Field Ops Memo 2010-23 Spring 2010 SNAP Heat and Eat (H-EAT) Program Update

Background
The Heat & Eat (H-EAT) Program is a partnership between DTA and the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) for the purpose of identifying and enrolling eligible SNAP recipients in the Low Income Heat and Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).

On the evening of April 16, 2010, approximately 46, 900 SNAP households were selected for 2010 H-EAT Fuel Assistance Program benefits.

• Approximately 27,725 are households who received the April 2009 H-EAT Fuel Assistance Program benefit. These households are eligible for a 2010 $1.00 H-EAT benefit. They will not see an increase in SNAP benefits because the Heating/Cooling Standard Utility Allowance (SUA) is already on file.
• Approximately 19,175 are newly eligible H-EAT Fuel Assistance Program households. For these households, May 2010 SNAP benefits were recalculated using the Heating/Cooling SUA as anticipated recipients of the H-EAT Fuel Assistance Program.

Purpose of Memo
This memo will review H-EAT Fuel Assistance Program criteria, explain the responsibilities of DTA and DHCD, discuss notices to H-EAT clients, provide instructions for restoring lost SNAP benefits to certain H-EAT households and describe the DHCD client brochure.

Beginning with the April 2010 H-EAT run, MIS will enter one of four new narrative entries on the BEACON Narratives tab based on the circumstances of the H-EAT benefit.

Each narrative entry is tied to an internal indicator for tracking, monitoring and noticing purposes. The narrative entries will also help TAO staff to:

• distinguish newly authorized H-EAT cases from cases being reauthorized for H-EAT. For more details about these two narrative entries, see the Role of DTA section of this memo; and
• identify the two variations of H-EAT cases for which supplemental SNAP benefits need to be issued. For more details on these two narrative entries, see the Restoration of SUA for H-EAT Fuel Assistance Households section of this memo.

There will be minimal case manager impact since the H-EAT Fuel Assistance Program enrollment and SNAP recalculation processes are fully automated.