506.3 Determining Entitlement to Expedited Service

A household is entitled to expedited service if it meets any of the following criteria in the month of application:

• All members are migrant or seasonal farm workers who are destitute as defined in Chapter 516,  Migrant or Seasonal Farm Workers, have $100 or less in liquid resources and nothing else to live on.

NOTE: The CAO must use actual income received or expected to be received in the month to determine entitlement.

• The value of total liquid resources is $100 or less, and countable monthly gross income is less than $150.

• The household’s combined monthly gross income and liquid resources are less than its monthly shelter expenses. Shelter expenses include rent or mortgage, property taxes, homeowner's insurance, and the appropriate Standard Utility Allowance (SUA) based on the obligation to pay utility bills.

When determining entitlement, the County Assitance Office (CAO) must apply the appropriate SUA. To know what SUA is appropriate, the CAO must consider whether the household:

• Incurs a heating or cooling cost,
• Received assistance under the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and has an elderly (age 60 or older) or disabled household member. 
• Receives the Heat and Eat (H&E) Benefit or is going to receive the Heat and Eat Benefit.

NOTE: A household must have an elderly or disabled household member to be eligible to receive the H&E benefit.

7 CFR § 273.2(i)1)

Updated March 12, 2016, replacing  July 3, 2014