Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) Manual - 2020 …

1 home Energy Assistance Program Manual Employment and Income Support programs heap Manual Table of Contents 7/1/2021 New York State Office of Temporary & Disability Assistance 2 Table of Contents Chapter 1 heap Overview .. 7 A. Federal Low Income home Energy Assistance Program .. 7 B. New York State Administration of LIHEAP .. 7 C. Social Services District 8 D. Alternate Certifier Responsibilities .. 10 Chapter 2 Application .. 12 A. Definitions .. 12 B. Application Process .. 12 C. District Responsibilities for Processing Paper Applications .. 13 D. District Responsibilities for Processing Online Applications.

2 14 E. Application Forms .. 14 F. A New heap Application is Not Required When .. 17 G. Required Signatures on Application Forms .. 17 H. Pre-Screening of Applications .. 18 I. Necessary Action Required for Unsigned/Obsolete Applications Submitted .. 18 J. Necessary Action Required for Incomplete Applications Submitted .. 18 K. Necessary Action Required When heap Application Contains Discrepancies .. 18 L. Circumstances That May Require Further Action .. 19 M. Authorized 19 N. Duplicate Applications .. 19 O. Residency .. 19 P. Application Processing Time Frames .. 19 Q. Alternate Certifiers Application Processing Responsibilities .. 21 R. Pending Application Process.

3 21 S. Required Eligibility Interviews .. 22 T. Transmittal of Applications from Alternate Certifier to District .. 22 U. Completion of Agency Use Only Section of the heap Application .. 23 V. Voter Registration Form .. 23 Chapter 3 Application, Interview, and Documentation for Regular Component .. 24 A. Definitions .. 24 B. Application Processing Requirements .. 24 C. Application Requirements for Regular Component .. 24 D. Interview Requirements for Regular Component .. 24 E. Documentation Requirements for Regular Component .. 24 Chapter 4 Application, Interview, and Documentation for Emergency Component .. 26 heap Manual Table of Contents 7/1/2021 New York State Office of Temporary & Disability Assistance 3 A.

4 Application Requirements for Emergency Component .. 26 B. Interview Requirements for Emergency Component .. 26 C. Documentation Requirements of Emergency Component .. 26 D. Emergency Benefit Phone Application Procedures .. 27 Chapter 5 Application, Interview, and Documentation Requirements for Cooling .. 28 A. Application Requirements for Cooling Assistance Component .. 28 B. Interview Requirements for Cooling Assistance Component .. 28 C. Documentation Requirements for Cooling Assistance Component .. 28 Chapter 6 Application, Interview, and Documentation Requirements for HERR .. 30 A. Application Requirements for HERR Component .. 30 B. Interview Requirements for HERR Component.

5 30 C. Documentation Requirements for HERR Component .. 30 D. Emergency Resolution Timeframes for HERR 31 Chapter 7 Application, Interview, and Documentation Requirements for Clean and Tune .. 33 A. Application Requirements for Clean and Tune Benefit .. 33 B. Interview Requirements for Clean and Tune Benefit .. 33 C. Documentation Requirements for Clean and Tune Benefit .. 33 Chapter 8 Basic Eligibility .. 34 A. Definitions .. 34 B. Basic heap Eligibility Background .. 34 C. Residence .. 34 D. Income Based on Household Size .. 34 E. Citizenship/Alien and Legal Permanent Resident Status .. 44 F. Living Situation Eligible Living Arrangements .. 45 G. Responsibility for Heating/ Energy Expense.

6 47 H. Provide a Valid SSN for All Household Members .. 47 Chapter 9 Regular Component Eligibility Criteria .. 48 A. Basic Eligibility .. 48 B. Additional Eligibility Criteria for Regular Component .. 48 Chapter 10 Heat or Heat Related Emergency Component Eligibility Criteria .. 51 A. Basic Eligibility .. 51 B. Additional Eligibility Criteria for Emergency Component .. 51 C. Shared Meter Situations .. 54 D. Additional Emergency Situations .. 54 Chapter 11 Cooling Assistance Component Eligibility Criteria .. 56 A. Basic Eligibility .. 56 B. Additional Eligibility Criteria for Cooling Assistance Component .. 56 Chapter 12 Specific Requirements for Cooling Benefits.

7 57 heap Manual Table of Contents 7/1/2021 New York State Office of Temporary & Disability Assistance 4 A. Work Completion .. 57 B. Scope of Work .. 57 C. Cooling Assistance Services Invoice .. 57 D. Payments .. 58 E. Prohibited Payments .. 58 Chapter 13 HERR Component Eligibility Criteria .. 59 A. Basic Eligibility .. 59 B. Additional Eligibility Criteria for HERR Component .. 59 C. Additional Action Based on Determination .. 60 D. Resource Documentation .. 61 Chapter 14 Specific Requirements for HERR Benefits .. 62 A. Work Completion .. 62 B. Scope of Work .. 62 C. Job 63 D. Payments.

8 64 E. Timely Benefit Payments .. 65 F. Prohibited Payments .. 65 G. Referral .. 65 Chapter 15 Clean and Tune Benefit Eligibility 66 A. Basic Eligibility .. 66 B. Additional Eligibility Criteria for Clean and Tune Benefit .. 66 Chapter 16 Specific Requirements for Clean and Tune Benefits .. 68 A. Work Completion .. 68 B. Scope of Work .. 68 C. Payments .. 69 D. Timely Benefit Payments .. 69 E. Prohibited Payments .. 69 Chapter 17 Documentation Requirements .. 71 A. Documentation Requirements .. 71 B. Failure to Provide 72 C. Types of Documentation .. 72 Chapter 18 Verification Requirements .. 78 A. Definition .. 78 B. Requirements .. 78 C. Notations of Verification.

9 78 Chapter 19 Pending Time .. 79 A. Pending an Application .. 79 Chapter 20 Forms, Notices, and Publications .. 80 heap Manual Table of Contents 7/1/2021 New York State Office of Temporary & Disability Assistance 5 A. General Requirements .. 80 B. Forms .. 81 C. Notices .. 83 D. Publications .. 83 Chapter 21 heap Benefits .. 84 A. Overview .. 84 B. Regular Benefit Component .. 84 C. Emergency Benefit Component .. 85 D. Cooling Assistance Component .. 86 E. Heating Equipment Repair and Replacement Component .. 86 F. Heating Equipment Clean and Tune Benefits .. 86 G. $21 Nominal heap Benefit Advance Payment.

10 87 Chapter 22 Benefit 88 A. General Requirements .. 88 B. Issuing Regular Benefits .. 88 C. Special Circumstances .. 88 D. Issuing Emergency Benefits .. 89 E. Issuing Cooling Assistance Component Benefits .. 89 F. Issuing Heating Equipment Repair and Replacement Component Benefits .. 89 G. Issuing Heating Equipment Clean and Tune Benefits .. 89 H. Benefit Payment Methods .. 90 I. Benefit Reissuance and 90 J. Payment Reissuance .. 91 K. Erroneous Benefit Tracking and Recovery .. 92 L. Prohibited Payments .. 92 Chapter 23 Files and Case Records .. 94 A. Requirements for Districts .. 94 B. Requirements for Alternate Certifiers .. 95 Chapter 24 Fair Hearings.