18 Miss. Code. R. 24-5.8 - Eligibility Documentation
Applicants must verify eligibility through the submission of documents. When possible, MDHS and/or the subgrantee will access other documentary evidence in available data bases. However, proof of eligibility requirements is the applicant's responsibility. A document may serve to prove more than one requirement and should not be submitted more than once. The following is a list of acceptable proof for each requirement:
A. Social Security Cards are required for all
household members. For newborns (less than 8 weeks old) who do not have a
Social Security card, the application can be processed without adding the child
but count any income for the child in determining household income.
Effective January 1, 2019, subgrantees shall no longer keep copies of
Social Security cards and Personal Identifiable Information (PII) documentation
in client files. These documents must be scanned into the Virtual ROMA system
only and given back to the client.
B. Photo Identification Documentation
1) A photo I.D. is required for all household
members 18 years of age and over. Acceptable documents include, but are not
limited to:
a. Driver's license
b. State-issued l.D.
c. U.S. Passport
d. U.S. Military I.D.
e. Employment I.D.
f. College/School I.D.
g. Tribal I.D.
h. Alien: Photo I.D. plus Alien
Registration/Permanent Resident Card
i. Temporary Resident Card
j. Voter Registration I.D. with
photo
2) If the photo
I.D. is expired, the applicant shall not be denied services. Subgrantee should
work with the applicant through case management or referral to obtain a valid
I.D.
3) For elderly/disabled
homebound clients, the photo I.D. can be expired. Please do not take pictures
and do not deny the client if a photo I.D. is not available. Caseworkers should
update notes to include the visit and state that some form of I.D. was secured.
This can be used as a substitute for the required document scan of the photo
I.D.
C. Energy Bill
1) Applicant must present the energy bill to
be paid, or the subgrantee may access vendor portals to obtain the
bill.
2) Propane clients must
obtain a 12-month printout of their account from the company. Also, a quote (on
company letterhead or printout) of the price of gas per gallon times the number
of gallons (100) plus any applicable fees must be obtained. Example: 100
gallons times $3.00 per gallon = $300.00 plus other fees (list them) $15.00 =
$315.00. If the client cannot obtain this information, the agency must contact
the propane company to obtain.
3)
Pre-pay accounts- Caseworker should access the company's portal or website. A
copy of the client's account page should pull up. It will state an average bill
amount which is an average monthly amount. This average bill amount should be
allocated, plus any past due amount. The total amount allocated must not exceed
the benefit matrix amount for the client. If an energy company docs not have a
portal/website to access this information, the client must obtain a printout
from the energy company to state this information. The printout must be scanned
into VR2 and tagged to Invoice/Bill for the energy type.
4) The bill(s) must be in the name of the
head of household or spouse.
5) If
the bill is in the name of a deceased, incarcerated, divorced, or estranged
spouse; subgrantee can pay the bill for the initial application. Subgrantee
shall assist the applicant with getting the bill changed into his/her name
before any subsequent bills can be paid. In the case of a deceased spouse, the
surviving spouse can request the vendor to put "in care of' for subsequent
bills.
6) If the bill is in the
landlord's name and the applicant is responsible for paying the bill directly
to a vendor, documentation is needed to verify the tenant's living status. This
documentation can be a notarized statement from the landlord or a copy of the
lease agreement stating the arrangement. The landlord cannot request services
on behalf of tenant/clicnt.
7) The
bill cannot be paid if it is in the name of a child (under 18), even if the
child lives in the household. The applicant is responsible for paying that
bill, and the subgrantee can subsequently assist applicant with getting the
bill changed into his/her name by advocating with the energy vendor.
8) Other miscellaneous charges on the bill
that are not energy-related cannot be paid, such as appliance purchases or
tampering fees.
9) For households
that heat with the smaller propane tanks (less than 100 gallon tanks), agency
should approve for a minimum of 100 gallons.
10) If a household uses part of the residence
for self-employment or work-at-home, a prorated bill for residential use must
be provided. Only the amount of the residential portion can be paid from LIHEAP
funds.
Notes
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