SECTION 340:20-1-14. Actions, method of payment, and notifications

  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 number the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS) intends to pay based on the prior year's certification; and

(ii)   DHS does not pay a different utility supplier based on the pre-authorization.

(C)   Households are not pre-authorized for ECAP.

(2)   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.

(3)   Denials. The employee denies applications:

(A)   submitted outside of a designated application period;

(B)   that are incomplete. Reasons an application is considered incomplete include submitting an unsigned application or failing to verify program factors per OAC 340:20-1-10. Prior to application denial, the employee must give or send the applicant Form 08AD092E, Client Contact and Information Request, indicating what verification must be provided and allow the applicant at least 10-calendar days to provide the needed verification; or

(C)   when the household does not meet program factors per OAC 340:20-1-10.

(4)   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 life-threatening medical situation or 48 hours for all other ECAP applications.

(5)   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 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;

(II)   energy source is wood, coal, heating oil, or kerosene; or

(III)   energy supplier is not designated to receive direct payments from DHS.

(C)   Payments are made on a weekly basis as applications are approved.

(6)   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.

(7)   Computer-generated notices. Computer-generated notices are mailed to the applicant or recipient showing actions taken.

(A)   LIHEAP-37-A, Notice of Eligibility/Authorization, is mailed to the applicant.

(B)   LIHEAP-37-C, Notice of Eligibility, is mailed to the recipient. This notice is mailed for authorization of each roomer or renter when fuel is included as a part of the shelter payment, and for households whose fuel source is wood, coal, kerosene, or oil.

(C)   LIHEAP-37-D, Notice of Payment, is mailed to the recipient as notification the payment was made to the energy supplier on his or her behalf.

(D)   LIHEAP-37-E, Notice of Denial, is mailed to the applicant when an application is denied.

(E)   LIHEAP-37-F, Notice of Closure, is mailed to the recipient when an authorization closes.

(F)   PSNEN37K, Utility Account Verification and Pre-Approval Notice, is mailed to clients pre-authorized for LIHEAP winter heating or summer cooling.

(G)   LIHEAP-37-M, Energy Crisis Assistance Program Notice of Payment, is mailed to the recipient as notification the payment was made to the supplier.

(8)   Employee-generated notice. The employee issues Form 08LH003E, Notice of Eligibility for Energy Assistance, to the energy supplier or the recipient for delivery to the energy supplierwhen 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 approval file from DHS.

[Source: 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; Amended at 34 Ok Reg 1463, eff 9-15-17]