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CARE Enrollment Requirements

CARE Enrollment Requirements. LIOB Meeting May 16, 2013 San Francisco, California. Establishment of CARE. CARE originated from Senate Bill (SB) 987 (enacted in 1988), which amended Section 739 of the CA PU Code.

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CARE Enrollment Requirements

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  1. CARE Enrollment Requirements LIOB Meeting May 16, 2013San Francisco, California

  2. Establishment of CARE • CARE originated from Senate Bill (SB) 987 (enacted in 1988), which amended Section 739 of the CA PU Code. • Through Decisions 89-07-062 and 89-09-044, the CPUC authorized the CARE program (originally called Low Income Rate Assistance or “LIRA”) on November 1, 1989. • The program initially provided eligible low-income ratepayers with a 15 percent discount* on energy rates. Program eligibility was established at 150% of the federal poverty guidelines using General Order 153, similar to Universal Lifeline Telephone Service. * Customers currently receive 20% rate discount along with reduced service establishment fees.

  3. Current CARE Requirements • The California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) program provides a monthly discount on energy billsfor income-qualified residential single-family households, tenants of sub-metered residential facilities, nonprofit group living facilities, agricultural employee housing facilities and migrant farm worker housing centers. • CARE income guidelines are set at 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. • Customers self-certify and are subject to random post-enrollment verification • CARE is funded through a public purpose charge on customer utility bills paid by non-CARE customers

  4. Other CARE Eligibility Conditions • The utility bill must be in the Applicant’s name and the address must be the primary address. • Applicant must not be claimed as a dependent on another person’s income tax return (other than spouse). • If Applicant is recently unemployed, household income will be calculated from the date of unemployment. • Applicant must notify utility within 30 days if income level changes to no longer qualify for program. • Applicant signs acknowledgement of conditions that application information is true and correct.

  5. CARE Enrollment Requirements • CA Public Utilities Code Section 739.1(b)(1) • The commission shall establish a program of assistance to low-income electric and gas customers with annual household incomes that are no greater than 200 percent of the federal poverty guideline levels, the cost of which shall not be borne solely by any single class of customer. The program shall be referred to as the California Alternate Rates for Energy or CARE program. The commission shall ensure that the level of discount for low-income electric and gas customers correctly reflects the level of need.

  6. CARE Enrollment Requirements • General Order 153 • Section 2.57 defines “total household income” to mean “[a]ll revenues, from all members of a household, from whatever source derived, whether taxable or non-taxable, including, but not limited to: wages, salaries, interest, dividends, spousal support and child support, grants, gifts, allowances, stipends, public assistance payments, social security and pensions, rental income, income from self employment and cash payments from other sources, and all employment related, non-cash income.” • Section 2.29 (which sets forth the procedures for the Commission’s “Lifeline” program) defines household as “any individual or group of individuals living together as one economic unit in the same residence.”

  7. CARE Income Eligibility Criteria • In 2012, Energy Division used the Federal Poverty Guideline (FPG) values corresponding to correct household size to calculate and update annual income limits for CARE and ESA. • This included decoupling one- and two-person household income limits, which are now listed separately, pursuant to Resolution E-3524.

  8. CARE Income Eligibility Criteria • D.06-12-038 authorized IOUs to enroll customers in CARE and ESA through categorical eligibility. • D.11-08-031 determined that categorical programs for CARE should be the same as those adopted for the California Lifeline Program • A household can enroll in CARE by declaring that a member of the household receives benefits from one of the authorized government means-tested programs. Categorically Eligible Programs for CARE include: • Medicaid or Medi-Cal, Healthy Families A&B, • Women, Infants, & Children (WIC), • CalWORKs (TANF) or Tribal TANF, • Head Start Income Eligible - Tribal Only, • Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance, • CalFresh / SNAP (Food Stamps), • National School Lunch Program (NSLP), • Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), • Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

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