SECTION 340:20-1-13. Verification

  Prior to approving a household for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), program factors in (1) through (4) of this Section must be verified. When the applicant does not provide the verification at the time of application, the applicant is given 10-calendar days to provide it.

(1)   Income and resources eligibility. Income and liquid resources are verified using the procedures per Oklahoma Administrative Code (OAC) 340:20-1-11.

(A)   When all household members are included in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, State Supplemental Payment, Child Care Subsidy benefits, SoonerCare (Medicaid) for the aged, blind, or disabled, or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Payment food benefits, the most recent income and resource verification included in the case record for each household member is used.

(B)   When some, but not all household members are included in other benefits, the household member(s) not included in other benefits must provide current verification of gross income and liquid resources.

(C)   All other applications have eligibility determination based on current month's income and resources of the total household.

(2)   Vulnerability determination. To determine vulnerability, a household must verify it is subject to home energy expenses. When a:

(A)   household pays energy costs directly to suppliers, vulnerability is established by billing information on the utility statement;

(B)   household's energy cost is included in the shelter payment and the household pays a surcharge for the utilities, vulnerability may be established by an itemized statement from the landlord, a legally-binding lease agreement showing the surcharge, or a rent receipt designating that the fuel cost is separate from the total shelter payment; or

(C)   subsidized household's heating and/or cooling costs are included in the shelter payment, the household isconsidered partially vulnerable when the household is assessed an energy surcharge and provides documentation of the assessed surcharge.

(3)   Social Security numbers (SSN). Each household member included in the benefit must provide a SSN or provide verification of a pending SSN application from the Social Security Administration (SSA) office for SSN enumeration per OAC 340:65-3-1(f). Household members who do not provide a SSN are not included in household size when determining the household's financial eligibility and benefit amount, but their gross income and resources are considered.

(4)   Identity. The identity of the person making application must be verified. Identity may be verified through readily available documentary evidence or when evidence is unavailable, through a collateral contact. Any documents that reasonably establish the applicant's identity must be accepted and no requirement for a specific type of document, such as a birth certificate, may be imposed. Examples of acceptable documentary evidence the applicant may provide include, but are not limited to:

(A)   a driver license;

(B)   a work or school identification (ID);

(C)   an ID for health benefits, other assistance, or social service program;

(D)   a voter registration card;

(E)   pay checks; or

(F)   a birth certificate.

[Source: 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 15 Ok Reg 152, eff 12-1-97 (emergency); Amended at 15 Ok Reg 1604, eff 5-11-98; Amended at 16 Ok Reg 543, eff 1-1-99 through 7-14-99 (emergency); Amended at 25 Ok Reg 1301, eff 6-1-08; Amended at 28 Ok Reg 805, eff 6-1-11; Amended at 35 Ok Reg 1620, eff 9-17-18]