SECTION 6.307. Subrecipient Requirements for Customer Eligibility Criteria, Provision of Services, and Establishing Priority for Eligible Households

(a) The customer income eligibility level is at or below 150% of the federal poverty level in effect at the time the customer makes an application for services.

(b) Categorical Eligibility for CEAP benefits exists when at least one person in the Household receives assistance from:

(1) SSI payments from the Social Security Administration;

(2) Means Tested Veterans Program payments. See paragraph (38) of §6.2 of this chapter (relating to Definitions);

(3) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP); or

(4) Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).

(c) A complete application is required for all Households. Subrecipient shall determine customer income using the definition of income and process described in §6.4 of this chapter (relating to Income Determination). Household income documentation must be collected by the Subrecipient for the purposes of determining the Household's benefit level.

(d) Social security numbers are not required for applicants.

(e) Subrecipient must establish a written procedure to serve Households that have a Vulnerable Population Household member, Households with High Energy Burden, and Households with High Energy Consumption. High Energy Burden shall be the highest rated item in sliding scale priority determinations. The Subrecipient must maintain documentation of the use of the criteria.

(f) A Dwelling Unit cannot be served if the meter is utilized by another Household that is not a part of the application for assistance. In instances where separate structures share a meter and the applicant is otherwise eligible for assistance, Subrecipient must provide services if:

(1) The members of the separate structures that share a meter meet the definition of a Household per §6.2 of this chapter;

(2) The members of the separate structures that share a meter submit one application as one Household; and

(3) All persons and applicable income from each structure are counted when determining eligibility.

(g) United States Citizen, United States National, or Qualified Alien. Except for items described in 10 TAC §6.310(c)(4) and §6.310(d) (relating to Crisis Assistance Component), Unqualified Aliens are not eligible to receive CEAP benefits. Mixed Status Households shall not be denied CEAP assistance based solely on the presence of a non-qualified member, except if the member is the sole member of the Household. In accordance with §1.410(f) of this Title, relating to Exemptions under PRWORA, Subrecipients must document U.S. Citizen, U.S. National, and Qualified Alien status using the Department approved form. Qualified Alien status must also be verified and documented using SAVE.

(h) Subrecipient must begin providing utility assistance services to customers upon receipt of Contract and throughout the Contract Term unless Subrecipient has expended its entire Contract.

(i) Subrecipient must develop and publicly display a written procedure addressing the timeframe within which applications are determined to be eligible or ineligible once the application is complete, processing of the application and assistance delivery, and notification to the applicant.

Source Note: The provisions of this §6.307 adopted to be effective December 2, 2021, 46 TexReg 8012; amended to be effective January 1, 2023, 47 TexReg 8529