Instructions for Completing the *LIHEAP Household Report for FFY 2008*

## Division of Energy Assistance/OCS/ACF

July 29, 2008

## 

**The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995**

This information collection is conducted in accordance with the Low
Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) statute (Public Law
97-35, as amended), and 45 CFR 96.82. Information received from this
collection provides data to Congress in its oversight of grantees\'
performance in administering the LIHEAP program.

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated
as follows: (1) an average burden of 25 hours per respondent for the
**Recommended Long Format for LIHEAP Assisted Households**, (2) an
average burden of 13 hours per respondent for the **Recommended Format
for LIHEAP Applicant Households**, and (3) an average burden of 1 hour
per respondent for the **Recommended Short Format for LIHEAP Assisted
Households**. The estimates include the time for reviewing instructions,
and gathering, editing, maintaining, and reporting the data.

The responses to this collection are required, except where \"requested
data\" are indicated, in order to obtain LIHEAP funding in accordance
with Section 2605(c)(1)(G) of the LIHEAP statute.

This information is not considered confidential; therefore, no
additional safeguards are considered necessary beyond that customarily
applied to routine government information.

An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to
respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently
valid OMB control number.

**Introduction**

Section 309 of the Human Services Amendments of 1994, Public Law
103-252, amended section 2605(c)(1)(G) of the LIHEAP statute to require
grantees, as part of their annual LIHEAP grant application, to report
certain data on households which apply for LIHEAP assistance and on
households which receive LIHEAP assistance through the following
**Federal LIHEAP funds**:

-   FFY 2008 regular block grant funds, emergency contingency funds,
    and/or leveraging incentive funds;

-   funds carried over from FFY 2007;

-   unobligated FFY 2007 emergency contingency funds;

-   unobligated FFY 2007 leveraging incentive funds;

-   LIHEAP funds obligated in FFY 2007 that were expended in FFY 2008;
    and

-   oil overcharge (Petroleum Violation Escrow) funds, if any, used for
    LIHEAP.

Grant awards will not be made until the required data are received for
the prior fiscal year. In addition, House and Senate Committee reports
on the predecessor bills to Public Law 103-252 have requested additional
information on young children. This additional information is requested,
but is not required.

The purpose of the LIHEAP Household Report is not to count the number
households assisted with FFY 2008 LIHEAP funds. Instead, the purpose is
to count the number of households assisted with LIHEAP funds during FFY
2008.

**General Requirements**

The 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Insular Areas that receive
regular LIHEAP block grant allocations of \$200,000 or more (e.g., the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico) must submit the required data elements
included in: (1) the **Recommended Long Format for LIHEAP Assisted
Households**, and (2) the **Recommended Format for LIHEAP Applicant
Households**. The data are to be submitted with each grantee\'s LIHEAP
grant application, and must include data on households which applied for
LIHEAP assistance and on households which received LIHEAP assistance
during the Federal Fiscal Year (October 1 - September 30) prior to the
Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) for which funds are being requested. The data
must be reported separately for heating, cooling, winter/year round
crisis, summer crisis, and weatherization assistance. Grantees may
choose to operate their programs on a different program year (e.g.,
starting January 1 or July 1). However, the household data still need to
be reported for the FFY.

The **Recommended Long Format for LIHEAP Assisted Households** also
includes space for grantees to report additional information on children
that was requested by the House and Senate Committee Reports. Grantees
are asked to provide the information, if available, in order to allow us
to respond to Congressional requests, but the additional data are not
required.

In order to reduce the burden on small grantees, all Indian Tribes and
Tribal Organizations and those Insular Areas that receive regular LIHEAP
block grant allocations of less than \$200,000 are required to submit
only the data elements included in the **Recommended Short Format for
LIHEAP Assisted Households**.

LIHEAP grant applications will not be considered to be complete without
submission of the data. Consequently, LIHEAP grants will not be awarded
until data reports for the previous FFY are received, and all other
application requirements have been completed.

Given that the *LIHEAP Household Report* needs to be included as part of
the LIHEAP grant application (which is due before the end of the prior
FFY), estimated household data will be accepted with the application so
as not to delay the awarding of LIHEAP grants for the following FFY.
Final LIHEAP household data need to be submitted to OCS by **December
15, 2008** in preparation of the Department's *LIHEAP Report to Congress
for FFY 2008*.

**Unduplicated Household Counts**

Grantees are required to report in the LIHEAP Household Report
"unduplicated counts" of LIHEAP applicant and assisted households for
the Federal Fiscal Year. Please note the following:

1.  An unduplicated number of assisted households by type of LIHEAP
    assistance means that:

-   A household is to be counted only once under the specific type of
    LIHEAP assistance received by the household. For example, a
    household received three heating assistance benefits or services.
    Count that household once under heating assistance.

-   A household is to be counted only once under each specific types of
    LIHEAP assistance received by the household. For example, a
    household receives two heating assistance benefits and three winter
    crisis assistance benefits. Count that household once under heating
    assistance and once under winter crisis assistance.

-   A household receives "fast track" or "expedited" heating assistance
    in a crisis fuel situation when the grantee does not have a separate
    amount of funds designated for crisis fuel assistance. Count that
    household once under heating assistance and once under crisis
    assistance. The expediting or fast tracking constitutes crisis
    intervention and the payment to the household constitutes heating
    assistance.

-   An unduplicated number of households by poverty level means that a
    household is to be counted only once under a poverty level for a
    specific type of LIHEAP assistance. For example, a household
    receives heating assistance and has a poverty level of 79% poverty.
    Count that household once under the interval of "75%-100% poverty."
    Adding the number of households across the poverty levels will equal
    the total number of households assisted for that assistance. If this
    is not the case, please the note reason why. We will follow up with
    the State to have this problem corrected for the following Fiscal
    Year's LIHEAP Household Report.

The following scenarios about five households provide further examples
of the counting and reporting of unduplicated household counts by type
of LIHEAP assistance:

  ---------------------- -------------- ------------- --------------- ---------- ------------ ----------
                         **Number of                                                          
                         Assisted                                                             
                         Households by                                                        
                         Type of LIHEAP                                                       
                         Assistance**                                                         

  Type of LIHEAP         **Heating**    **Cooling**   **Winter/Year   **Summer   **Other      **Wxz.**
  Assistance Received                                 Round Crisis**  Crisis**   Crisis\***   
  During FFY                                                                                  

  **Household A**        1              0             0               1          0            0
  receives three heating                                                                      
  assistance benefits                                                                         
  and one summer crisis                                                                       
  assistance benefit.                                                                         

  **Household B**        1              1             0               0          0            1
  receives a heating                                                                          
  assistance benefit, a                                                                       
  cooling assistance                                                                          
  benefit, and                                                                                
  weatherization                                                                              
  assistance.                                                                                 

  **Household C**        0              0             1               1          1            0
  receives a winter/year                                                                      
  round crisis benefit,                                                                       
  emergency replacement                                                                       
  of its heating unit,                                                                        
  and summer crisis                                                                           
  assistance benefit                                                                          

  **Household D**        1              0             1               0          0            0
  receives an                                                                                 
  "expedited" or "fast                                                                        
  tracked" heating                                                                            
  assistance benefit to                                                                       
  avoid a utility                                                                             
  shutoff.                                                                                    

  **Household E**        1              1             1               1          1            1
  receives "fast                                                                              
  tracked" heating                                                                            
  assistance, regular                                                                         
  cooling assistance,                                                                         
  summer crisis                                                                               
  assistance,                                                                                 
  replacement of an air                                                                       
  conditioner, and                                                                            
  weatherization                                                                              
  assistance                                                                                  

                                                                                              

  Unduplicated Number Of **4**          **2**         **3**           **3**      **2**        **2**
  Assisted Households,                                                                        
  By Type Of LIHEAP                                                                           
  Assistance                                                                                  
  ---------------------- -------------- ------------- --------------- ---------- ------------ ----------

\*Other crisis assistance is to be used for those household that cannot
be categorized as receiving either

winter/year round or summer crisis fuel assistance. Please provide a
note as to what type of other crisis assistance (e.g., crisis furnace
repair) has been provided for the households counted under that
category.

**Recommended Short Format for LIHEAP Assisted Households**

Those Insular Areas that receive regular LIHEAP block grant allocations
of less than \$200,000 and **all** Indian Tribes and Tribal
Organizations must report only on the number of assisted households by
type of LIHEAP assistance. Report an unduplicated count of assisted
households for each type of LIHEAP assistance provided to households
(see instructions above on unduplicated household counts).

**Recommended Long Format for LIHEAP Assisted Households**

The 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Insular Areas that receive
regular LIHEAP block grant allocations of \$200,000 or more must report
on the **required** data elements described below and at their option,
on the **requested** data elements described below.

##### **Number of Assisted Households\--Required Data**

Report an unduplicated count of assisted households for each type of
LIHEAP assistance provided (see instructions above on unduplicated
household counts).

##### **Number of Assisted Households by Poverty Level\--Required Data**

Count an assisted household under the poverty level which is determined
by the household\'s **gross annual income** and the number of
**household members**. Gross income is the household\'s income before
any deductions or adjustments, such as taxes or medical costs, are made
to household income. Household members represent those related and/or
unrelated individuals who are living together as one economic unit for
whom residential energy is customarily purchased in common or who make
undesignated payments for residential energy in the form of rent.
(U.S.C. 8622)

A household\'s gross annual income can change during the fiscal year. If
a household received two benefits or services under the same type of
LIHEAP assistance, use the household\'s gross annual income at the time
of the initial determination of benefits or services in calculating that
household\'s poverty level for statistical reporting.

If gross income determinations are made using less than a full year\'s
income for a household, the months of income used in making the LIHEAP
income eligibility determination need to be annualized, e.g., 12 times
one month of household income, or 4 times 3 months of household income.
Gross income is also needed for those households that are categorically
eligible for LIHEAP assistance, such as households receiving Temporary
Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), SSI, Food Stamps, or certain
needs-tested veterans' benefits.

Poverty levels must be reported according to the intervals set out in
the format. The poverty levels must be based on the HHS Poverty
Guidelines in effect at the beginning of the FFY. The HHS Poverty
Guidelines are normally published in February, and may be put into
effect at any time between the date of publication and October 1, the
beginning of the following FFY, or by the beginning of a grantee\'s
fiscal year, whichever is later. The poverty levels for the *LIHEAP
Household Report* must be based on the HHS Poverty Guidelines that were
in effect at the beginning of that FFY. For the 2007 HHS Poverty
Guidelines that were in effect on October 1, 2007 see:
[www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/liheap/guidance/information_memoranda/im07-01.html](http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/liheap/guidance/information_memoranda/im07-01.html)

The calculation and aggregation of individual poverty levels are best
handled by computer programming. The specific method of calculating an
assisted household\'s poverty level for FFY 2008 is as follows:

-   Obtain information on the assisted household\'s gross income and
    number of members in that household.

```{=html}
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-   Refer to the 2007 HHS Poverty Guidelines for your State's dollar
    amount that constitutes 100 percent of the Poverty Guidelines for
    the number of members in the assisted household.

-   Divide the assisted household\'s gross income by the dollar amount
    equal to 100 percent of the 2007 HHS Poverty Guidelines, multiply
    the result by 100, and express the result as a rounded percent of
    the 2007 HHS Poverty Guidelines.

-   Based on the calculated percent, count the assisted household under
    the appropriate poverty interval. Adding the number of assisted
    households by poverty intervals will result in the unduplicated
    number of assisted households for each type of LIHEAP assistance. If
    this is not the case, please note the reason why. We will follow up
    with the State to have this problem corrected for the following
    Fiscal Year's LIHEAP Household Report.

Below are three examples of calculating an assisted household\'s poverty
level for the *LIHEAP Household Report for FFY 2008*.

1.  A heating assistance household from Florida has a gross income of
    \$13,745 and one household member. According to the 2007 HHS Poverty
    Guidelines for Florida, \$10,210 represents 100% of the Poverty
    Guidelines for a 1-person household. Divide \$13,745 by \$10,210 and
    multiply by 100 = 134.6229%. Rounding off to the nearest whole
    percent = 135% of the 2007 HHS Poverty Guidelines. The household is
    counted under the interval of "125% to 150% poverty" for heating
    assistance.

2.  A winter crisis assistance household from Oklahoma has a gross
    income of \$28,325 and five household members. According to the 2007
    HHS Poverty Guidelines for Oklahoma, \$24,130 represents 100% of the
    HHS Poverty Guidelines for a 5-person household. Divide \$28,325 by
    \$24,130 and multiply by 100 = 117.3850%. Rounding off to the
    nearest whole percent = 117% of the 2007 HHS Poverty Guidelines. The
    household is counted under the interval of "100% to 125% poverty"
    for winter crisis assistance.

3.  A weatherization assistance household from New Mexico has a gross
    income of \$30,000 and nine household members. According to the 2007
    HHS Poverty Guidelines for New Mexico, \$38,050 represents 100% of
    the HHS Poverty Guidelines for a household with 9 members. Divide
    \$30,000 by \$38,050 and multiply by 100 = 78.8436%. Rounding off to
    the nearest whole percent = 79% of the 2007 HHS Poverty Guidelines.
    The household is then counted under the interval of "75% to 100%
    poverty" for weatherization assistance.

***Number of assisted households by target groups\--Required Data***

Each target group requires an unduplicated count of assisted households
by type of LIHEAP assistance received that have at least one member who
is either of the following at the time of LIHEAP eligibility
determination:

1.  elderly for all assisted households having at least one member 60
    years or older;

2.  disabled (using the grantee\'s definition of \"disabled\", as the
    LIHEAP statute does not define the term); and

3.  age 5 years or under (include all children who are not yet 6 years
    old, that is, up to 5 years and 364 days old).

Please note the following (see also examples of Counting Target Group
Households for LIHEAP Household Report at the end of the instructions):

-   If an assisted household has members who are 60 years or older,
    disabled, or age 5 years or under, count that household once under
    each target group. For example, a household receiving heating
    assistance includes one child 2 years old, another child 4 years
    old, and an elderly member who also is disabled. This household
    would be counted once under each of the following target groups
    (required data) for the heating assistance component: 60 years or
    older; disabled; and age 5 or under.

-   An assisted household with two or more members in the same target
    group is to be counted once. For example, a household with two
    members who are 65 years old each would be counted once under \"60
    years or older.\"

The following scenarios about four households provide further examples
of the counting and reporting of unduplicated household counts for a
specific type of LIHEAP assistance:

**Required (Mandatory) Data Counts of Target Groups**

(**E**) elderly (**D**) disabled (**C**) a young child 5 years or under

+-------------+------------+----------+----------+-----------+-------+
| Target      | [Household | [H       | [H       | [         | Total |
| Group       | A]{.       | ousehold | ousehold | Household |       |
| Category    | underline} | BI]{.un  | C]{.un   | D]{.u     | n     |
|             |            | derline} | derline} | nderline} | umber |
|             | Cathy\--29 |          |          |           | of    |
|             |            | Al       | And      | Sy        |       |
|             | Frank\--36 | ice\--46 | rew\--42 | lvia\--23 | ass   |
|             |            |          | (**D**)  |           | isted |
|             | G          | Tom\--17 |          | Carl\--27 |       |
|             | ranny\--67 |          | Paul     |           | house |
|             | (**E**)    | F        | ine\--35 | Ra        | holds |
|             |            | ran---12 |          | ymond\--2 |       |
|             | G          |          | Gran     | (**C\***) |       |
|             | ramps\--76 |          | dma\--72 |           |       |
|             | (**E**)    |          | (**E**)  | Chet\--4  |       |
|             | (**D**)    |          |          | (*        |       |
|             |            |          | Cha      | *C\***\*) |       |
|             |            |          | rlie\--5 |           |       |
|             |            |          | (**      | Ellen\--5 |       |
|             |            |          | C\*\***) | (*        |       |
|             |            |          |          | *C\*\***) |       |
+-------------+------------+----------+----------+-----------+-------+
|             | **REQUIRED |          |          |           |       |
|             | DATA**     |          |          |           |       |
+-------------+------------+----------+----------+-----------+-------+
| Number of   | 1          | 1        | 1        | 1         | 4     |
| assisted    |            |          |          |           |       |
| households  |            |          |          |           |       |
+-------------+------------+----------+----------+-----------+-------+
| **Number of |            |          |          |           |       |
| assisted    |            |          |          |           |       |
| households  |            |          |          |           |       |
| with at     |            |          |          |           |       |
| least one   |            |          |          |           |       |
| member who  |            |          |          |           |       |
| is:**       |            |          |          |           |       |
+-------------+------------+----------+----------+-----------+-------+
| 60 years or | 1          | 0        | 1        | 0         | 2     |
| older       |            |          |          |           |       |
| (**E**)     |            |          |          |           |       |
+-------------+------------+----------+----------+-----------+-------+
| Disabled    | 1          | 0        | 1        | 0         | 2     |
| (**D**)     |            |          |          |           |       |
+-------------+------------+----------+----------+-----------+-------+
| Age 5 years | 0          | 0        | 1        | 1         | 2     |
| or under    |            |          |          |           |       |
| (**C**)     |            |          |          |           |       |
+-------------+------------+----------+----------+-----------+-------+

##### **Breakout of assisted households by young children\--Requested Data**

Both House Report 103-483 and Senate Report 103-251 on S. 2000, the
predecessor to Public Law 103-252 (the Human Services Amendments of
1994), instructed the Department to develop reporting requirements that
distinguish between children under 3 years of age and those 3 through 5
years of age.

The count of assisted households with at least one child 5 years or
under is **required**. Counts of assisted households with at least one
child who is (1) 2 years old or under and (2) between 3 years through 5
years are **requested, i.e., optional,** data items if the grantee
elects to report the data.

If reporting the requested data, **first** count the number of assisted
households with at least one child 5 years or under for each type of
LIHEAP assistance provided. Using that count of assisted households,
count the number of those assisted households with at least one child
who is 2 years old or under. Repeat the same procedure for those
assisted households with at least one child between 3 years through 5
years old.

  -----------------------------------------------------------------------
  The sum of the number of households with at least one child 2 years or
  under (requested data) and the number of households with at least one
  child 3 years through 5 years (requested data) should **be greater**
  than the number of households with at least one child 5 years or under
  (required data). Households with children under the two age groups
  would be counted twice, once under each of the requested age category.
  Further clarification of counting households by target group is
  illustrated below.

  -----------------------------------------------------------------------

**Requested (Optional) Data Counts of Young Children**

(**C\***) a young child age 2 years or under (**C\*\***) a young child
age 3 years through 5 years

+-------------+------------+----------+----------+-----------+-------+
| Target      | [Household | [H       | [H       | [         | Total |
| Group       | A]{.       | ousehold | ousehold | Household |       |
| Category    | underline} | BI]{.un  | C]{.un   | D]{.u     | n     |
|             |            | derline} | derline} | nderline} | umber |
|             | Cathy\--29 |          |          |           | of    |
|             |            | Al       | And      | Sy        |       |
|             | Frank\--36 | ice\--46 | rew\--42 | lvia\--23 | ass   |
|             |            |          | (**D**)  |           | isted |
|             | G          | Tom\--17 |          | Carl\--27 |       |
|             | ranny\--67 |          | Paul     |           | house |
|             | (**E**)    | F        | ine\--35 | Ra        | holds |
|             |            | ran---12 |          | ymond\--2 |       |
|             | G          |          | Gran     | (**C\***) |       |
|             | ramps\--76 |          | dma\--72 |           |       |
|             | (**E**)    |          | (**E**)  | Chet\--4  |       |
|             | (**D**)    |          |          | (*        |       |
|             |            |          | Cha      | *C\***\*) |       |
|             |            |          | rlie\--5 |           |       |
|             |            |          | (**      | Ellen\--5 |       |
|             |            |          | C\*\***) | (*        |       |
|             |            |          |          | *C\*\***) |       |
+-------------+------------+----------+----------+-----------+-------+
| **Number of | *          |          |          |           |       |
| assisted    | *REQUESTED |          |          |           |       |
| households  | DATA**     |          |          |           |       |
| with at     |            |          |          |           |       |
| least one   |            |          |          |           |       |
| member who  |            |          |          |           |       |
| is:**       |            |          |          |           |       |
+-------------+------------+----------+----------+-----------+-------+
| Age 2 years | 0          | 0        | 0        | 1         | 1     |
| or under    |            |          |          |           |       |
| (**C\***)   |            |          |          |           |       |
+-------------+------------+----------+----------+-----------+-------+
| Age 3 years | 0          | 0        | 1        | 1         | 2     |
| through 5   |            |          |          |           |       |
| years       |            |          |          |           |       |
| (**C\*\***) |            |          |          |           |       |
+-------------+------------+----------+----------+-----------+-------+

**Recommended Format for LIHEAP Applicant Households**

The 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Insular Areas that receive
regular LIHEAP block grant allocations of \$200,000 or more must report
on the data elements described below.

Information is needed on all households that apply for LIHEAP
assistance, whether or not they actually receive LIHEAP assistance. The
definition of \"applicant\" households is left to LIHEAP grantees, as
the LIHEAP statute does not define the term. Consequently, there will be
variation in counts due to differences in how grantees define
\"applicant\" households. For example, some grantees may not count those
households screened out before a formal LIHEAP application is completed.
Also, some grantees may not have households complete a LIHEAP
application form once the program closes. (Those households that receive
LIHEAP assistance should also be reported on the LIHEAP Assisted
Household Report.)

##### **Number of applicant households\--Required Data**

Report an unduplicated count of households applying for each type of
LIHEAP assistance, whether or not they actually receive assistance (see
instructions above on unduplicated household counts).

##### **Applicant households by poverty level\--Required Data**

##### Report on the number of applicant households by poverty intervals (including households in which no income is available) as described above the assisted households. Adding the number of application households by poverty level intervals (including households in which no income is available) will result in the unduplicated number of applicant households for each type of LIHEAP assistance.