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West Virginia Income Maintenance Manual Chapter 21

West Virginia Income Maintenance Manual Page 23 Chapter 21 Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP)

21.4.6 APPLYING FOR BENEFITS Although it is not mandatory, the head of household should be encouraged to apply for benefits. • Regular LIEAP applications may be mailed or delivered to the local DOHS office. Applications may also be submitted by use of WV PATH on the DOHS website. The Worker may request additional information if needed for eligibility determination, but incomplete applications must be denied. Emergency LIEAP applications require a face-to-face interview at a DOHS office but may be taken in the home for clients who meet certain requirements. (If the home heating/cooling crisis is the result of a natural disaster, state and/or national public health emergency, then payments may be issued to previously approved households. Under these circumstances, a past due bill, termination notice, or face-to-face interview is not required.) o Home visits are limited to those persons age 60 and over or disabled persons of any age who live alone and have no means of transportation to the local DOHS office in order to apply for Emergency LIEAP. o The Community Services Managers (CSM) can permit outreach workers from a senior citizen center or Community Action Agency to take the application and/or DFA-67 forms to the client for completion and to obtain the necessary documentation to verify the emergency. ▪ If the CSM permits employees from other agencies to take applications in the home, the employees must be trained to assist the homebound client to complete the application form, obtain the required verification and otherwise perform the necessary tasks required for DOHS to make a decision on the application. o The DOHS will make the final decision regarding eligibility for and the amount of Emergency LIEAP benefits. Personnel from other agencies are not permitted to make this decision or inform the client about his eligibility.

21.4.7 COMPLETION OF FORM DFA-LIEAP-1 The DFA-LIEAP-1 consists of three sections, described below.