LIHEAP AT 2018-02 Household Report Short Form and Long Form FY 2017
LOW-INCOME HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE Action Transmittal |
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services |
Transmittal No. LIHEAP-AT-2018-02 Date: November 15, 2017
TO: LOW INCOME HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (LIHEAP) GRANTEES
ACTION
INTENDED FOR: X STATES
X TRIBES/TRIBAL ORGANIZATIONS
X TERRITORIES
SUBJECT: LIHEAP Household Report Short Form and Long Form for Federal Fiscal Year (FY) 2017
RELATED
REFERENCES:
Sections 2605(c)(1)(G) and 2610(b) of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981 (title XXVI of Public Law 97-35, the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981, as amended); 45 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 96; 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); OMB Control No. 0970-0060 (Expiration Date─October 31, 2018); Section 3507 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995; LIHEAP Information Transmittal (IM) 09-03, dated January 26, 2009; LIHEAP Action Transmittal (AT) 11-06, dated July 25, 2011.
PURPOSE:
1. To remind all LIHEAP grantees that the required final data for the LIHEAP Household Report for FY 2017 (October 1, 2016 — September 30, 2017) is due to the Administration of Children and Families’ via the On-Line Data Collection (OLDC) System no later than Friday, December 15, 2017.
2. To inform all LIHEAP grantees about the following LIHEAP Household Report forms:
• The 50 States and the District of Columbia (hereafter referred to as "states") are to complete the LIHEAP Household Report Long Form for FY 2017.
• Direct-grant Indian Tribes/Tribal Organizations (hereafter referred to as "tribes") are to complete the LIHEAP Household Report Short Form for FY 2017.
• The Territories (hereafter referred to as "territories") are to complete the LIHEAP Household Report Long Form for FY 2017.
BACKGROUND:
Under the amendments to the LIHEAP statute enacted in 1994 (Public Law 103-252), LIHEAP grant applications must include a report on LIHEAP households for the previous Federal Fiscal Year. We require all LIHEAP grantees to report LIHEAP household data.
Information collection activities, such as the LIHEAP Household Report, must receive approval from OMB in accordance with Section 3507 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. OMB approved the Report for use through 10/31/2018.
OCS staff are available to assist LIHEAP grantees with using OLDC to submit the LIHEAP Household Report. For questions regarding accessing OLDC, contact your LIHEAP regional liaison.
Our contractor, APPRISE, continues to be available to assist states that need assistance with data collection, reporting, or submission of their LIHEAP Household Report Long Form for FY 2017. APPRISE will continue to work with states in correcting their data when necessary.
CONTENT:
States continue to make progress with collecting and reporting accurate and timely data for the LIHEAP Household Report Long Form. This has resulted in less follow-up calls/emails to states for clarification. However, in varying degrees there still are the following issues related to the LIHEAP Household Report:
• Submission of the LIHEAP Household Report Long Form to OLDC after the deadline without first consulting with our office;
• Failure to follow the report instructions and/or notifying us whether the instructions need to be revised to clarify misunderstandings;
• Operation of inadequate data collection systems;
• Failure to utilize warning messages; and
• Failure to include adequate notation in reporting on households assisted with LIHEAP funds for home energy repair or replacement.
As with the FY 2016 household data, OLDC has built-in validations in the LIHEAP Household Report Long Form for FY 2017 to help states ensure that data submitted to our office is accurate. All data entered into OLDC will be checked in real time. Additional built-in validations will check certain data before the grantee can proceed to the next step.
There are two types of validation responses when there is a data issue: warnings and errors.
• A "warning" notifies the grantee of a possible inconsistency or mistake in the data. States and territories are encouraged to double check the data fields described in the warning to make sure all information is correct. States and territories will be able to certify and submit the report without changing any data that led to a warning.
• An "error" notifies the grantee of a mistake that must be corrected prior to the report being submitted to our office. OLDC will not allow a report to be certified and submitted until the error has been addressed.
As with the FY 2016 household data, OLDC has data validations to check the consistency of the types of LIHEAP assistance reported by each state by cross checking the FY 2017 LIHEAP Household Report Long Form with the state and territorial LIHEAP Model Plan for FY 2017. Additional cross checks are also implemented to verify the data in the LIHEAP Household Report Long Form for FY 2017 against that reported in the LIHEAP Household Report Long Form for FY 2016.
Once the LIHEAP Household Report Long Form for FY 2017 has been submitted, we will notify a state or territory of any reporting deficiencies not identified or resolved through OLDC and request a plan for remedial action. At the same time, we will continue to work with states that seek help in completing their reports.
States and the territories are to submit actual household data for the LIHEAP Household Report Long Form for FY 2017 by December 15, 2017 (this also is the deadline for state, tribal, and territorial grantees to submit additional information to complete their block grant application/plans for FY 2018). Actual, not estimated, state-level data are required for the LIHEAP Report to Congress for FY 2017.
Attachment A provides the instructions for the LIHEAP Household Report Long Form for FY 2017. Attachment B provides the instructions for the LIHEAP Household Report Short Form for FY 2017.
INQUIRIES TO: For questions regarding accurate completion of the LIHEAP Household Report, contact:
Leon Litow, Lead Energy Assistance Program Specialist
Division of Energy Assistance
Office of Community Services
Administration for Children and Families, HHS
370 L'Enfant Promenade, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20447
202-401-5304 (Voice)
202-401-5661 (Fax)
llitow@acf.hhs.gov
www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/liheap
SUBMISSION TO:
The deadline for all grantees to submit their LIHEAP Household Report for FY 2017 in OLDC is December 15, 2017. This date may be extended for direct-grant tribal grantees if the state(s) in which the tribe is located agrees to a later date. The date may be extended for state or territorial grantees if OCS agrees to a later date. However, extensions of the December 15th deadline may not be made unless the grantee requests the extension in writing before the deadline.
OLDC report forms can be accessed here. If you have not yet created an account in OLDC, contact your LIHEAP regional liaison for assistance. Also, for questions regarding accessing OLDC and or completing the OLDC form, contact your LIHEAP regional liaison.
ATTACHMENTS:
A. Instructions for the LIHEAP Household Report Long Form for FY 2017 (PDF)
B. Instructions for the LIHEAP Household Report Short Form for FY 2017 (PDF)
/s/
Lauren Christopher
Director
Division of Energy Assistance
Office of Community Services