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PY26 WHEAP Manual

93 Revised: August 2025 Chapter 5 | Crisis Assistance 5.1 Introduction Applicants are not entitled to Crisis Assistance benefits. Crisis Assistance is intended to provide emergency and/or Prevention Assistance services to assist applicants with substantial home energy needs. Most Wisconsin customers are protected by the winter moratorium state statute 113.0304 (2)(a) from November 1 through April 15. Most vendors are unable to disconnect customers for nonpayment during the winter moratorium.

Crisis policy is fluid and may change during the program year based on funding and customer needs. Policy shall be updated via Informational Transmittals (IT) during the program year. ITs are posted to the HE+ TTA website and are available to all WHEAP staff. Agencies are required to follow the most current Crisis Assistance policy.

1. Each local agency shall respond within 48 hours of the request for crisis assistance, and within 18 hours when there is a potential urgent safety concern. If the service date entered in the HE+ System is beyond 48 hours from the request date, an HE+ System Note shall be added to state when the customer was contacted after the request to address the crisis situation.

NOTE: Responding within 48/18 hours is a LIHEAP Statute and Regulation section 2604 (1). 2. Each local agency shall grant the amount identified by the vendor needed for the customer to prevent and/or restore an energy loss and not automatically issue the maximum threshold amount. See Section 5.2.1.2 for more information. 3. Benefits for LIHEAP and PB crisis and assistance are paid from a central account managed by the Division. 4. Crisis and assistance benefits are paid only to providers of goods or services. There is no reimbursement for action taken or expenses incurred by vendors prior to approval by the local WHEAP agency. 5. All Crisis Assistance payments must be completed by the last extraction of the program year (September 30). Crisis Assistance applications/payments not completed by the last extraction will deny. 6. Minimum Crisis Assistance payments shall be $100. All Crisis Assistance payments shall be rounded down or up to the nearest dollar. No cents may be entered for Crisis Assistance payments. 7. Agencies shall not exceed two (2) crisis payments per program year. Agencies may not grant exceptions to the 2 crisis payments per program year without HE+ Help Desk approval. 8. Agencies shall require customers to provide verification of their “no heat/energy” situation and/or energy-related problem before providing Crisis Assistance. 9. Agencies shall upload the verification of the energy crisis situation and/or Division Crisis Verification form into the HE+ System prior to issuing Crisis Assistance payments.