A. An Applicant may have only one certified
eligible Application per Program Year.
B. An Applicant may resubmit a new
Application if the Household's Application has either been denied or withdrawn
any time prior to the issuance of a Benefit.
C. The Application will be processed in
accordance with the requirements of this Section:
1. The Subgrantee will begin taking
Applications as prescribed by MaineHousing each Program Year.
2. A Subgrantee will continue taking
Applications until the last working day of May of the Program Year or upon the
exhaustion of HEAP funds, whichever occurs sooner.
3. The Subgrantee must use forms provided or
approved by MaineHousing to administer the Programs. Additional forms may be
used by the Subgrantee provided the forms have been reviewed and approved by
MaineHousing. Forms will be submitted for review and approval annually prior to
the commencement of taking applications each Program Year.
4. The Subgrantee will make a reasonable and
good-faith effort during the first ninety (90) days it takes Applications to
interview, process, and serve new and returning Priority Applicants who have a
Direct Energy Cost.
5. The
Subgrantee will make a reasonable and good-faith effort to conduct outreach
activities and process applications for any Household that has wood as its
primary Home Energy source within the first ninety (90) days of taking
Applications for the Program Year.
6. At Applicant's request, and as otherwise
appropriate, the Subgrantee must make reasonable accommodations for a Person
with a Disability.
7. Any Applicant
may apply via telephone. The telephone Application process includes completing
the Application over the telephone with the Subgrantee administering the
Programs in the Service Area in which the Household resides; the Subgrantee
sends the completed Application and other appropriate documents to the Primary
Applicant for review, signature, and date.
8. Limited English Proficiency (LEP) can be a
barrier to accessing important benefits or services, understanding and
exercising important rights, complying with applicable responsibilities, or
understanding other information provided by the HEAP program. In order to
address this concern Subgrantees must comply with MaineHousing's Language
Assistance Plan.
9. Application
must be made with the Subgrantee administering the Programs in the Service Area
in which the Household resides. In the event an Application is received by a
Subgrantee for a Household residing in a Service Area other than the
Subgrantee's designated Service Area, the Subgrantee shall notify the Primary
Applicant of the error and forward the Application and supporting documentation
to the applicable Subgrantee.
10.
Primary Applicant is responsible for providing all information necessary to
establish the eligibility of a Household. The Subgrantee must verify the income
and identity of the Applicant(s) as prescribed by HEAP Handbook.
The Subgrantee shall verify Primary Applicant's identity by
requesting a government- issued, photo identification card. One of the
following is acceptable to establish the identity of the Primary
Applicant:
a. Driver's
license;
b. State issued ID
card;
c. Passport or passport
card;
d. U.S. Military ID;
or
e. SNAP electronic benefit
transfer (EBT) card with photo.
11. All Applicant(s) two years of age or
older must provide proof of their Social Security Number (SSN). One of the
following documents is acceptable provided it contains all nine digits of the
Applicant's SSN and the Applicant's full name:
a. Social Security Card issued by the Social
Security Administration;
b. SSA
1099 tax form;
c. Non SSA-1099 tax
form;
d. Medicare card with number
ending with the suffix "A";
e.
Valid unexpired U.S. Military documents such as DD Form 214 Certificate of
Release or Discharge from Active Duty issued by the U.S. Department of
Defense;
f. Bank tax form;
or
g. W-2 (wage and tax statement).
If the Household includes a child under the age of 24 months
old who has not received a SSN, the Application is processed. However, the
Primary Applicant must provide the child's SSN for subsequent Program Year
Applications, after the child reaches the age of 24 months old.
If a Household member is not a U.S. citizen, Applicant must
provide a Social Security card issued by the Social Security Administration or
an unexpired foreign passport with a valid unexpired U.S. Visa affixed
accompanied by the approved I-94 form documenting the Applicant's most recent
admittance into the United States, and documentation of Applicant's status as a
qualified alien pursuant to the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity
Reconciliation Act of 1996, 8
USC §
1641, such as a legal permanent
resident, a refugee, an asylee, an individual paroled into the U.S. for a
period of at least one (1) year, an individual whose deportation has been
withheld, or an individual granted conditional
entry.
12. As part
of the application process all Applicants 18 years of age or older must sign a
release to grant permission to share their personal information, as follows:
a. Maine Department of Health and Human
Services, the Maine Department of Labor, and the Social Security Administration
to share information with the Subgrantee or MaineHousing regarding information
relevant to the Application about the Applicant at each of those agencies,
including the benefits received from each of those agencies.
b. Subgrantee and MaineHousing to provide
information to and obtain information from the agencies listed above or others
as needed to determine and confirm eligibility for MaineHousing programs and
other programs administered by the Subgrantee.
c. Subgrantee and MaineHousing to disclose
Applicant information for the determination of eligibility for programs
administered by State, federal, and local agencies.
D. The information on an
Application may be considered conflicting if it is inconsistent with verbal
information provided by an Applicant, with other information on the
Application, with prior Program Year Applications, or with information received
from a third party.
1. No information
received from a third party, other than a government agency, will be used to
determine eligibility, unless it is verified by an independent, reliable
source.
2. In the case where an
Applicant's eligibility is in question because of conflicting information
received from a third party, the Subgrantee or MaineHousing shall allow the
Primary Applicant an opportunity to amend the current Application or reaffirm
the information on it. Primary Applicant may also withdraw Application at any
time (prior to payment of Benefit). A new Application (rather than amended)
would be required should an Applicant pursue assistance after
withdrawal.
3. If the Primary
Applicant elects not to amend the Application, eligibility shall be based on
information contained in the Application and documentation provided by the
Primary Applicant, documentation provided by a government agency, or
information verified by other sources.
4. If verified information results in the
Household being ineligible or determines the existence of Errors and Program
Abuse or willful misrepresentation, the Application may be subject to denial or
termination of Benefits.
E. The Subgrantee must certify or deny an
Application within thirty (30) business days from the Date of Application.
1. Written notification of eligibility will
be sent to the Primary Applicant within (10) ten calendar days of the decision
or when funding is available, whichever is later. The benefit notification
shall:
a. State the Benefit amount;
b. State the date the Benefit or a Credit
Notification was sent to the Vendor;
c. State the approved Home Energy
type;
d. State the manner by which
the Primary Applicant can request an appeal, if applicable.
2. Written notification of denial must be
sent to the Primary Applicant within (3) three business days whether funding is
available or not. The denial notification shall:
a. State the facts surrounding the
decision;
b. State the reason(s)
for the decision;
c. State the
manner by which the Applicant can request an appeal.
A denial for missing information will be rescinded if the
required information is received by the Subgrantee within (15) fifteen business
days from the date of the denial
notification.
