Is this everywhere in the
state?
So why am I recertifying? Although your Peoples
Gas account will drop on June 30th, your ComEd
enrollment will continue into PY16, if you choose to recertify and you will be
eligible to come in to complete a DVP/RA application for only your Peoples Gas
account during your appropriate priority enrollment period in the
Fall of 2015.
What if I don’t want to
stay on PIPP at all? You may also “opt-out”
of the PIPP entirely for PY16, but you should still complete an application to
ensure you know all your options. If you choose to opt-out at the time of
your recertification, both of your accounts would drop on June 30th,
and you would come back to apply for DVP/RA benefits for both accounts during
your appropriate priority enrollment period in the Fall
of 2015.
What criteria were used to
pick who would be dropped? The Department of Commerce and
Economic Opportunity, who administers the LIHEAP and PIPP in Illinois, decided
to base the removals on the length of the client’s participation in the program-
the number of months the client has received PIPP benefits in a lifetime.
Drop approach is based on Last In First Out method.
In other words, clients with fewest number of
months of PIPP benefits will be dropped first. Clients who have
received 28 grants or fewer on their Peoples Gas accounts will be removed.
I heard the governor
wanted to cut state LIHEAP funding—is this why PIPP is being cut? This funding reduction
has nothing to do with the Governor’s proposed budget cuts for FY16.
What’s next after the
client is removed from the Peoples Gas PIPP starting July 1, 2015?
Once your PG account is
removed from the PIPP, your PG account will be removed from budget billing and
the balance on your Peoples Gas account will become due immediately. You
may qualify for a payment plan on the remaining balance, which you would request
from the utility. After the entire balance becomes past due,
you may also qualify to apply for Share the Warmth assistance on that balance
after July 1st (not before the balance becomes past due).
When can I get
help on my Peoples Gas balance?
These clients
will be eligible to apply for energy assistance benefits (DVP and RA) during
their appropriate enrollment period during this fall. Once the balance
becomes past due (i.e. the balance must be billed, then the due
date must pass), the client may be eligible to apply for the Peoples Gas Share
the Warmth program, under the same eligibility criteria and rules of the
program.
I disagree with this
decision to drop my Peoples Gas account. I want to appeal.
Clients can appeal the
decision. Here are the appeal steps:
--Client must
submit a written notice of appeal to your Local
Agency within five (5) business days of the receipt of the PG Drop Notice (which
was sent in April)
to CEDA PIPP Unit, 567 W Lake St, Suite 1200,
Chicago, IL 60661. [Submitting an issue ticket and having us call the
client will not take the place of the written appeal.]
--The local
agency will review the appeal within seven (7) business days of the receipt of
the client’s notice of appeal request and conduct an informal meeting, or with
the client’s consent a phone conference, to explain the decision. Within three
(3) business days of the informal meeting, the LAA will provide written
notification of its decision to the client.
--If client is not satisfied
with the decision, client has three (3) business days to file a request for a
State’s review. The State/DCEO will notify the LAA of the appeal.
State/DCEO case officer is assigned and has seven (7) business days from the
receipt of the request for State/DCEO review.
--State/DCEO case office will
provide the client written notification of the State/DCEO findings within ten
(10) business days of the request for State review.
--Decision- If client was dropped from PIPP wrongly; client must be re-enrolled
in PIPP immediately.
Peoples Gas customers:
After your account is removed from
PIPP, your budget bill plan will end immediately.
The pre-program balance (if you had
any) and your budget bill balance will become due with the first bill issued
after the PIPP removal. A payment plan with Peoples Gas may be available to pay
this balance.
You may qualify for other assistance
programs through Peoples Gas, such as Share the Warmth after your account is
removed from PIPP.
If client is interested in Share the Warmth, go ahead and screen client for
eligibility and give them further instructions on applying if they qualify.
Your ComEd
account will continue on PIPP. When your ComEd
account trues up, you’ll have the choice to recertify your
ComEd account on PIPP for PY16, or switch that account to the DVP program
as well. Your Peoples Gas account will be eligible to apply for DVP/RA
benefits during your appropriate priority period.
For additional questions
or concerns:
ü
Citizens Utility Board (CUB): (800) 669-5556 Monday through Friday 9:00
am to 3:00pm
o
CUB is a consumer advocacy group
available to assist Illinois consumers with questions and complaints regarding
the utility companies. It has no affiliation with the LIHEAP or PIPP programs.
Please note CUB does not provide financial assistance and may only be of
assistance after you've tried to address your concern with your utility company.
We should only
refer to CUB if the client has attempted to resolve a billing/account dispute
with the utility and it has not been resolved. CUB does not pay bills or
provide assistance.
ü
LAF (f/k/a Legal
Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago), Client Screening Unit: (312) 341-1070
o
Service area covers
the following LAA: Cook County
Similarly, LAF does not provide bill payment assistance, but will represent
clients with complaints of utility and supplier wrongdoing.