DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WELFARE Supplemental Benefit Plan; Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program [26 Pa.B. 4574] The Department of Public Welfare will implement the Supplemental Benefit Plan (SBP) to provide additional benefits to certain Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) recipients in the 1995-96 program year. The SBP will be funded by the Federal LIHEAP contingency funds released by President Clinton in April 1996. The Commonwealth's share of the contingency funds is $12.2 million. The SBP is governed by the same provisions by which LIHEAP is governed; that is, 42 U.S.C.A. §§ 8621--8629 and the Department's 1995-1996 LIHEAP State Plan.
Benefits will be available to those households with the greatest need; for example, households whose electric or natural gas utility service has been terminated or is in imminent danger of termination. A household that is in imminent danger of termination is one whose electric or natural gas utility service is pending termination, regardless of whether a specific date has been established, due to a past-due account. Utility vendors will provide data to the Department on households for whom they received 1995-96 LIHEAP payments, and who had their service terminated or are in imminent danger of service termination. The amount of benefits to be paid to the utility for credit to the customer's account will be based on the termination status and the amount of the account arrearage as of May 31, 1996. Benefits will range from $45 to $500 per household. The vendor will send a notice of eligibility to the customer.
For eligible households whose electric or natural gas utility service was terminated, service will be reconnected and maintained for 60 days from the date the vendor sends a notice of eligibility to the customer. For those eligible households in which service was not terminated but is in imminent danger of termination, service will be maintained for 60 days from the date the vendor sends a notice of eligibility to the customer. Utility companies will establish a payment plan with eligible households in accordance with the vendor's current policies.
FEATHER O. HOUSTOUN,
SecretaryFiscal Note: 14-NOT-129. No fiscal impact; (8) recommends adoption. This Notice announces the availability of approximately $12.3 million in additional Federal funds to provide supplemental assistance to recipients of the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) whose utility service has been terminated or is in jeopardy of being terminated.
[Pa.B. Doc. No. 96-1590. Filed for public inspection September 20, 1996, 9:00 a.m.]
