An eligible household can get Crisis benefits for weather-related or fuel supply emergencies.
55 Pa. Code § 601.62; LIHEAP State Plan § 601.62
See LIHEAP Handbook Chapter 698
Crisis benefits for energy-supply-shortage emergencies include payment for the following:
Home-heating fuel for a household that is out of fuel or if the heating fuel supply will last less than 15 calendar days. The payment will be for the main fuel type and may include the cost of an added charge for off-hours or off-route delivery service. The payment amount will not exceed the cost of the delivery; including any necessary reconnect fees and/or minor furnace start-up costs. Any credit balance with the household's vendor, including LIHEAP funds that have been authorized and not yet received, will be deemed available to resolve the crisis and will be applied toward the delivery cost first.
Utility bills to restore or continue home-heating service if the household is without heat or in imminent danger of being without heat because of actual or scheduled termination of the main or secondary source of heat by a utility company. The payment may include the charge, if required, for a service reconnection
The amount of a Crisis benefit is the amount needed to resolve the home-heating emergency, subject to the minimum and maximum LIHEAP Crisis benefits allowed.
LIHEAP State Plan § 601.61; 55 Pa. Code § 601.61
The household is ineligible for a Crisis benefit which, alone or combined with other resources available to the household, will not resolve the crisis.
If a household is in a Crisis situation with both their primary and secondary heating sources, the CAO should attempt to resolve both situations. If the available Cash and Crisis benefits are not enough to resolve both emergencies, the CAO will contact the client to choose which heating source they would like the benefits applied to. The household will then be responsible for remedying the crisis with the other heating source.
Any credit balance with the vendor, including but not limited to the LIHEAP Cash component that has been authorized and not yet received, is considered to be available and must be used first for the resolution of the crisis.
The household can have the Crisis grant issued to a secondary heating source only in instances where the secondary fuel is needed to run the main source of heat (e.g., electricity to run an oil furnace) or when the main fuel source is inoperable and their Supplemental heating source has become their main heating source (e.g., kerosene space heaters heat home because gas furnace is inoperable).
When the main fuel type is a deliverable fuel type such as oil, kerosene, propane, wood or coal, the amount needed to resolve the crisis is based on whether the fuel is delivered by the vendor or transported by the applicant.
If delivered, the amount needed to resolve the crisis is the amount needed to fill the tank as much as possible with the funds available, subject to the minimum and the maximum LIHEAP Crisis benefits allowed under the current LIHEAP State Plan. Crisis benefits may be used for off-hour delivery charges.
If not delivered by the vendor, the amount needed to resolve the crisis is the amount that can be transported by the household in one trip. Prior to authorization of payment, a statement is required from the vendor verifying the cost the applicant will incur when the fuel is transported by a non-vendor. A receipt verifying payment was made is not required prior to authorization of payment.
NOTE: If fuel is purchased from a non-participating vendor, verification of payment is required prior to authorization of a direct payment.
Vendors that accept Crisis payments based on utility termination notices or based on reconnection of utility service must agree to maintain ongoing utility service to such households for no less than 30 calendar days from the date of the resolution of the crisis. The amount of a Crisis grant cannot exceed the amount listed on a utility termination notice, subject to the minimum and maximum LIHEAP Crisis benefits allowed. Crisis benefits may be used for reconnect fees.
With regard to Crisis payments approved to regulated utilities during the period referred to in §601.62(2)(ii)(A), the earliest allowable termination date is considered to be 30 days following the resolution of the crisis, or May 1, whichever is later.
All participating energy vendors shall enroll a Crisis recipient in a CAP or establish a budget plan if the monthly CAP or budget plan amount is the most advantageous rate for the household.
An applicant can get more than one Crisis benefit during the heating season. The Crisis benefits must be within the minimum and maximum amounts allowed under the current LIHEAP State Plan.
55 Pa. Code § 601.63; LIHEAP State Plan § 601.63
Reissued January 17, 2018 , replacing November 16,2016