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 defined individually by each sub-grantee and approved by the Department of Commerce at the beginning of each program year when sub-grantees apply to provide LIHEAP services. Definitions range from sub-grantee to sub-grantee, from a shutoff notice or less than a 10- day supply of fuel to being shut off or without fuel. If a client has a “medical necessity” noted on their utility account and they heat with electric or gas, they become eligible for an emergency appointment the moment they receive a past-due notice from the utility. Different utilities use different terminology for this, but it’s essentially the same thing. We consider the “medical necessity” notation on their utility account to be the “life-threatening” aspect of it because if they have that designation on their account, there are things they have already documented for the utility company to verify they would have a life- threatening situation if they lost their power. 4.3 What constitutes a life-threatening crisis? In general, if a client provides proof of their medical condition(s) that requires a heat source to mitigate potential health risks, then they are considered as having a life-threatening condition. Eligible households faced with a life-threatening energy crisis, must have the crisis relieved within 18 hours of a completed application. 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): 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: Documentation is required to verify that the applicant is experiencing an energy crisis. The contractor will include in the applicant's file, as applicable: • A copy of the disconnection notice or bill, or a notation of a telephone call to the vendor that verifies the same. • Documentation stating the applicant is on a budget and/or average payment plan. • A copy of the notice or bill that indicates that the applicant is in jeopardy of being terminated from a budget and/or average payment plan. • A letter from the vendor, or a file notation of a phone call with the vendor that verifies when the applicant could be removed from the budget or average payment plan. (For example, a vendor may indicate that the applicant will be terminated from a budget payment plan after non- payment of the second billing for the same period.) • A signed statement by the applicant that they have less than a ten-day supply of oil, wood, or propane and insufficient funds to re-order; or if feasible, written verification from a vendor that the applicant has a fuel supply of ten days or less. 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: 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. Sub-recipients have the option to allow mail-in, faxed, and/or emailed application submittals for homebound clients or households that reside in outlying areas. Most sub-recipients that serve multiple and/or larger counties in the state provided multiple locations for households to access LIHEAP services. 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. Our agencies have team/intake staff travel to the customer’s location if needed 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 $0.00 maximum benefit Summer Crisis $0.00 maximum benefit Year-round Crisis $13,000.00 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 Households in crisis situations may be eligible for Other Emergency Services (OES) depending on the household’s situation and needs. Some of the allowable benefits include providing in-kind items such as blankets, space heaters, air conditioners, fans, and other emergency supplies. Our year-round crisis program can provide Other Emergency Services (OES) in the form of deposits either to restore or establish power, back bill assistance to help avoid disconnections and restore power after disconnection, and propane tank set and rental. If funding allows, we will provide a supplemental benefit to households during the months of July, August, and September. 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 lien for charges for service by a city waterworks, or electric light or power plant may be enforced only by cutting off the service until the delinquent and unpaid charges are paid, except that until June 30, 1991, utility service for residential space heating may be terminated between November 15 and March 15 only as provided in subsections (2) and (4) of this section. In the event of a disputed account and tender by the owner of the premises of the amount the owner claims to be due before the service is cut off, the right to refuse service to any premises shall not accrue until suit has been entered by the city and judgment entered in the case. 1. Utility service for residential space heating shall not be terminated between November 15 through March 15 if the customer: 2. Notifies the utility of the inability to pay the bill, including a security deposit. This notice should be provided within five business days of receiving a payment overdue notice unless there are extenuating circumstances. If the customer fails to notify the utility within five business days and service is terminated, the customer can, by paying reconnection charges, if any, and fulfilling the requirements of this section, receive the protections of this chapter; • Provides self-certification of household income for the prior twelve months to a grantee of the department of community, trade, and economic development which administers federally funded energy assistance programs. The grantee shall determine that the household income does not exceed the maximum allowed for eligibility under the state's plan for low-income energy assistance under 42 U.S.C. 8624 and shall provide a dollar figure that is seven percent of household income. The grantee may verify information in the self-certification; • Has applied for home heating assistance from applicable government and private sector organizations and certifies that any assistance received will be applied to the current bill and future utility bills; • Has applied for low-income weatherization assistance to the utility or other appropriate agency if such assistance is available for the dwelling; • Agrees to a payment plan and agrees to maintain the payment plan. The plan will be designed both to pay the past due bill by the following October 15 and to pay for continued utility service. If the past due bill is not paid by the following October 15, the customer shall not be eligible • for protections under this chapter until the past due bill is paid. The plan shall not require monthly payments in excess of seven percent of the customer's monthly income plus one-twelfth of any arrear-age accrued from the date application is made and thereafter during November 15 through March 15. A customer may agree to pay a higher percentage during this period, but shall not be in default unless payment during this period is less than seven percent of monthly income plus one-twelfth of any arrear-age accrued from the date application is made and thereafter. If assistance payments are received by the customer subsequent to implementation of the plan, the customer shall contact the utility to reformulate the plan; and Agrees to pay the moneys owed even if they move. • The utility shall: 1. Include in any notice that an account is delinquent and that service may be subject to termination, a description of the customer's duties in this section; • Assist the customer in fulfilling the requirements under this section; • Be authorized to transfer an account to a new residence when a customer who has established a plan under this section moves from one residence to another within the same utility service area; • Be permitted to disconnect service if the customer fails to honor the payment program. Utilities may continue to disconnect service for those practices authorized by law other than for nonpayment as provided for in this section. Customers who qualify for payment plans under this section who default on their payment plans and are disconnected can be reconnected and maintain the protections afforded under this chapter by paying reconnection charges, if any, and by paying all amounts that would have been due and owing under the terms of the applicable payment plan, absent default, on the date on which service is reconnected; and • Advise the customer in writing at the time it disconnects service that it will restore service if the customer contacts the utility and fulfills the other requirements of this section. • All municipal utilities shall offer residential customers the option of a budget billing or equal payment plan. The budget billing or equal payment plan shall be offered low-income customers eligible under the state's plan for low-income energy assistance prepared in accordance with 42 U.S.C. 8624(C)(1) without limiting availability to certain months of the year, without regard to the length of time the customer has occupied the premises, and without regard to whether the customer is the tenant or owner of the premises occupied. • An agreement between the customer and the utility, whether oral or written, shall not waive the protections afforded under this chapter. 1. [1995 c 399 § 36; 1991 c 165 § 2; 1990 1st ex.s. c 1 § 1; 1987 c 356 § 1; 1986 c 245 § 1; 1985 c 6 § 3; 1984 c 251 § 1; 1965 c 7 § 35.21. 300. Prior: 1909 c 161 § 2; RRS § 9472.] NOTES: Findings -- 1991 c 165: "The legislature finds that the health and welfare of the people of the state of Washington require that all citizens receive essential levels of heat and electric service regardless of economic circumstance and that rising energy costs have had a negative effect on the afford-ability of housing for low-income citizens and have made it difficult for low-income citizens of the state to afford adequate fuel for residential space heat. The legislature further finds that level payment plans, the protection against winter heating shutoff, and house weatherization programs have all been beneficial to low-income persons." [1991 c 165 § 1.] Summer Moratorium Prohibits involuntarily terminating water or electric service to any residential user during days for which the National Weather Service has issued certain heat-related alerts. Requires utilities to promptly make a reasonable attempt to reconnect service to a dwelling upon receipt of a request to reconnect utility service for a day in which the National Weather Service has issued certain heat-related alerts. Authorizes, in connection with a request to reconnect service for a day for which a heat alert has been issued, to require the residential user to enter into a payment plan prior to reconnecting service to the dwelling. Prohibition on Utility Termination During High-Temperature Periods Applies to: Utilities Regulated by the Utilities and Transportation Commission. Publicly-owned Utilities. Residential Landlord Tenant Act and Manufactured and Mobile Home Act. Repayment plans are at the discretion of the utility and/or landlord A repayment plan required by a utility will be designed both to pay the past due bill by the following May 15, or as soon as possible after May 15 if needed to maintain monthly payments that are no greater than 6 percent of the customer's monthly income, and to pay for continued utility service; The plan may not require monthly payments in excess of 6 percent of the customer's monthly income; A customer may agree to pay a higher percentage during this period, but will not be in default unless payment during this period is less than 6 percent of the customer's monthly income; and If assistance payments are received by the customer subsequent to the implementation of the plan, the customer must contact the utility to reformulate the plan. 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 Policy 1.4.3: LIHEAP Disaster Relief The Washington State Department of Commerce may decide at its option to use LIHEAPfunding for disaster relief based on federal LIHEAP regulations found at 45 C.F.R. §96.50(e),and based on the LIHEAP Q & As on Disaster Relief Special Topics Brief, published July 15,2010, updated September 2022. When the Governor declares a Disaster, if impacted by the disaster, such as a tsunami, flooding,tornado, fire, or other natural disasters. etc. , a LIHEAP contracted Community Action Agency inthe disaster-affected area may request approval to exercise LIHEAP Disaster Relief flexibilities. Allowable uses of LIHEAP funds to deal with crises, particularly with respect to assistancefor home energy related needs resulting from a natural disaster include: • Costs to temporarily shelter or house individuals in hotels, apartments or other living situations in which homes have been destroyed or damaged, i.e., placing people in settings to preserve health and safety and to move them away from the crisis. • Costs for transportation (such as cars, shuttles, buses) to move individuals away from the crisis area to shelters, when health and safety is endangered by loss of access to heating or cooling. • Utility reconnection costs • Repair or replacement cost for furnaces and air conditioners. • Insulation repair. • Coats and blankets, as tangible benefits to keep individuals warm. • Crisis payments for utilities and utility deposits • Purchase and installation of fans and air conditioners • Purchase and installation of generators 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.