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PY26 WHEAP Manual
11 Revised: August 2025 DTM Acronym for Desktop Monitoring.
dwelling unit A structure, including a stationary mobile home, apartment, group of rooms, or a single room occupied by a household that has an identifiable site address such as a fire number or street address. A United States Post Office Box number is a mailing address and does not identify a dwelling unit.
early application – See application
Earned Income Tax Credit A refundable federal or state tax benefit designed to help low-income workers increase their financial stability and maintain their independence from the welfare system. It is also known as EITC. For the purposes of WHEAP, it is ignored income.
economic unit A person or group of related or unrelated persons who live together in a dwelling unit and jointly share in providing or being provided for the necessities of life for the person(s) in the group. The necessities of life are shelter, heat, and utilities.
NOTE: Persons living in a housing arrangement with their own room and sharing common spaces and an address are all part of a single economic unit.
elderly household member Individuals who are 60 years old or older as of the application date.
electric burden The responsibility for providing the household for all non-heating electric used in the home.
eligible non-citizen Certain non-citizen statuses are eligible for WHEAP benefits. Eligible non-citizens include those considered one of the categories listed in Section 3.2.2.4 of the WHEAP Manual according to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
eligibility determination The process by which a household’s eligibility for WHEAP is assessed. This includes the verification of documentation provided to complete an application and the certification of the correctness of an application.
emergency The actual or imminent loss of essential home heating/electricity during the heating season or during a declared heat emergency in the summer.
Emergency Crisis Assistance Crisis Assistance funds that provide benefits and/or services to address applicant emergencies. Emergency payments are provided during the heating season for households that are experiencing