COMM_LIHEAP_OMB HHRInstrLongForm FY22_121721

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Instructions for the LIHEAP Household Report for FFY 2022–Long Form

Division of Energy Assistance

Office of Community Services

Administration for Children and Families

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

[DATE TBD]

The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

This information collection (OMB Control No. 0970-0060; Expiration Date: XX/XX/XXXX 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 the Administration and Congress in its oversight of grant recipients' performance in administering the LIHEAP program.

Public reporting burden for this information collection, LIHEAP Household Report for Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2022—Long Form, is estimated to be an average burden of 43 hours per respondent. The estimates include the time for reviewing instructions, and gathering, editing, maintaining, and reporting the data.

The responses to this information collection are required in order to obtain LIHEAP funding data in accordance with Section 2605(c)(1)(G) of the LIHEAP statute. This information collection is required of the 50 States, District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico that are applying for FFY 2022 funds. Direct-grant Indian tribes/tribal organizations are to report on the number of households assisted on the LIHEAP Household Report for FFY 2022—Short Form.

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.

LIHEAP data is submitted through the Administration for Children and Families’ (ACF’s) Online Data

Collection (OLDC) system, a component of Grant Solutions. After signing on to OLDC, select the

LIHEAP Household Report Long Form for FY 2022.

After signing on to the Online Data Collection (OLDC) system, select OLDC Report and follow the steps for accessing the LIHEAP Household Report-Long Form for FFY 2022. The instructions for completing the Report are built into the Report itself through hyperlinks. A tutorial is also available at the link below using the Carryover Report as an example. (Note: you must log-in to your OLDC account before clicking the link below). The process for completing and submitting the Report is the same for the Household Report form in OLDC.

Final LIHEAP household data for FY 2022 will be reviewed in OLDC for consistency with each state’s

LIHEAP Model Plan for FY 2022 and later with the data reported in each state’s LIHEAP Performance Data Form for FY 2022.

The reporting instructions are organized into the following sections and subsections:

Introduction

Key Reporting Reminders for FY 2022 Reporting

Federal LIHEAP Funds

Basic Types of LIHEAP Assistance

Other Types of LIHEAP Assistance

Data Sections of the LIHEAP Household Report

Concept of Unduplicated Household Counts

General Requirements

Grant Recipient Information

Reporting Period

Definition of Household

Estimated vs. Actual Household Counts

State Calculated vs. OLDC Calculated Totals

Households Receiving “Other” LIHEAP Assistance”

Data Consistency

Household Data Elements

Section I. Number of Assisted Households

Number of Households for EACH Type of Assistance

Number of Households for ANY Type of Assistance

Number of Households Receiving Bill Payment Assistance

Number of Households Receiving Nominal Payment Assistance

Section II. Number of Assisted Households by Poverty Intervals

Uniform Counting and Reporting

Gross Household Income Adjusted by Household Size

Calculating and Assigning Households to Poverty Percent Intervals

Section III. Number of Assisted Households by Vulnerable Populations

Number of Vulnerable Households by Each Vulnerable Group for EACH Type of Assistance

Number of Vulnerable Households by Any Vulnerable Group for EACH Type of Assistance

Number of Vulnerable Households by Each Vulnerable Group for ANY Type of Assistance

Number of Vulnerable Households by Any Vulnerable Group, for ANY Type of Assistance

Section IV. Number of Applicant Households

Section V. Number of Applicant Households by Poverty Intervals

Section VI. Number of Assisted Households by Young Child Age Category (Optional)

Notes

Certification

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 grant recipients, 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 in the most recent Federal Fiscal Year.

September 1, 2022 is the deadline for all grant recipients to submit their preliminary LIHEAP Household Report for FFY 2022 as part of their LIHEAP state plans for FFY 2022 and December 31, 2022 is the due date to submit final data. (This date may be extended for tribal grant recipients if the state in which the tribe is located agrees to a later date. The date may be extended for state or territorial grant recipients if HHS agrees to a later date.). However, any requests for extension need to be made before that date.

LIHEAP grant applications will not be considered complete without submission of the data in the LIHEAP Household Report in OLDC, including the identifying information.

Estimated data is due to ACF by September 1, 2022. Final LIHEAP household data for FFY 2022 is to be submitted to OCS through ACF’s Online Data Collection (OLDC) system by December 31, 2022 in preparation of the Department’s LIHEAP Report to Congress for FFY 2022.

Key Reporting Reminders for FY 2022 Reporting

During FY 2022, grantees had several funding sources available to provide LIHEAP assistance to households, including 1) regular LIHEAP funds from LIHEAP block grant allocations and reallotment funds; 2) Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act supplemental LIHEAP funds; and 3) American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Supplemental LIHEAP funds.

To separately identify the impact of supplemental federal LIHEAP funding, HHS requires grant recipients to report three pieces of information for each item in the Household Report.

• The first line is for grant recipients to report information for all households regardless of funding source. This is consistent with what grant recipients were required to report in the past. Grant recipients should report the total count of households, counting each household once if it received that type of assistance during FY 2022. Report households assisted with regular LIHEAP funds, LIHEAP CARES Act funds, LIHEAP ARPA funds, or any combination of these funds.

• The second line is for grant recipients to report information on the subset of households that were assisted with CARES Act supplemental LIHEAP funding. Include households that received a benefit that was fully or partially funded with CARES Act funds. Exclude households that did not receive a benefit that was fully or partially funded by CARES Act funds. Important Note: This is a subset of the households reported in the first line, meaning that a household that received a benefit that was fully or partially funded with CARES Act funds should be reported in this line and in the first line as well.

• The third line is for grant recipients to report information on the subset of households that were assisted with American Rescue Plan Act supplemental LIHEAP funding. Include households that received a benefit that was fully or partially funded with ARPA funds. Exclude households that did not receive a benefit that was fully or partially funded by ARPA funds. Important Note: This is a subset of the households reported in the first line, meaning that a household that received a benefit that was fully or partially funded with ARPA funds should be reported in this line and in the first line as well.

To report this information, grant recipients will need to identify which funding sources were used to provide each household with each type of LIHEAP assistance during FY 2022.

As in the past, grant recipients are required to report on the LIHEAP Household Report “unduplicated counts” of LIHEAP households for each line in the report. Households that received multiple types of assistance should be included in the count of households for each relevant assistance type. For example, if the same household received both Heating Assistance and Cooling Assistance, it should be included in the count of households that received Heating Assistance and the count of households that received Cooling Assistance. For households that received funds from multiple funding categories for a specific type of assistance, the household should be included each relevant line as described above.

Federal LIHEAP Funds

Households could be assisted in FFY 2022 with the following Federal LIHEAP funds:

• FY 2022 LIHEAP regular block grant funds,

• Regular LIHEAP funds carried over from FY 2021 for obligation during FY 2022,

• FY 2021 LIHEAP block grant funds reallotted to FY 2022,

• Regular LIHEAP funds obligated in FY 20210 that were expended in FY 20221

• Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act supplemental LIHEAP funding; and

• American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) supplemental LIHEAP funding

The purpose of the LIHEAP Household Report is to report on the number of households assisted with all available federal LIHEAP funds during FY 2022, including those LIHEAP funds obligated in FY 2021 or earlier but not expended until FY 2022.

LIHEAP funding includes all federal funds allocated to LIHEAP. To separately identify the impact of supplemental federal LIHEAP funding, HHS requires grant recipients to report three pieces of information for each item in the Household Report.

• The first line is for grant recipients to report information for all households regardless of funding source. This is consistent with what grant recipients were required to report in the past. Grant recipients should report the total count of households, counting each household once if it received that type of assistance during FY 2022. Report households assisted with any combination of LIHEAP CARES funds, LIHEAP ARPA funds, or any other federal LIHEAP funds.

• The second line is for grant recipients to report information on the subset of households that were assisted with CARES Act supplemental LIHEAP funding. Include households that received a LIHEAP benefit that was fully or partially funded with CARES Act funds. Exclude households that did not receive a LIHEAP benefit that was fully or partially funded by CARES Act funds. Important Note: This is a subset of the households reported in the first line, meaning that a household that received a benefit that was fully or partially funded with CARES Act funds should be reported in this line and in the first line as well.

• The third line is for grant recipients to report information on the subset of households that were assisted with ARPA supplemental LIHEAP funding. Include households that received a LIHEAP benefit that was fully or partially funded with ARPA Act funds. Exclude households that did not receive a LIHEAP benefit that was fully or partially funded by ARPA Act funds. Important Note: This is a subset of the households reported in the first line, meaning that a household that received a benefit that was fully or partially funded with ARPA Act funds should be reported in this line and in the first line as well.

Basic Types of LIHEAP Assistance

LIHEAP grant recipients have the flexibility to choose which types of LIHEAP assistance best meet the needs of their low income households. Federal LIHEAP funds are used to provide the following basic types of assistance to households:

• heating assistance;

• cooling assistance;

• year-round crisis assistance;

• winter crisis assistance;

• summer crisis assistance; and

• weatherization assistance.

Other Types of LIHEAP Assistance

There are states which provide households with “other LIHEAP assistance,” as described in a state's LIHEAP Plan for FFY 2022. For the most part, this would include households receiving “other crisis assistance,” such as furnace or air conditioner repairs. Also, this would include Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) households that were provided a relatively small (“nominal”) LIHEAP payment to increase the amount of SNAP benefits that they receive.

Nominal benefits apply to those LIHEAP recipient households that received benefits as part of a partnership with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Count only those SNAP households that received a nominal LIHEAP benefit payment that deviates from the state’s regular payment matrix because the household has a minimal energy burden. In other words, only states that have a separate LIHEAP payment amount for SNAP recipient households need to report those households as nominal payment households. Report the count of SNAP households that received a nominal payment in lines 22, 23, 24, and 25 of Section I. Additionally, please include a note in the “Notes” section that provides a brief description of the nominal benefit program, and indicates the amount of the nominal benefit per SNAP household.

The number of such households will be included in a footnote for the relevant states in the annual LIHEAP Report to Congress.

Other types of small benefit amounts that are part of the state’s LIHEAP payment matrix or targeting other populations should not be included in the count of nominal payment households.

Data Sections of the LIHEAP Household Report

The data potions of the LIHEAP Household Report include Sections I –VI, as noted below. Within each section, rows represent the type of LIHEAP assistance provided by the grant recipient – consistent with the grant recipient’s state plan.

Section	Description
I	Number of assisted households
II	Number of assisted households by poverty interval
III	Number of assisted households by vulnerable population
IV	Number of applicant households
V	Number of applicant households by poverty interval
VI	Number of assisted households by young child age category (Optional)

Sections I-III are to be completed for assisted household data. Sections IV and V are to be completed for applicant household data. Section VI is optional.

Concept of Unduplicated Household Counts

As in the past, grant recipients are required to report on the LIHEAP Household Report “unduplicated counts” of LIHEAP applicant and assisted households for each type of LIHEAP assistance provided. The reporting instructions on unduplicated household counts and poverty data are the same for assisted and applicant households.

The concept of unduplicated counts means that an item, such as a household, is counted only once for a specific data variable. However, unduplicated counting becomes complex when there are multiple data variables. Such counting requires the use of computerized data systems and tracking of households across a state’s entire LIHEAP program, including households receiving weatherization through LIHEAP funds.

Unduplicated household data must be reported separately for EACH type of LIHEAP assistance and for ANY type of LIHEAP assistance, as described in “Unduplicated Household Counts” under Section II of these instructions.

Report households that received a LIHEAP basic benefit for EACH and ANY type of LIHEAP assistance in FFY 2022. Unduplicated data also must include households that receive any “other” type of LIHEAP assistance, as explained below.

General Requirements

Understanding of the reporting instructions will minimize our need to contact you for clarification or correction of your states’ reported data, saving both our agencies time and effort. This also will enhance our timeliness in compiling, editing, and reporting the data. If possible, we want to avoid having to note in the LIHEAP Report to Congress that a state’s data are inaccurate, estimated, unavailable, or untimely.

Grant Recipient Information

Please include in your LIHEAP Household Report the name, email address, and telephone number of the person to be contacted if we need to follow up with your state about its LIHEAP Household Report. The Report will be considered incomplete and not accepted in OLDC unless this information is included.

Reporting Period

Household data are for the reporting period for FFY 2022 (October 1, 2021 - September 30, 2022). Grant recipients may operate their programs on a different program year (e.g., starting January 1 or July 1). However, complete household data still need to be reported for the reporting period of FFY 2022.

Definition of Household

The unit for LIHEAP counting is the household; not the head of household or persons in the household. LIHEAP household counts need to be consistent with Section 2603(5) of the LIHEAP statute that defines the term "household" as “any individual or group of individuals who are living together as one economic unit for whom residential energy is customarily purchased in common or who make undesignated payments for energy in the form of rent.”

Given the above definition, a homeowner, a renter whose home energy costs are not included in its rent, and a renter whose home energy costs are included in its rent are counted as separate households. Also, a boarder who rents from a homeowner an apartment or living space with its own heating or cooling system is counted as a separate household. The counting of households becomes complicated if a household splits into two households over the FFY. This is a critical point when reporting an unduplicated number of households.

Estimated vs. Actual Household Counts

The Long Form includes the general question, “Do the data below include estimated figures? Select one YES or NO.”

If actual data are not available, then be sure to indicate which data elements are estimated using the check boxes within Column A in Sections I and V. Include estimates for poverty level and vulnerable households to ensure completeness. When actual data are reported later in a revised report, please uncheck the boxes for estimated data.

State Calculated Total Counts vs. OLDC Calculated Total Counts of Number of Households

The total number of calculated households should equal the number of assisted or applicant households indicated in the grant recipient’s records. If not, check the data entries and/or provide a note as to why the totals do not match each other.

Households Receiving “Other LIHEAP Assistance”

Counting and reporting on the number of households receiving “other LIHEAP assistance” are needed to credit states for their efforts in assisting such households (consistent with states’ LIHEAP Plans for FFY 202), and to provide an accurate accounting of the program’s entire caseload.

Households receiving other LIHEAP assistance that is distinct from the basic types of LIHEAP assistance (heating assistance, cooling assistance, year round crisis assistance, winter crisis assistance, summer crisis

assistance, and weatherization assistance) are to be counted and reported as follows:

• If the other LIHEAP assistance is additional emergency crisis assistance, those households should be reported as follows:

• If the other LIHEAP assistance is an emergency equipment repair or replacement program, report these households on lines 7j, 7k, or, if applicable, 7l “Emergence Furnace Repair & Replacement[…]” according to the funding source(s) that supported the assistance. Include a note at the end of the Report that indicates the nature of the assistance and how many of these households are included in the regular crisis assistance categories (year round, winter, or summer crisis assistance).

• If the other LIHEAP assistance is emergency crisis assistance that is distinct from the year round crisis assistance, winter crisis assistance, summer crisis assistance, or emergency equipment repair or replacement assistance, report these households in one of the additional crisis assistance lines provided in the report (lines 7m through 7r) according to the funding source(s) that supported the assistance. Indicate the name of the assistance in the line. Include a note at the end of the Report that indicates the nature of the assistance and how many of these households are included in the regular crisis assistance categories (year round, winter, or summer crisis assistance).

• If the other LIHEAP assistance is NOT additional crisis assistance (i.e. not emergency assistance), those households should be reported as follows:

• Report the households based on the funds used to furnish the non-crisis assistance and on the basic type of related assistance (i.e. heating, cooling, or weatherization assistance). For example, if funds designated for heating assistance were used to provide non-emergency heating equipment repairs (in addition to a heating assistance benefit), households that received the non-emergency heating equipment repairs should generally be reported as part of the Heating Assistance counts.

• DO NOT ADD a household that received other non-crisis LIHEAP assistance to the basic type of related assistance (i.e. heating, cooling, or weatherization assistance) if the household received a different form of that basic type of assistance and is already counted. Each household should be counted only once in each line for each type of assistance.

• Include a detailed note indicating how you reported the other non-crisis assistance, explaining the nature of that assistance, and indicating the specific number of households that received the other non-crisis LIHEAP assistance.

SNAP households receiving only a reduced nominal LIHEAP benefit are not to be included in the count of households reported in lines 1 through 21 of any section. Instead, include households that received a reduced nominal LIHEAP benefits in lines 22 to 25 in Section I. The number of such households will be included in a footnote for the relevant states in the annual LIHEAP Report to Congress.

Data Consistency

The data will be checked for consistency against the type of LIHEAP assistance that states report in their LIHEAP Model Plan for FY 2022 and later with the data reported in each state’s LIHEAP Performance Data Form for FY 2022. For example, if obligated funds are reported for cooling assistance and there are no household data reported for cooling assistance, then the state should include a note which explains the inconsistency. States may correct such issues by creating a revision and resubmitting their LIHEAP Household Report or LIHEAP Performance Data Form in OLDC.

Household Data Elements

Unduplicated household counts must be reported for the following data elements:

1. number of assisted households, by EACH type of LIHEAP assistance,

2. number of applicant households, by EACH type of LIHEAP assistance,

3. number of assisted households by poverty level, by EACH type of LIHEAP assistance,

4. number of applicant households by poverty level, by EACH type of LIHEAP assistance,

5. number of assisted households having at least one member 60 years or older (elderly vulnerability group) by EACH type of LIHEAP assistance,

6. number of assisted households having at least one member with a disability (disability vulnerability group) according to the state’s definition of disability by EACH type of LIHEAP assistance

7. number of assisted households having at least one member 5 years or under (young child vulnerability group) by EACH type of LIHEAP assistance,

8. number of assisted households by ANY type of LIHEAP assistance,

9. number of assisted households by any vulnerable group for EACH type of LIHEAP assistance,

10. number of assisted households by each vulnerable group for ANY type of LIHEAP assistance, and

11. number of assisted households by any vulnerable group and for ANY type of LIHEAP assistance

Examples are included to help in understanding the instructions, and are included in the following tables:

Table	Title
1	Scenarios in Counting Unduplicated Assisted Households for EACH and ANY Type of Assistance;
2	Required Data Counts of Assisted Households with Vulnerable Members;
3	Counting Unduplicated Households for EACH and ANY Type of Assistance; and
4	Requested (Optional) Counts of Assisted Young Child Households by Age Category.

Section I – Number of Assisted Households

Count all households assisted in FFY 2022 with Federal LIHEAP funds, as indicated above. Include complete data for households receiving LIHEAP weatherization assistance even if those funds were used under the Department of Energy’s Low Income Weatherization Assistance Program.

Number of Households for EACH Type of Assistance

Report households that received a LIHEAP basic benefit for EACH and ANY type of LIHEAP assistance in FFY 2022. Unduplicated data also must include households that receive any “other” type of LIHEAP assistance, as explained below.

For each type of LIHEAP assistance, report the number of households assisted for the following categories:

1. The first line is for grant recipients to report information for all households regardless of funding source. This is consistent with what grant recipients were required to report in the past. Grant recipients should report the total count of households, counting each household once if it received that type of assistance during FY 2022. Report households assisted with regular LIHEAP funds, LIHEAP CARES funds, LIHEAP ARPA funds, or any combination of these funds.

2. The second line is for grant recipients to report information on the subset of households that were assisted with CARES Act supplemental LIHEAP funding. Include households that received a benefit that was fully or partially funded with CARES Act funds. Exclude households that did not receive a benefit that was fully or partially funded by CARES Act funds. Important Note: This is a subset of the households reported in the first line, meaning that a household that received a benefit that was fully or partially funded with CARES Act funds should be reported in this line and in the first line as well.

3. The third line is for grant recipients to report information on the subset of households that were assisted with American Rescue Plan Act supplemental LIHEAP funding. Include households that received a benefit that was fully or partially funded with ARPA Act funds. Exclude households that did not receive a benefit that was fully or partially funded by ARPA Act funds. Important Note: This is a subset of the households reported in the first line, meaning that a household that received a benefit that was fully or partially funded with ARPA Act funds should be reported in this line and in the first line as well.

State grant recipients are required to report unduplicated counts of the number of assisted and applicant LIHEAP households as described below. Reporting pointers include:

• An unduplicated count of households means that households are to be counted only once for each type of LIHEAP assistance that they applied for and did or did not receive (not all households that apply receive assistance). 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 for both applicant and assisted households.

• A household is counted separately as a heating assistance applicant and recipient household if it receives heating assistance, for example, in October 2021. If in January 2022 the household divides into two households, e.g., due to divorce or an adult child moving out of the house, the new household is to be counted as an applicant household and assisted household if it receives a specific type of LIHEAP assistance later in the Federal Fiscal Year.

• In most cases, the count of applicant households is greater than the count of assisted households for each type of assistance, depending on a state’s definition of an “applicant” household. However, the count of applicant households cannot be lower than the count of assisted households.

• A household receives “fast track” or “expedited” heating assistance in a crisis fuel situation when the grant recipient does not have a separate amount of funds designated for crisis fuel assistance. The ‘expediting’ or ‘fast tracking’ of benefits constitutes crisis intervention and the payment to the household constitutes heating assistance. Count that assisted household once under heating assistance and once under crisis assistance. Count that household as an applicant household under heating assistance only, as no crisis assistance funds were used.

Number of Households for ANY Type of Assistance

For each “Any Type of LIHEAP Assistance” line, count a household once that received at least one type of LIHEAP assistance regardless of the type(s) of assistance provided to a household. For example, if a household received three heating assistance benefits, one winter crisis assistance benefit, and one cooling assistance benefit, then count that household only once under ANY Type of LIHEAP assistance. If a household only received a SNAP nominal benefit and no other LIHEAP assistance, it should not be included in the number of households receiving any type of assistance.

Table 1 provides examples for counting vulnerable households for EACH and ANY Type of Assistance as described below. The table presents scenarios of five households lettered A–E. The scenarios provide examples of reporting of unduplicated household counts for those household by EACH type of LIHEAP assistance.

Table 1. Counting Unduplicated Numbered of Assisted Households for EACH and ANY Type of Assistance by Number of Benefits Provided

Household Scenarios	# Benefits Provided by Heating	# Benefits Provided by Cooling	# Benefits Provided by Year Round Crisis	# Benefits Provided by Winter Crisis	# Benefits Provided by Summer Crisis	# Benefits Provided by Other Crisis	# Benefits Provided by Wxz.
Household A receives three heating assistance benefits and one year round crisis assistance benefit.	3	0	1	0	0	0	0
Household B receives a heating assistance benefit, a cooling assistance benefit, and weatherization assistance.	1	1	0	0	0	0	1
Household C receives a winter crisis benefit, emergency replacement of its heating unit, and summer crisis assistance benefit.	0	0	0	1	1	1	0
Household D receives an “expedited” or “fast tracked” heating assistance benefit to avoid a utility shutoff.	1	0	0	1	0	0	0
Household E receives “fast tracked” heating assistance, regular cooling assistance, summer crisis assistance, replacement of an air conditioner, and weatherization assistance.	1	1	0	1	1	1	1
Unduplicated Number of Assisted Households to Report for EACH Type of LIHEAP Assistance	4	2	1	3	2	2	2
Unduplicated Number of Assisted Households to Report for ANY Type of LIHEAP Assistance	5	5	5	5	5	5	5

The number of households counted for EACH type of LIHEAP assistance cannot be added to calculate the unduplicated number of households that received ANY Type of LIHEAP Assistance because a household may receive more than one type of LIHEAP assistance.

Number of Households Receiving Bill Payment Assistance (Items 18 through 21)

Count those households that received LIHEAP “bill payment assistance” in FY 2022. For each “Bill Payment Assistance” line, please report an unduplicated count of those households that received any type of bill payment assistance, defined as any LIHEAP benefits used to pay a share of household energy bills and utility deposits. This includes heating (lines 1 through 4), cooling (lines 5 through 8), non-emergency-repair crisis (lines 9a through 9l, and other cash benefits, including households that received heat-in-rent payments. [Note: households that received heat-in-rent are not households that received nominal LIHEAP benefits as part of a partnership with SNAP.]

Households that should NOT be counted in this item include:

• Households receiving only LIHEAP weatherization assistance or energy-related home repair (e.g. heating or cooling equipment repair or replacement) and

• Households receiving nominal benefits.

Number of Households Receiving Nominal Payment Assistance (Items 22 through 25)

For each “Nominal Payments” line, count those households that received nominal LIHEAP benefits as part of a partnership with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). This is often referred to as "Heat or Eat" or "Cool or Eat" Program. Such households are not to be included in the count of households

receiving any type of LIHEAP assistance.

Section II - Assisted Households by Poverty Intervals for Each Type of LIHEAP Assistance

Household poverty levels must be reported according to the specified percent intervals. The number of assisted and applicant households are to be counted by poverty level for EACH Type of LIHEAP Assistance and each line, but not for applicant and assisted households that received ANY Type of LIHEAP Assistance. Reporting pointers include the following:

• An unduplicated number of households by poverty level means that a household is to be counted only once within a poverty level for EACH type of LIHEAP assistance provided to the household. The poverty intervals for applicant households also include the category of Income data unavailable. For example, a heating assisted household’s poverty level is 79%. Count that household once within the interval of 75%-100% poverty for heating assistance under both applicant household and assisted household.

• The sum of the number of assisted households across the poverty intervals must equal the total number of assisted households for each type of assistance provided by the state. If this is not the case, provide the reason in the notes section at the end of the Report. Identify the data variable that is being described.

Uniform Counting and Reporting

Annual gross household incomes, adjusted by the number of household members (household size), are to be used in computing household poverty percentages, using the 2021 HHS Poverty Guidelines that were in effect at the beginning of FFY 2022 (October 1, 2021). See: LIHEAP IM-2021-02, through which ACF announced the use of these guidelines for grantees’ programs.

Gross Household Income Adjusted by Household Size

Gross household income, adjusted by household size, is to be used in calculating a household’s poverty level regardless of whether net income is used to establish income eligibility for LIHEAP assistance. Count an assisted household under the poverty level which is determined by the household's gross annual income and the household size. 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. (Section 2603(5) of the LIHEAP statute

[42 U.S.C. 8622(5)].

If gross household income determinations are made using less than a full year's income for a household, then annualize the months of income used, e.g., 12 times one month of household income, or four times three months of household income. Gross household income and household size also are needed for those households that are categorically eligible for LIHEAP assistance, such as households receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or certain needs-tested veterans’ benefits.

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

Calculating and Assigning Households to Poverty Percent Intervals

The specific intervals for the poverty percents are shown in the Long Form. Compiling the data is best handled by computer programming. The basic steps in calculating both an applicant and assisted household's poverty level for FFY 2022 are as follows:

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

Refer to the 2021 HHS Poverty Guidelines for the state’s dollar amount that constitutes 100% of the HHS Poverty Guidelines for the number of members in the household.

2. Divide the assisted household's gross income by the dollar amount equal to 100% of the 2021 HHS Poverty Guidelines, multiply the result by 100, and express the result as a rounded percent.

Based on each assisted household’s calculated percent, add the applicant or assisted household under the appropriate poverty interval. For each type of assistance, adding the number of assisted households by poverty intervals should result in the unduplicated number of households assisted by that type of LIHEAP assistance. If this is not the case, please note the reason. The guidance also applies to reporting the number of applicant households by poverty intervals (including applicant households with “Income data unavailable”).

Some households that qualify for LIHEAP income eligibility using a household’s net income can be counted in a higher poverty level using gross income. For example, a household’s net income, adjusted for household size, may equal that state’s income cutoff of 125% of poverty. The use of the household’s gross income would most likely result in that household’s classification of “126 - 150%” of poverty. To further illustrate, below are four examples of calculating and classifying a household's poverty interval (using the 2021 HHS

Poverty Guidelines that were in effect at the beginning of FY 2021 (October 1, 2021)).

1. A weatherization assistance household with one member residing in Maine has a gross household income of $13,118. According to the 2021 HHS Poverty Guidelines for Maine, $12,880 represents 100% of the Poverty Guidelines for a one-person household. Divide the household’s income of $13,118 by $12,880 and multiply by 100 = 101.85%. Rounding off to the nearest whole percent = 102% of the 2021 HHS Poverty Guidelines. That household is classified as being within the interval of “101%-125% poverty” for weatherization assistance.

2. A heating assistance household with three members from Arizona has a gross income of $28,379. According to the 2021 HHS Poverty Guidelines for Arizona, $21,960 represents 100% of the HHS Poverty Guidelines for a three-person household. Divide the household’s income of $28,379 by $21,960 and multiply by 100 = 129.23 %. Rounding off to the nearest whole percent = 129% of the 2021 HHS Poverty Guidelines. That household is classified as being within the interval of “126% to 150% poverty” for heating assistance.

3. A winter crisis assistance household with five members from Ohio has a gross income of $25,728. According to the 2021 HHS Poverty Guidelines for Ohio, $31,040 represents 100% of the HHS Poverty Guidelines for a five-person household. Divide the household’s income of $25,728 by $31,040 and multiply by 100 = 82.89%. Rounding off to the nearest whole percent = 83% of the 2021 HHS Poverty Guidelines. That household is classified as being within the interval of “75% to 100% poverty” for winter crisis assistance.

4. A summer crisis assistance household with 10 members from North Dakota has a gross income of $83,791. According to the 2021 HHS Poverty Guidelines for North Dakota, $53,740 represents 100% of the HHS Poverty Guidelines for a 10-person household. Divide the household’s income of $83,791 by $53,740 and multiply by 100 = 155.92%. Rounding off to the nearest whole percent = 156% of the 2021 HHS Poverty Guidelines. That household is classified as being in the interval of “over 150% poverty” for summer crisis assistance.

Section III – Number of Assisted Households by Vulnerable Populations

An assisted household is classified as vulnerable if it has at least one household member who belongs to any of the following three groups of vulnerable households:

1. elderly, i.e., one member 60 years or older;

2. disabled (using the grant recipient's definition of "disabled", as the LIHEAP statute does not define the term); or

3. young child, i.e., 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.

Tables 2a and 2b describe and include scenarios about four households that provide further examples of the counting and reporting of unduplicated household counts for each group of vulnerable households.

Table 2a. Listing of the Members, Ages, and Vulnerability Groups of the Required Data Counts of Assisted Households With Vulnerable Members

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

	Household A	Household B	Household C	Household D
Member 1-Age (Disability Criteria)	Cathy—29	Alice—46	Andrew--42 (D)	Sylvia--23
Member 2-Age (Disability Criteria)	Frank—36	Tom—17	Pauline--35	Carl--27
Member 3-Age (Disability Criteria)	Martha--67 (E)	Fran—12	Susan--72 (E)	Rick--2 (C)
Member 4-Age (Disability Criteria)	Al--76 (E) (D)	NONE	Charlie--5 (C)	Chet--4 (C)

Table 2b. Required Data Counts of Assisted Households With Vulnerable Members

Vulnerability Group Category	Required Data for Household A	Required Data for Household B	Required Data for Household C	Required Data for Household D	Required Data for Total number of assisted households
Number of assisted households	1	1	1	1	4
# Housheholds with >1 Member 60 years or older (E)	1	0	1	0	2
# Housheholds with >1 Member Disabled (D)	1	0	1	0	2
# Housheholds with >1 Member Age 5 years or under (C)	0	0	1	1	2
# Housheholds with >1 Member E, D, or C	1	0	1	1	3

Number of Vulnerable Households by Each Vulnerable Group for EACH Type of Assistance

Data need to be reported separately for each of the three vulnerable groups of households, shown in Table 3a, for EACH type of LIHEAP, as shown in Table 3b. In calculating and reporting the data, note the following:

1. A household is to be counted for each vulnerable group in which the household has at least one member who is 60 years or older, disabled, or age 5 years or under. For example, a household that receives 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 vulnerable groups for heating assistance: 60 years or older; disabled; and age 5 or under.

2. An assisted household with two or more members in the same vulnerable group is to be counted once. For example, a household with two members who are both 65 years old would be counted once under 60 years or older.

3. The data on vulnerable groups are household counts; not the count of vulnerable persons or the number of heads of households that are vulnerable.

Number of Vulnerable Households by Any Vulnerable Group for EACH Type of Assistance

Data need to be reported separately for each type of LIHEAP assistance provided for the unduplicated number of households that had at least one member belonging to any of the three vulnerable household groups. For example, if a cooling assisted household includes any vulnerable members, then count that household once under any vulnerable group (Elderly, Disabled, or Young Child) for cooling assistance.

Number of Vulnerable Households by Each Vulnerable Group, for ANY Type of Assistance

Data need to be reported separately for each group of vulnerable households that received ANY type of LIHEAP assistance. For example, if a heating assisted household has two children under the age 5 and one person over the age of 60, then count that household under Any Type of Assistance, once under elderly, once under young child, and once under Elderly, Disabled, or Young Child. See Table 3 on the next page for examples.

Number of Vulnerable Households by Any Vulnerable Group, for ANY Type of Assistance

Data need to be reported for households having at least one member that is 60 years or older, disabled, or 5 years or younger for ANY Type of LIHEAP Assistance. For example, if a household receives cooling and weatherization assistance and includes at least one vulnerable member, then count that household as receiving ANY Type of Assistance under Elderly, Disabled, or Young Child.

Table 3a. Listing of the Circumstances, Members, Ages, and Vulnerability Groups of the Households in the Scenarios for Counting Unduplicated Vulnerable Households by EACH and ANY Type of LIHEAP Assistance

	Household A	Household B	Household C	Household D	Household E
Household’s Circumstance	Receives three heating benefits & one summer crisis benefit.	Receives a heating benefit, cooling benefit, & weatherization	Receives a year round crisis benefit, an emergency furnace replacement, & summer crisis benefit.	Receives an “expedited” heating benefit to avoid a shutoff, summer crisis benefit, air conditioner repair, & weatherization.	Splits from Household D & receives two winter crisis benefits.
Member 1-Age (Disability Status)	Cathy-29	Alice-46	Andrew-42	Silvia-23	Silvia-23
Member 2-Age (Disability Status)	Father-67	Father 61	Mother-72	Ellen-8	Ellen-5
Member 3-Age (Disability Status)	Al-36 (disabled)	Tom-17	Pauline-35	Carl-27	NONE
Member 4-Age (Disability Status)	Mother-72 (disabled)	Fran-2	Charlie-6 (disabled)	Rick-6	NONE

Table 3b. Household Scenarios for Counting Unduplicated Vulnerable Households by EACH and ANY Type of LIHEAP Assistance

Required Household Counts and Associated Names, by LIHEAP Assistance Type	Total # and Name of Assisted Households	# & Name of Assisted Elderly Households	# & Name of Assisted Disabled Households	# & Name of Assisted Young Child Households	# & Name of Assisted Hhlds with Anyone Elderly, Disabled, or Young Child
HEATING #	3	2	1	1*	2*
HEATING NAMES	A, B, D	A, B	A	B	A, B
COOLING #	1	1	0	1	1*
COOLING NAMES	B	B	--	B	B
YEAR-ROUND CRISIS #	1	1	1	0	1*
YEAR-ROUND CRISIS NAMES	C	C	C	--	C
WINTER CRISIS #	2	0	0	1	1*
WINTER CRISIS NAMES	D, E	--	--	E	E
SUMMER CRISIS #	3	2	2	0	2*
SUMMER CRISIS NAMES	A, C, D	A, C	A, C	--	A, C
WEATHERIZATION #	2	1	0	1	1*
WEATHERIZATION NAMES	B, D	B	--	B	B
ANY TYPE #	5**	3**	2**	2**	4***
ANY TYPE NAMES	A, B, C, D, E	A, B, C	A, C	B, E	A, B, C, E

*Do not add the separate numbers of elderly, disabled or young child households to calculate the unduplicated number of Elderly, Disabled, or Young Child households for EACH Type of LIHEAP Assistance, as assisted households can have members counted under more than one vulnerable group.

**Do not add the column of the unduplicated number of assisted households for each type of assistance to calculate the unduplicated number households for ANY Type of Assistance, as assisted households can be counted under more than one type of LIHEAP assistance.

***Do not add the number of Elderly, Disabled, or Young Child households for each type of LIHEAP assistance to calculate the unduplicated number of Elderly, Disabled, or Young Child households under ANY Type or LIHEAP Assistance, as such households can be counted under EACH Type of LIHEAP Assistance.

IV. Number of Applicant Households

The Long Form includes Sections IV and V for applicant household data. The reporting instructions on unduplicated household counts and poverty data are the same for reporting on assisted and applicant households.

The definition of "applicant" households is left to each LIHEAP grant recipient, as the LIHEAP statute does not define the term. Consequently, there will be variation among states in their counts due to differences in how states define "applicant" households. For example, some states may not count those households screened out before a formal LIHEAP application is completed. Also, states may not have households apply for LIHEAP once their programs close.

The count of applicant households should include the number of households that applied for EACH type of LIHEAP assistance, whether or not they actually receive LIHEAP assistance. Stated differently, the count should include the number of approved, denied, and pending applications for each type of LIHEAP assistance. This count should be greater than the count of assisted households for each specific type of LIHEAP assistance, depending on a state’s definition of an “applicant” household. If this is not the case, please include a brief explanation in the notes section.

V. Number of Applicant Households by Poverty Intervals

An unduplicated number of applicant households by poverty level means that an applicant household is to be counted only once within a poverty level for EACH type of LIHEAP assistance that the household applied. The poverty intervals for applicant households also include the category of Income data unavailable. For example, a household applying for heating assistance has a poverty level of 79%. Count that household once within the interval of 76%-100% poverty for heating assistance under applicant households. Further information is applicable in Section II that applies to assisted households.

VI. Number of Assisted Households by Young Child Age Category (Optional)

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 years 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 (a) 2 years old or under and (b) between 3 years and5 years are requested, i.e., optional data items if the grant recipient elects to report the data. See Tables 4a and 4b for examples.

If reporting the requested data:

1. Count the number of assisted households with at least one child 5 years or under for each type of LIHEAP assistance provided.

2. Using those assisted households with at least one child 5 years or under, count the number of households with at least one child who is 2 years old or under.

3. Using those assisted households with at least one child 5 years or under, count the number of households with at least one child who is between 3 years through 5 years old regardless of whether those households have already been counted age 2 years or under.

The sum of the number of households with at least one child 2 years or under and the number of households with at least one child between 3 years-5 years should be greater than the number of households with at least one child 5 years or under.

In Tables 4a and 4b, (C*) means a young child 2 years or under and (C**) means a young child between 3- 5 years.

Table 4a. Listing of the Members, Ages, and Vulnerability Groups of the Households in the Requested (Optional) Data Counts of Assisted Households with Young Children

	Household A	Household B	Household C	Household D
Member 1-Age (Disability Criteria)	Cathy--29	Alice--46	Andrew--42 (D)	Sylvia--23
Member 2-Age (Disability Criteria)	Frank--36	Don--17	Pauline—35	Carl--27
Member 3-Age (Disability Criteria)	Martha--67 (E)	Fran—12	Susan--72 (E)	Raymond--2 (C*)
Member 4-Age (Disability Criteria)	Tom--76 (E) (D)	NONE	Charlie--5 (C**)	Chet--4 (C**)

Table 4b. Scenarios of the Households in the Requested (Optional) Data Counts of Assisted Households with Young Children

	Household A	Household B	Household C	Household D	Total Countable Households
# Countable Households--Age 2 years or under (C*)	0	0	0	1	1
# Countable Households--Age 3 years through 5 years (C**)	0	0	1	1	2

Notes

The notes section is where all notes need to be entered concerning the data in the way of explanations and qualifications. Full use of the notes section can help to minimize or avoid follow up queries. Please identify which part of the LIHEAP Household Report that you are noting.

Certification

This is where the official signing the LIHEAP Household Report clicks the “certify” and “click to sign” buttons in OLDC, which will then populate the date. Also provide the official’s name, job title, and telephone number. Please submit the completed LIHEAP Household Report in OLDC (in ACF’s Grants Solutions) at: https://home.grantsolutions.gov/home/.