got energy? energy assistance program presented by virginia department of social services
TRANSCRIPT
Got Energy?Energy Assistance Program
Presented by Virginia Department of Social Services
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VDSS EAP Team
• Located in the Home Office at 801 E. Main St., Richmond, VA 23219
• Program Manager: Andrea Gregg• Home Office Consultant: Denise Surber• Regional Consultants: Angela Ector
Hagen Hicks Catherine Pond
• Vendor Coordinator: Sandra Spady
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Energy Assistance Program (EAP) Overview
• The EAP is State supervised and locally administered by 120 local Departments of Social Services (LDSS.)
• The EAP is 100% federally funded.• The Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS) distributes LIHEAP funds to States, tribes, and territories, and monitors the administration of the program. (EAP Manual Volume X, Chapter A)
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VDSS Responsibility
To ensure compliance with the LIHEAP Federal Statute and EAP guidance, VDSS EAP Regional Consultants conduct sub-recipient monitoring of local agency’s EAP cases.• Cases are randomly selected from all three
EAP components.
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VDSS Responsibility (continued)
Agencies are identified as large, medium, and small.• Large agencies are monitored every year.• Medium agencies are monitored every two
years.• Small agencies are monitored every three years.
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• An application packet should consist of the component’s application, EAP information sheet, and the EAP fact sheet.
• The customer must sign or make a mark on the application.
• Do not modify the EAP applications.
EAP Applications
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EAP Forms
• We welcome your suggestions and ideas for EAP forms.
• However, all locally-developed forms must be approved by the Home Office.
• You are strongly encouraged to use the State designed EAP forms found on the SPARK page.
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Income
• Calculate income using all pay received the full month prior to application.
(Manual Volume X, Chapter C)
• When determining income, calculate the gross income first and then give any allowable deductions. (Manual Volume IX, Chapter B)
• Determine the Countable Gross Income and round it to the nearest dollar for entry into the system.
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Verifications from Vendors
• A completed Credit Authorization (CA) and an itemized vendor invoice or delivery ticket for each CA must be provided to receive payment.
• The vendor’s representative must sign their name to the CA.
• The customer should sign the vendor’s repair invoice/delivery ticket to verify that the service was provided.
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Verifications from Vendors (continued)
Developing a working relationship with the vendor partners in your locality enables the program to run smoothly and help resolve errors and concerns.• American Electric Power (AEP):
Regina Cardwell #800-956-4237• Dominion Virginia Power (DVP):
[email protected]• Rappahannock Electric Cooperative (REC):
Evelyn Mason #540-898-8500
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Verifications for processing
• Use income verified in an open Public Assistance case, unless the household reports a Significant Change.
• A Significant Change is one that will cause ineligibility or eligibility.
• To verify SSA/SSI, an inquiry in SVES or SDX can be performed.
• The EAP is not authorized by the SSA to use SOLQ for verification.
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Worksheet Evaluations
• Completion of the appropriate EAP evaluation is required for applications. (Manual Volume IX, Chapter C)
• Use of Word-fillable worksheet evaluations is encouraged.
• Evaluations must be signed and dated by the worker.
• If income is verified from the ADAPT case, list every household member’s income separately on the evaluation.
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Case documentation
• Write documentation on the evaluation or a Partial Review form, not on the customer’s application or bill.
• If you have a discussion with a vendor or the household, document the evaluation or the Partial Review form.
• Use the Partial Review form to document subsequent electric bill requests during the Cooling component.
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Data Entry into the EAP system
• Enter the household’s correct e-mail address, if provided.
• The spouse’s SSN must be entered to prevent duplication of benefits and fraud.
• Benefit amounts vary according to the fuel type: oil, kerosene, and dyed kerosene are not interchangeable.
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Data Entry into the EAP system (continued)
If additional funds were used to satisfy the assistance need, enter the total bill amount, other paid amount, and other amount paid code in the EAP system.
• This data is critical for statistical and reporting purposes and used in the EAP Report to the Governor/General Assembly
• The information should be completed for all cases where the EAP benefit was not sufficient to alleviate the crisis etc.
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Data Entry into the EAP system (continued)
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EAP Coding
• Use the Desk Reference Input Codes document found on SPARK to determine the appropriate component codes.
• Enter the correct vulnerability status into the system.
• If a direct pay is made, use the correct direct pay indicator code.
• If the application is denied, ensure it is denied for the correct denial reason.
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EAP Coding (continued)
• The household may be eligible, even if there is an individual, who is not a citizen or a qualified alien.
• The EAP system must be coded with the correct citizenship code and correct number of people in the household.
• All income is counted, but non-citizens who are not qualified aliens are not included in the number of household members.
(Manual Volume IX, Chapter C)
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PA vs. Non-PA household
• Public assistance (PA) is defined by the Code of Virginia as TANF; auxiliary grants; medical assistance; Energy Assistance; SNAP; employment services; child care; and general relief.
(Manual Volume X, Chapter B, Page 2)
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PA vs. Non-PA (continued)
• A PA household is one in which all persons are recipients of PA and/or SSI.
• If even one household member does not receive Public Assistance and/or SSI, the household is NPA.
• Customers that have the Medicare Buy-In are considered PA because it means that that Medicaid is paying the Medicare premium.
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Fuel Assistance component
• The EAP year begins with the Fuel Assistance component and runs through the following Cooling Assistance component because the Federal Fiscal year is October 1 through Sept. 30.
(Manual Volume X, Chapter A)
• Case information may be used through remainder of the season, so using the proper verifications and correct codes is vital.
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Fuel Assistance (continued)
• Household income must be verified through an open PA case or through SVES/SDX or with verifications provided by the household.
• A current primary heating utility bill is not required.
• However, the customer should provide the account name and number from their electric or gas bill.
• The evaluation included on the back of the pre-printed Fuel Assistance application may be used.
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Crisis Assistance component
• Renters are not eligible for heating equipment installation or replacement.
• Renters may be eligible for a repair and/or Supplemental Equipment/ Maintenance.
(Manual Volume IX, Chapter G)
• Written Landlord Authorization is required for all equipment-related services for renters.
• Warranties can only be removed in specific scenarios.
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Crisis Assistance (continued)
• If the household must make a co-pay, clear documentation should be provided on the evaluation or Partial Review form.
• For a disconnection notice, determine if there is any deposit in the disconnection amount.
• Approve the exact amount of the disconnection notice and/or up to $200 of the total deposit owed on the account.
Cooling Assistance component
• The customer does not need to submit another Cooling Assistance application to request help for a second and/or third bill.
• A new Cooling Assistance application is needed when the customer requests a different type of service.
• Update the application date in the EAP system with the date the subsequent bill was submitted to the agency.
(Manual Volume IX, Chapter J)25
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Cooling Assistance (continued)
• If the customer has a working fan, they may receive either a fan or window a/c unit.
• If the customer has a working window a/c unit in any room of the house, Cooling Assistance will not provide another window a/c unit.
• To receive electric bill help, there must be either a working fan, and/or a window a/c unit, or a central a/c unit in the household.
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Cooling Assistance (continued)
Budget Plans• Customers on a budget amount pay a fixed
amount every month, regardless of the current bill amount.
• Always pay the higher amount, no matter if it is the budget amount or the total account balance, unless it will jeopardize the budget plan.
(Volume IX, Chapter J, Page 10)
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VaCMS and the EAP
• The EAP is tentatively scheduled to be converted into VaCMS in September 2016.
• Training is still in the discussion stages and agencies will be notified as more information becomes available.
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VaCMS Advantages
• If the household applies through CommonHelp, VaCMS will be pre-filled with the application information.
• If the household already receives other benefits, the demographic and income information will already be in VaCMS.
• Because the worker uses VaCMS for other programs, the EAP screens will look similar to the other program screens.
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VaCMS Advantages (continued)
• There will be EAP specific screens, in addition to the demographic screens.
• Since all household members will be entered for an application, duplicate addresses and/or household members will be disclosed.
• Two different services, like a repair and a bill payment, can be open at the same time.
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Weatherization Agencies
• Weatherization (wx) agencies provide services to reduce household home energy costs.
• Your locality’s wx agency can work in conjunction with the EAP to assist eligible households.
(Manual Volume X, Chapter A)
• The website for wx agencies in Virginia is http://www.dhcd.virginia.gov/images/Housing/Weatherization-Provider-List.pdf
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Best Practices
• Display an EAP poster in the agency lobby.• Give your agency’s front desk staff an EAP
information sheet, so they can provide basic information for inquiries.
• Consider keeping a log of applications and verifications that are turned in at the front desk.
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Best Practices (continued)
• The EAP does not require keeping printouts for ADAPT, SVES, or SPIDER in the file, the evaluation can be documented with the information and the date viewed.
• Make sure cases contain complete documentation, including any verification checklists and the Notices of Action.
• Attach documentation of the once-per-lifetime deposit to the front of the case record.
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Best Practices (continued)
• Paperwork should be neat and orderly and all the paperwork for the season’s component can be stapled together.
• Color coding case files and/or applications can help keep cases organized.
• Review EAP training information found in SPARK.
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Accessing EAP reports
Reports are located under the Main Menu in in the EAP system.
• Pending cases• Unpaid cases• Approved vendors
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Accessing EAP reports (continued)
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Accessing EAP reports (continued)
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Accessing EAP screens
Notice of Returned Check
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Accessing EAP screens (continued)
Some screens that are located under the Case/Client Menu in the EAP system are:• Payment History• Matrix Points• Credit Authorization Inquiry
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Accessing EAP screens (continued)
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Accessing EAP screens (continued)
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Top five things used when processing applications
1) Desk Reference sheet with Input Codes for the current component.
2) Income chart
3) Maximum benefit amount for the current component
4) Implementation schedule found on the EAP SPARK page.
5) Approved Vendor list with phone numbers and codes
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Contact Information
VDSS Regional Boundaries
VDSS contact information
Sandy Spady - Vendor Coordinator
(804) 726-7379
Angela Ector - Regional EAP consultant
(Piedmont, Western)
(804) 726-7392
Hagen Hicks - Regional EAP consultant
(Northern)
(804) 726-7643
Catherine Pond - Regional EAP consultant
(Central, Eastern)
(804) 726-7026
FAX: (804) 726-7358
44Working in partnership for Virginia’s most vulnerable citizens.
Thank
You