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1 2017 2018 OHIO ENERGY ASSISTANCE GUIDELINES TABLE OF CONTENTS. 2017 -2018 Ohio Energy Assistance Guidelines Policy Updates ..5. I Energy Assistance Programs .. 6. E-1 Energy Assistance Programs Overview .. 6. E-2 Eligibility requirements .. 7. Income Guidelines for HEAP, WCP, and SCP .. 7. Household Income Countable .. 8. Documentation of Countable Income .. 9. Household Income Excluded .. 15. Countable Income Periods .. 16. Lump Sums .. 16. Assets 16. Calculation of Household Income (except self-employed) .. 16. Calculation of Income for Self-Employed .. 17. Self-Declaration of Income Form and Zero Income 17. Individuals in the Household claiming Zero Income .. 17. Household Size .. 17. Immigration Status .. 19. Ineligible Person(s) in an Eligible Household.

2 19. Completion of the HEAP Application .. 20. II - Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP) Plus .. 21. P-1 PIPP Plus Eligibility .. 21. Payment Amounts .. 21. P-2 Customer Responsibility .. 22. P-3 PIPP Plus Terms .. 22. P-4 PIPP Plus 25. Graduate PIPP Plus .. 25. Post PIPP Plus .. 26. III The Winter Crisis Program (WCP)/(E-HEAP- EMERGENCY HEAP) .. 27. W-1 Eligibility Determination and Payment Guidelines for the Winter Crisis Program .. 27. W-2 Appointment Scheduling/Interviewing Process .. 29. Utility Bills .. 29. Permanently and Totally Disabled 30. Summary of Customer Documents Required .30. W-3 Winter Crisis Program and Enrollment in a Payment Plan .. 31. W-4 Special 32. W-5 Maximum Delivery and Payment Guidelines .. 32.

3 Regulated Gas and Electric .. 32. Certified Retail Electric Suppliers (CRES) .. 32. Unregulated Gas and 33. Bulk 33. W-6 Requirements and Information for WCP ..39. Agency Employee, Relative, and/or Friend Application Review Policy .. 39. W-7 Customer Files .. 39. Customer Files Documents to contain in all files for eligible customers .. 40. Customer Files Documents to contain in all files for ineligible customers .. 41. 2017 -2018 Ohio Energy Assistance Guidelines Page 2 of 87. Customer Files Documents to contain in all incomplete files .. 41. Scanning .. 41. W-8 Customer Outreach and Public Service Announcements (PSA) .. 43. W-9 Payment 44. W-10 Customer Inquiries from the Office of Community Assistance .. 44. W-11 Exhausted 44.

4 W-12 Reporting Requirements .. 44. W-13 Recommended Referrals .. 45. W-14 Recovery .. 45. W-15 Liability for Incorrect Payments by the LDA .. 45. W-16 Rejected 45. IV Summer Crisis Program (SCP) .. 46. S-1 Eligibility Determination .. 46. of Benefits .. 47. Benefit 48. Fans .. 48. Prior Year Cooling Equipment Inventory .. 48. Restrictions .. 49. Eligibility Determination/Payment .. 50. S-2 Appointment Scheduling/Interview Process .. 52. Utility Bills .. 52. Permanently and Totally Disabled Customers .. 53. Required Documentation .. 53. S-3 Summer Crisis Program Terms .. 54. S-4 Special 54. S-5 Maximum Benefit and Payment Guidelines .. 55. S-6 Required Forms and Information for Summer Crisis Program .. 55. Agency Employee, Relative, and/or Friend Application Review Policy.

5 56. S-7 Customer Files .. 56. Customer Files Eligible .. 56. Customer Files Ineligible .. 57. Customer Files Incomplete/Summer Crisis Program Closeout .. 57. Scanning .. 58. S-8 Customer Outreach and Public Service Announcements (PSAs) .. 58. Additional Media Standards .. 59. S-9 Payment 59. S-10 Customer Inquiries From the Office of Community Assistance .. 59. S-11 Exhausted 59. S-12 Reporting Requirements .. 59. S-13 Rejected Client Records .. 60. S-14 Recommended Referrals .. 60. S-15 Recovery of Funds .. 60. S-16 Liability for Income Payments .. 60. 2017 -2018 Ohio Energy Assistance Guidelines Page 3 of 87. V Appendices .. 61. Appendix I: Household Income Guidelines Charts .. 61. Appendix II: Glossary .. 62. Appendix III: Energy Assistance Program Appeal Procedure.

6 66. Appendix IV: Self-Declaration of Income Worksheet .. 67. Appendix V: Example of an Internal Revenue (IRS) Transcript .. 68. Appendix VI: Verfication Letter of Non-Filing of Return .. 70. Appendix VII: Health Care Spending Accounts Sample .. 71. Appendix VIII: Sample Live-In Aide Forms .. 72. Appendix IX: Utility Verification Form- Half Sheet .. 74. Appendix X : Case Review Checklist .. 75. Appendix XI: PUCO and Utility Contacts .. 77. Appendix XII: OCEAN Income Entry 78. Appendix XIII: Ineligible Applicant with Eligible Household Member .. 79. Appendix XIV: OCEAN Report Instructions .. 83. 2017 -2018 Ohio Energy Assistance Guidelines Page 4 of 87. 2017 2018 OHIO ENERGY ASSISTANCE GUIDELINES POLICY UPDATES. New Policy: When total household income is listed as Zero/No Income, Odd Jobs or Other Income If a household's total income is listed as zero/no income, odd jobs or other income, applicants must apply for assistance in-person at their Local Delegate Agency.

7 Mailed in applications will not be accepted. The Zero Income Self-Declaration section of the application has been eliminated due to the above policy change. However, a worksheet is included in the Energy Assistance Guidelines in Appendix IV (Page 67) for Local Delegate Agencies to use with customers claiming zero/no income. All documentation must be scanned and uploaded in OCEAN. Saving a hard copy is optional. Policy Update: Federal Poverty Guidelines The recently released 2017 Federal Poverty Guidelines will be effective for HEAP on July 1, 2017 . The 2017 -2018 application has been updated to reflect the new Federal Poverty Guidelines. 2017 -2018 Ohio Energy Assistance Guidelines Page 5 of 87. I ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS. E-1 Energy Assistance Programs Overview Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) (also called Regular HEAP') is a federally funded program designed to help income-eligible Ohioans with their winter heating bills.

8 The program runs from July 1 to June 30 each year. Eligible customers receive a benefit in the form of a direct payment toward their energy heating bill. HEAP benefits are typically credited directly towards the eligible customer's energy heating bill beginning in the month of January. Applications that are mailed into the Office of Community Assistance can take 12 to 16 weeks for processing. Applications may also be processed at the Local Delegate Agency. Winter Crisis Program (WCP) (also called Emergency HEAP' or E-HEAP) provides a benefit once per heating season to an income-eligible customer's main and/or electric accounts. The benefit can be used by eligible households that are disconnected (or have a pending disconnection notice), need to establish new service, need to pay to transfer service or have 25 percent (or less) of bulk fuel supply remaining.

9 The program can also assist with fuel tank placement, fuel tank testing and furnace repair. Customers apply in person at the Local Delegate Agency for WCP. The 2017 WCP begins November 1, 2017 and ends March 31, 2018. Summer Crisis Program (SCP) (also called Summer Cooling') - provides a one-time benefit annually to your electric bill, and/or for the purchase of fans and air conditioners. Customers apply in person at the Local Delegate Agency for SCP. The 2017 SCP begins July 1, 2017 and ends August 31, 2017 . Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP) Plus Program helps income-eligible Ohioans manage their energy bills year-round. The program allows eligible Ohioans to pay their energy bill each month based on a percentage of their income.

10 To be eligible for the program, a customer must receive residential, electric or gas service from a company regulated by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO), have a total household income at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty level, and must apply for all Ohio Development Services Agency energy assistance programs for which he or she is eligible. 2017 -2018 Ohio Energy Assistance Guidelines Page 6 of 87. E-2 Eligibility requirements Income guidelines for HEAP, WCP, and SCP. To be eligible, a customer's total household income for the last 12-months or 90-days from application date must be equal to or less than 175 percent of the federal poverty guidelines (FPG). The period used to determine annual income must not be more than 12-months or less than the most recent 90-day period from the application date.