Current through Vol. 42, No. 1, September 16, 2024
Contingent upon the receipt of federal funding, submitted Low
Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) applications are approved or
denied, payments are issued, and households are notified of their eligibility
during winter heating, summer cooling, and Energy Crisis Assistance Program
(ECAP) application periods.
(1)
Households pre-authorized for LIHEAP. Selected households may be
pre-authorized for winter heating or summer cooling and sent a
pre-authorization notice prior to an open application period.
(A) Households are pre-approved for LIHEAP
per criteria in Oklahoma Administrative Code (OAC)
340:20-1-19 for winter heating
and OAC 340:20-1-20 for summer
cooling.
(B) The pre-authorization
notice informs the household:
(i) of the
utility supplier and the account name and number Oklahoma Human Services
(OKDHS) intends to pay based on the prior year's certification; and
(ii) to report correct information to OKDHS
within 10-calendar days of the pre-authorization notice date, when the utility
supplier or account name or number is different. When the household reports
correct information after this date, the household must apply during the open
enrollment period as pre-authorization information may no longer be
corrected.
(C) When the
household reports that the pre-authorization information on the notice is
incorrect within 10-calendar days of the pre-authorization notice date, the
household provides correct information to determine if the household meets
preauthorization criteria.
(i) When the
household reports that the utility supplier changed to a supplier that does not
participate in LIHEAP, staff explains that OKDHS may not pay the supplier based
on pre-authorization information and encourages the household to file an
application during the open enrollment period.
(ii) When the household reports a different
account number with the same utility provider, staff asks for the address and
the account name and number on the utility bill.
(I) When the address is the same as the OKDHS
address of record and the account holder is a household member,
pre-authorization information is updated.
(II) When the address is different, the
household must provide a document that verifies the household lives at the new
address, such as a lease agreement or other document showing a household
member's name and the new address, within 10-calendar days of the date on the
notice.
(III) When the account
number changed because the account name changed to another household member who
is included in another Adult and Family Services (AFS) benefit using the same
case number, the preauthorization information is updated.
(IV) When the account name is different and
the person is not included as a household member in another AFS benefit using
the same case number, the household must verify the account holder has a
separate address or provide income or resource information for the account
holder before preauthorization information is changed. When the person lives in
the home, the pre-authorization is closed and the household must apply during
the open enrollment period.
(D) Households are not pre-authorized for
ECAP.
(E) If there are unencumbered
funds after meeting the LIHEAP and ECAP requirements, OKDHS may obligate these
funds by issuing a supplemental payment as necessary. OKDHS directs supplements
to energy providers and does not directly pay households with these funds. If
the energy provider invalidates and returns the payment, OKDHS does not reissue
the payment to the household. In selecting households for a supplement, OKDHS
prioritizes households that include household members who are aged, blind, or
disabled or children younger than five years of age. Households do not submit
applications for these funds. To qualify for a supplement, the household must:
(i) have received at least one LIHEAP program
benefit in the current fiscal year;
(ii) receive State Supplemental Payment,
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program; and
(iii) meet any
additional criteria required for a specific supplement.
(2)
Changes that occur after
application submission. When changes occur in the household's
circumstances prior to certification, such as, but not limited to, moving or
income changes, the household reports the change within 10-calendar days of the
change occurring. When a change is reported, new utility information or income
verification may need to be provided prior to the application being
processed.
(3)
Approvals. Households may be approved for LIHEAP during each of
the three designated application periods per fiscal year.
(A) Certain households may be approved for
ECAP outside of a designated application period when there is a
life-threatening emergency, per OAC
340:20-1-17(g).
(B) Households are approved for LIHEAP when
they:
(i) submit a signed and completed
application during the designated application period, per OAC
340:20-1-12;
(ii) provide required verification, per OAC
340:20-1-13; and
(iii) meet program factors, per OAC
340:20-1-10.
(4)
Denials. An application is
denied when the household:
(A) submits the
application outside of a designated application period;
(B) submits an incomplete application.
Reasons an application is considered incomplete include submitting an unsigned
application or not providing utility information. When the household does not
sign the application or fails to provide utility information, the application
is immediately denied and the household must reapply;
(C) fails to verify program factors, per OAC
340:20-1-10. Prior to application
denial, the household must be given or sent Form 08AD092E, Client Contact and
Information Request, indicating what verification must be provided and given at
least 10-calendar days to provide the needed verification; or
(D) does not meet program factors, per OAC
340:20-1-10.
(5)
Timeliness. Applications are
considered timely processed when approved or denied within:
(A) 60-calendar days of the application date
for winter heating and summer cooling; or
(B) no later than 18 hours from the
application date for an ECAP application involving a lifethreatening medical
situation or 48 hours for all other ECAP applications.
(6)
LIHEAP payments. LIHEAP
payment amounts are estimated and reserved for each application period based on
available funding and may be adjusted as needed. Refer to OKDHS Appendix C-7-A,
Estimated Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Benefit Level for
all Households, for maximum payment amounts.
(A) Payment amounts are determined based on
the household's size, income, and primary energy source.
(B) One payment is made per approved
application directly to:
(i) designated energy
suppliers on behalf of approved households responsible for their utilities;
or
(ii) the household when the:
(I) utilities are included in the rent;
or
(II) energy supplier is not
designated to receive direct payments from OKDHS.
(C) When payment is made to the
household instead of an energy supplier, approved payment may be made directly
to the household on a debit card or, when the household receives Temporary
Assistance for Needy Families or State Supplemental Payment cash assistance by
direct deposit, payment may be made through direct deposit in the same bank
account, per OAC
340:65-3-6.
(D) Payments are made weekly as applications
are approved.
(7)
Closures. The LIHEAP authorization automatically closes after the
LIHEAP payment issues. Authorizations are closed when it is discovered that an
ineligible household was certified in error before a LIHEAP payment is
made.
(8)
Refunds. The
household has 30-calendar days from the date on the PSNEN37D, Heating Notice of
Payment, PSNEN37M, Energy Crisis Assistance Program Notice of Payment, and
PSNEN37O, Cooling Notice of Payment, to report errors and receive a refund.
OKDHS does not reissue payments unless the:
(A) household reports the error to OKDHS or
the Energy Assistance Contact Center within 30-calendar days of the Notice of
Payment;
(B) reported information
indicates the household remains qualified for the payment;
(C) energy supplier returns the payment;
and
(D) funds are made available
for OKDHS to make a correction.
(9)
Computer-generated notices.
Computer-generated notices are mailed to the applicant or recipient showing
actions taken.
(A) PSNEN37D is mailed to the
household as notification that payment was made to the utility supplier on his
or her behalf for winter heating.
(B) PSNEN37E, Notice of Denial, is mailed to
the household when an application is denied.
(C) PSNEN37F, Notice of Closure, is mailed to
the household when the utility supplier reports the recipient's account is
inactive, no longer in service, incorrect, or final with no amount
due.
(D) PSNEN37K, Utility Account
Verification and Pre-Approval Notice, is mailed to households preauthorized for
LIHEAP winter heating.
(E) PSNEN37M
is mailed to the recipient as notification that payment was made to the
supplier for ECAP.
(F) PSNEN37O is
mailed to the recipient as notification that payment was made to the energy
supplier on his or her behalf for summer cooling.
(G) PSNEN37P, Notice of Direct Payment for
Heating, is mailed to the recipient as notification that payment was made
directly to the household for winter heating.
(H) PSNEN37Q, Notice of Direct Payment for
Cooling, is mailed to the recipient as notification that payment was made
directly to the household for summer cooling.
(I) PSNEN37R, Notice of Direct Payment for
ECAP, is mailed to the recipient as notification that payment was made directly
to the household for ECAP.
(J)
PSNEN37T, Utility Account Verification and Pre-Approval Notice, is mailed to
households preauthorized for LIHEAP summer cooling.
(10)
Employee-generated notice.
Form 08LH003E, Notice of Eligibility for Energy Assistance, is sent to the
energy supplier or given to the recipient to take to the energy supplier as
notification that the household meets eligibility requirements for crisis
assistance, per OAC
340:20-1-17. Issuance of Form
08LH003E is not necessary when the supplier's business system is set up to
receive a daily OKDHS approval file.
Amended at 9 Ok Reg 191,
eff 10-17-91 (emergency); Amended at 9 Ok Reg 2455, eff 6-25-92; Amended at 10
Ok Reg 637, eff 12-14-92 (emergency); Amended at 10 Ok Reg 2259, eff 6-11-93;
Amended at 11 Ok Reg 483, eff 11-15-93 (emergency); Amended at 11 Ok Reg 1671,
eff 5-12-94; Amended at 12 Ok Reg 377, eff 11-17-94 (emergency); Amended at 12
Ok Reg 1713, eff 6-12-95; Amended at 14 Ok Reg 577, eff 12-12-96 (emergency);
Amended at 14 Ok Reg 1336, eff 5-12-97; Amended at 15 Ok Reg 152, eff 12-1-97
(emergency); Amended at 15 Ok Reg 1604, eff 5-11-98; Amended at 20 Ok Reg 870,
eff 6-1-03; Amended at 26 Ok Reg 816, eff 6-1-09; Amended at 28 Ok Reg 805, eff
6-1-11
