Applicants and recipients have the right to:
Have an application mailed to them.
Be referred to an agency that can help them apply for LIHEAP.
Have an application accepted on the date it is filed as long as it contains the name, address and signature of the applicant.
Bring anyone they choose to an interview or to represent them at a hearing.
Get a decision on eligibility within 30 calendar days of the date the signed application is received by the CAO.
Get a written notice that explains an eligibility decision or change in the benefit amount.
Be treated with dignity and respect.
Receive services without discrimination.
Have case information kept confidential.
Appeal and have a fair hearing if they disagree with the agency’s action or failure to act or believe the agency has discriminated against them.
See their case records and DHS rules and procedures.
A member of the applicant household must fill out and submit the application to the CAO or an agency designated by DHS before the end of the program year. The person filling out the application must: 55 Pa. Code § 601.21
Answer all questions on the form.
Sign and date the form.
Give the form to the CAO or an agency designated by DHS to accept applications.
Give proof of income.
Give proof of responsibility for heating costs.
Give new information or a new application if the household’s energy provider changes or if a new member moves into, or out of, the household.
Give other proof, if the CAO asks for it, to determine eligibility and the benefit amount.
When a person contacts the CAO by telephone to apply for LIHEAP, the CAO must take the following actions:
Tell the applicant that eligibility is not determined over the telephone.
Send the applicant a HSEA-1.
Tell the person to come to the CAO only if specific help is needed.
Make a referral to an agency that can help the person file an application.
Tell the person that an application may be filed electronically through COMPASS or by mail.
The CAO also must do the following:
Make sure that application forms are readily available.
Provide help to complete applications, if needed.
Provide information about services available from DHS and other agencies.
Respect the client’s personal dignity and right to privacy.
Safeguard information, as described in Supplemental Handbook Chapter 930, Safeguarding Information.
Determine eligibility for a Cash grant within 30 calendar days of the date of application, and authorize benefits if the applicant is eligible.
Provide a written notice of eligibility or ineligibility.
Explain the right to appeal and have a fair hearing if the client is not satisfied with the agency’s action.
Explain to applicants with hearing impairment that they may use family or friends as interpreters or transliterators. (At a fair hearing, the CAO must arrange for an official interpreter or transliterator.)
Follow case record retention procedures as outlined in Supplemental Handbook Chapter 815, Case Record Retention.
Reviewed August 15, 2025, replacing August 20, 2024