3002-1 TYPES OF HOUSEHOLDS
An individual or group of individuals who are living together as one economic unit and for whom residential heating is customarily purchase in common, or who make undesignated payments for heat in the form or rent.
A household must meet all four of the following requirements to be eligible to participate in HAP:
the household's gross monthly income is not more than 150 percent of the federal poverty guidelines for Alaska as listed in Addendum E.
A household is not eligible to participate in HAP if any of the following situations apply at the time of eligibility determination:
NOTE:
Applicants who are determined ineligible for tribal HAP for failure to follow the rules of their tribal organizations, e.g., failure to submit an application during the tribal HAP enrollment period are NOT eligible to receive HAP through DPA.
Applicants who fail to submit an application through their tribal organization while funds are available are NOT eligible to receive HAP through DPA.
3. Multiple Households Residing in the Same Dwelling
When more than one household is residing in the dwelling, the caseworker must determine if the applicant household is:
Someone renting a room in the same dwelling as the owner,
One or more individuals, none of whom are the owner, living together in the same dwelling, each with their own bedroom, and making common payments for the rent and heating costs at the dwelling.
If the applicant checks the application box for "Renting a Room," and they provide an agreement with their landlord showing heating costs are included in their rental costs the application is determined using ECOS Dwelling Type: Room Renter and Housing Category: 1-room dwelling such as a studio apartment, hotel room, or boarding room.
NOTE:
A foster adult not considered a member of the household must be considered a household sharer, or room renter.
If the applicant owns the dwelling and is receiving rental income, eligibility is determined by counting all rental income, using the Housing Category for the total number of bedrooms in the dwelling, and counting the number of people in the applicant's household. A room renter is not counted as a member of the applicant's household. The owner/occupant's rental income may be considered a self-employment venture if the applicant chooses to deduct the non-personal costs of doing business.
If the applicant is sharing the dwelling with one or more households, and is not a room renter or an owner/occupant renting space in the dwelling as described above, the households are considered to be house sharers. The other household members are entered into ECOS as described in MS 3002-1 A. 4 below.
Note:
Each household in the dwelling should be worked separately and then the share reduction applied. For example, if more than one household living in the dwelling contains an older adult, disabled person, or a child under 6 years of age, each household containing a member of this population would be entitled to the additional point before computing their percentage of the total residence.
If an applicant lists other households as living in the same dwelling, the members of the other households must be entered into the ECOS case note and the ECOS Application Members screen. In order to input information regarding multiple households on the ECOS Application Members screen the caseworker will need to select "Yes" from the drop-down menu for the question: Are there any other people living at this residence who are not listed on the application? This action will populate a free-form field with instruction: List names of other persons living at this residence and describe how rent and utilities are shared. Once this information is entered the caseworker will need to select the appropriate number of households from the drop-down menu for the question: How many households are in this dwelling? This ensures that each household in the dwelling gets their proportionate share of the grant, and if one of the households listed as house sharing subsequently applies for a grant the worker can cross reference the cases.
If the household resides in a single residence with one or more other households, the total grant amount is reduced to the household's proportion of the total number of households in the dwelling. If there are two households the caseworker will go to the Application Members screen in ECOS and select "Yes" from the drop-down menu for the question: Are there any other people living at this residence who are not listed on the application? Then the caseworker will need to select the number "2" from the drop-down menu for the question: How many households are in this dwelling? These actions will result in a 50% reduction of the applicant's grant. If the applicant shared the residence with two other households and selected "3" for the question: How many household are in this dwelling? The applicant's benefit would be reduced to 33.33%. In a house sharer situation, a household's share should never exceed 50%. The amount each household contributes to heat or rent is not considered. Each household must apply separately to receive their share of the grant. The benefit is based upon the total number of eligible households in a residence, regardless of how many apply.
If a household member dies, the remaining credit balance can be used by the remaining household members.
If there are no other household members, the remaining credit balance can be used by the estate to pay heating or electric service expenses incurred by the individual prior to their death. If any credit remains after paying these expenses, the vendor refunds the remaining credit to the HAP.
If the applicant, who is the sole household member dies prior to the date their case is processed, the caseworker needs to contact the client's primary heat and electric vendors to obtain the total amount of unpaid charges remaining on the client's accounts. The caseworker will issue the deceased client's grant up to the amount needed to clear the debt. The 50/50 grant split is not required in this situation. However, due to limitations within ECOS, if the total grant is more than the deceased client's total debt, the remaining balance will need to be issued to one of the vendors and then a refund request must be made to return the credit amount on the client's account to DPA. See MS 3008-6 A for detail on how to proceed with a refund request.
When a household member dies in the month of application, the worker may determine whether the household will benefit better by using the signature month rather than the prior month's income due to the change in circumstance.
In cases where households have been dissolved after the award has been issued and where:
The application will be pended to request proof of the new applicant's contribution to the shared energy costs at their previous (shared) residence. Proof of costs would include:
Once this proof has been provided, the applicant who was listed on the previous application will be entitled to their percentage of any remaining HAP benefit paid to the vendor. They are only entitled to their share of any remaining balance because they already received the value (heat) of any award already used to furnish fuel at the residence.
The vendor is contacted via phone and instructed to freeze the remaining balance on the account at the original location. The caseworker then follows up with a letter, in writing, to the vendor instructing them to send a portion of the frozen balance to the new applicant's vendor of choice. Copies of the letter are sent to all parties and loaded into ILINX. This action should be documented in the ECOS case note.
Federal regulations call certain households "categorical" because they are enrolled in programs that are income tested and will usually be eligible for heating assistance. When all household members are receiving assistance from TANF, ATAP, SNAP, APA, or SSI, the worker will use the income from the household's open public assistance case in EIS as their gross monthly income for the income portion of the heating assistance benefit calculation.
Household members are considered categorically eligible if they have received TANF, SNAP, APA, or SSI in any month during the following period: The month prior to the submission of the heating assistance application (HAP1) through the month in which LIHEAP eligibility is determined.
If only a portion of the household members are receiving assistance from TANF, SNAP, APA, or SSI (also referred to as a "mixed" household), the caseworker may use the income in EIS to verify said members income but will still need to obtain proof of income for all other household members not on the public assistance case.
NOTES:
Clients do not meet categorical eligibility criteria if they only receive Medicaid, General Relief Assistance, or Senior Benefits.
Income verification submitted with the HAP1 can be used for a categorically eligible household instead of the verified income in EIS if it is in the client's best interest (e.g., income verification is complete (no pend required) and income is less than what is recorded in EIS.
9. Atypical Household Situations
a. Ionia
Ionia, Inc. is a non-profit organization set up to help mentally disabled individuals. All households have at least one disabled household member in it. Many of these families are related. They are all separate homes and cabins. There are 10 homes. The 54932 Burdock Road, Kasilof, AK, is a corporate address and mail is distributed to each household. The rent is based on the fair market value for a home in that area, not subsidized. Ionia, Inc. also sells wood, but the households are free to shop around for a cheaper price.
b. Office of Public Advocacy
Applications received from the Office of Public Advocacy are processed in the following manner:
The type of residence varies: group home, renting a room, living in an apartment, etc.
The caseworker will pend for information that is not provided, unless the applicant resides at the same physical location as last year and the needed information can be obtained.
The signature on the application must be that of the public advocate or the applicant.
10. Household Size and Composition
Note:
If a household member is not a U.S. citizen or qualified alien, they should not be counted as a family member in the case but their income is counted and included.
A child can only be claimed as a member of one household. In situations where the parents of a child share custody and the child moves between the homes on a regular basis, HAP will include the child(ren) on the first application received with the child(ren)'s information. See HAP MS 3003-2 for how to budget ATAP income in this situation.
12. When the Client's Household Composition Does Not Match Across Open DPA Cases
In situations where the client's household composition does not match across their open DPA cases, the living arrangements need to be verified, acted on according to each program's policy, and documented in the case note for each applicable program.
Example:
Joe, age 31 is claimed as a household member on his dad's HAP application. When the case worker checks EIS during the eligibility determination they see Joe is receiving SNAP benefits on his girlfriend's case, who lives at a residence separate from Joe's dad.
Joe's living arrangements are now questionable and require an explanation from Joe. Additional verification may be sought if Joe's explanation is not satisfactory.
To be eligible to participate in HAP, the dwelling for which heating assistance is requested must be located in the state of Alaska and the household must physically reside in the dwelling for which heating assistance is requested. Additionally, at least one member of the household must be a U.S. citizen or a qualified alien.
Residency in the state must be verified. Documentation used to verify other factors of eligibility such as rent receipt and utility bill(s) will generally be sufficient to verify residency.
The identity of the person listed as "head of household" on the application must be verified. When an authorized representative applies on behalf of a household, the identity of both the authorized representative and the head of household must be verified. Identity may be verified through readily available documentary evidence, such as pay stubs, utility accounts, tax returns, rental agreements, bank statements, or other document that contains the individual's name and address. Verification of identity may also be obtained through a collateral contact or through the EIS CANO screen, HERC screen if the person received Medicaid, or DOL websites.
3002-1 D. CITIZENSHIP AND ELIGIBLE ALIEN STATUS
To receive heating assistance, a person must be:
A United States citizen or U.S. National;
A qualified alien; or
A Compact of Free Association (COFA) migrant from the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau.
All other household members are treated as excluded household members.
Every heating assistance household must declare that all household members have U.S. citizenship or satisfactory immigration status. This declaration is accomplished by:
1. United States Citizens and United States Nationals
United States citizens and U.S. Nationals include:
U.S. citizenship is verified only when questionable. Sources of verification include birth certificates, certificates of citizenship or naturalization provided by the USCIS, U.S. passports, and official identification cards showing U.S. citizenship. U.S. National status may be verified with a U.S. passport stamped U.S. National.
Citizenship documentation received by DPA must be validated through IEVS.
2. Qualified Aliens
A qualified alien is a person who is a:
3. Citizenship for Certain Children Born Outside the United States
Effective February 27, 2001, the Child Citizenship Act of 2000 allows a child born outside of the United States to acquire citizenship of the United States automatically when all of the following conditions have been fulfilled:
Note:
Because proof of citizenship is not automatically issued to eligible children, parents must provide proof of the child's relationship (such as a birth certificate) to their U.S. citizen parent and proof that the child is lawfully admitted into the U.S.. Parents of a foreign born child who meet the conditions of the new law should be encouraged to apply for a certificate of citizenship for their child with the USCIS and/or for a passport for their child with the Department of State.
4. Foreign Born Children Adopted by United States Citizens
Under the Child Citizenship Act of 2000, a foreign born child under age eighteen, who has been legally adopted by at least one U.S. citizen parent, automatically becomes a U.S. citizen when the legal adoption is finalized. Most of the time, a parent will be able to verify the U.S. citizenship of their child by producing a U.S. birth certificate.
Effective January 1, 2004, a new entrant (IR-3) program was implemented, which focuses on newly entering orphans with full and final adoptions abroad. Under this new program, these children will automatically receive a Certificate of Citizenship within 45 days of entry into the U.S.
5. Documentation of U.S. Citizenship and Eligible Alien Status
Verify U.S. citizenship only when questionable. Sources of verification include birth certificates, certificates of citizenship or naturalization provided by USCIS, a U.S. passport, and official identification cards showing U.S. citizenship. U.S. National status may be verified with a U.S. passport stamped U.S. National.
Note:
Aliens born in the Marshall Islands, Western Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia and Palau are the most common types of non-immigrants. These people can travel freely between the islands and the U.S., but are considered non-qualified aliens and are not eligible to receive benefits. For these people to receive benefits, they must take action to become a qualified alien.
6. Case Processing for Households with Eligible Aliens
When a household indicates inability or unwillingness to provide documentation for any household member, that member is considered an excluded household member.
When the only member of an applicant household indicates inability or unwillingness to provide documentation of his or her own alien status or questionable U.S. citizenship, they are ineligible and the application is denied.
Note:
When determining heating assistance benefits, the illegal alien's income is included in the income calculation but the person is not counted as a family member. For example, if the household consists of five members, four of which are legal and qualified, the caseworker would include the income from all five household members, including the illegal alien, but only consider the household a four-member household when determining household size and composition.
7. Ineligible Aliens
Any alien, legal or not, who does not meet the alien eligibility requirements is ineligible for HAP. Ineligible aliens in households with eligible household members are treated as excluded members.
8. Categorical Households
Federal regulations call certain households "categorical" because they are enrolled in programs that are income tested and will usually be eligible for heating assistance. When all household members are receiving assistance from TANF, SNAP, APA, or SSI, the caseworker will use the income from the household's open public assistance case in EIS as their gross monthly income for the as their gross monthly income for the income portion of the heating assistance benefit calculation.
3002-1 E. SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS
Households must provide a SSN for each household member. If a household member does not have a SSN, the individual must apply for one.
1. New Social Security Numbers
If an individual is applying for an SSN for the first time, they must apply directly through the Social Security Administration (SSA), either in person or by phone. SSA will send the individual a "Receipt of Application" for an SSN form, verifying an application has been submitted.
Parents may also apply for a newborn's SSN through the Health Analytics and Vital Records (HAVR) Enumeration at Birth Program. Hospitals give the parent an SSA-2853 form, "Information About When You Will Receive Your Baby's Social Security Card." This document certifies a Social Security Number was officially requested for the baby.
If the newborn's SSN is not provided at the time of application, the SSN or proof of application for a SSN is required within six months following the newborn's birth, or at the next application submission, whichever is later.
2. Verification
Social Security Numbers: Social Security Numbers do not need to be verified, unless questionable.
Application for a Social Security Number: Accept the client's statement they have applied for an SSN with the Social Security Administration. If the client's statement is questionable, require the client to provide SSA's proof of receipt of SSN application. In addition, instruct the client to provide the SSN once they receive their SSN card from SSA. Obtain the SSN or proof of application for an SSN at the next application submission.
3. Case Processing Pending Receipt of SSN
Household members are allowed to participate if otherwise eligible while waiting for issuance of SSN from SSA.
Households with SSN applications "in process" with SSA are included in the case. However, this allowance is only available to the client at initial application. A client without a SSN in subsequent application submissions will be excluded from the household size but their income will remain countable.
4. Failure to Provide SSN
If the household is unable to provide an SSN or proof of application at subsequent application submissions, determine if good cause exists. Good cause includes but is not limited to SSA caused delays.
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