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2013 Energy Assistance Public Hearings. Agenda. HEAP and Winter Crisis Updates Guideline Changes Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP) Plus Updates Testimonies & Questions. HEAP and Winter Crisis Updates. 2012 Energy Assistance Programs.
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Agenda • HEAP and Winter Crisis Updates • Guideline Changes • Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP) Plus Updates • Testimonies & Questions
2013 Energy Assistance Programs Proposed Funding Level ** Based upon Ohio’s allocation of projected funding level for LIHEAP as proposed by the Administration. Both the Senate and House Appropriations Committees have approved approximately $3.4 Billion which is the same as last year’s level
2012 HEAP Program Summary Average HEAP Benefit $ 177.55
2012 HEAP Program Summary Comparison 2008- 2012 Eligible-Applications
2012 Winter Crisis Program Summary Total Households Served by Federal Poverty Ratio Average WCP Benefit $ 338.55
2013 HEAP Outreach Summary • July 18th, 2012 – Began outreach. Elderly and disabled were sent applications first. Applications were then sent to all other households previously found eligible for HEAP in 2012. • Completion date—August 1, 2012 • Over 455,000 applications were distributed to individuals when mailing was completed. • July 24, 2012—Applications began to be distributed by Community Action Agencies, Second Harvest Foodbanks, and other Agencies. • Total distribution of applications will be about 1 million.
2012-2013 Income Guidelines To be eligible a household must have total household income for the last 12 months or 90 days equal to or less than 200% percent of the federal poverty guidelines. The period to be used in determining annual income must not be more than twelve months, or less than the ninety-day period preceding the request for assistance by the household. * For households with more than 8 members, add $7,920 per member.
Countable Income Household income is defined as the total annual gross income before taxes (minus exclusions) of all household members, except earned income of dependent minors under 18 years of age. All income sources and some exclusions must be documented. Head of household and spouse may never be considered minors. Gross household income includes wages, interest dividends, annuities and pensions. Additional sources of countable income include but are not limited to the following: • Social Security Disability (SSDI) • Supplemental Security income (SSI) • Railroad Pensions • Retirement and/or Company Pensions • Social Security • Veteran’s Pensions • Veteran’s Compensation • Company Disability and Black Lung • Strike Benefits • OWF/TANF/DA • Alimony • Unemployment Benefits • Workers’ Compensation • Unearned income paid to or on the behalf of minors • Estate and Trust Settlements (excluding attorney fees) • Capital Gains (Example: Proceeds from sale of property, home and stock) • Utility Allowances (as discretionary income) • Immigrant Relocation Allowance • Adoption Assistance • Child Support • Garnished Wages • Active Military Pay • Cash Gifts • Lump Sum Distribution (prorated when payment is designated for a set period of time)
Excluded Income • Food Stamps/Cash Payment for food stamps • Assets from bank withdrawals • Tax refunds and rebates • Handicapped Income- self-sufficiency programs (e.g., work expenses for the blind) • Loans from individuals or institutions requiring repayment of either principal or principal and interest • Funds/training stipends designated for specific purposes (i.e., educational grants for tuition • and/or books) • Work Allowances (i.e., LEAP) • Transportation Allowances (i.e. Workforce Investment Act (WIA)) • Title V Wages – Older Americans’ Act • Medicare payments • Stipend for Foster Care • Agent Orange Compensation/Benefit • Vista or other Americorp Stipends • Health Insurance Premiums (dental, vision and health insurance, supplemental health insurance) • Prevention, Retention, Contingency (PRC), assistance to attempt to divert families from long-term financial dependency • Title III DREAP • Documented Child Support Paid • Military allowances for subsistence; housing, family separation, etc.
Changes • Department of Development (DOD) to change name to Development Services Agency (DSA) beginning September 28, 2012. • Office of Community Services (OCS) became the Office of Community Assistance (OCA).
Kaizen Event Recommendations • OCA begins to develop an on-line application process based on recommendations from a Kaizen Event. • OCA enhances efforts to collect more e-mail addresses from clients to cut postage costs and reduce paper. • More information on OCA Kaizen event can be found by accessing the lean.ohio.gov website.
Social Security Number/Citizenship Requirements • Social Security Numbers will be required for all household members, regardless of age. • The Energy Assistance Application will continue to request documentation of citizenship or resident alien status for all household members, but it will only be required for the primary applicant.
Program Integrity/Internal Controls • Requirement by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that States supplement their plans with a “Program Integrity Assessment “ in order to receive LIHEAP funding • Part of an effort to ensure that internal controls are in place to prevent, detect, monitor, and prosecute improper payments due to fraud. • Office of Community Assistance (OCA) has established a formal program integrity/fraud prevention section to develop and update procedures for reporting, deterring, and detecting fraud, and for taking corrective actions.
Other Statistics • 115,074 Number of PIPP Plus clients who used the Winter Crisis Benefit • 144,418 Number of PIPP Plus clients who never received an arrearage credit in PY 2011 • 6,407 Number of PIPP Plus clients who made 12 consecutive payments
Current Issues • Working to clean up data issues with the CIR • Notified utilities of “PIPP Plus participants” with very old reverification dates • First Energy stopped sending some required data fields which is impacting the reverification process • The reverification process is looking at last year’s reverification letters sent to the client and continuing the process from that last letter sent
Next Steps • Fix the reverification process • New educational focus to encourage clients to make all their monthly payments
Questions or Testimony When asking questions or giving testimony, please state your name and the agency you are representing, if any.
ADDITIONAL TESTIMONY Mail to: Janet Cesner 77 S. High St., 25th Floor Columbus, OH 43215
