Harnett County Department of Social Services has announced the application process for this year’s Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP).

Applications for the Low Income Energy Assistance Program will be accepted beginning December 1, 2020 for the priority group and will continue through March 31, 2021 or until the LIEAP funds are exhausted. 

Applications for LIEAP that begin December 1, 2020 will be for households in the priority group of Age 60 and above, and disabled persons receiving services from the Division of Aging and Adult Services (DAAS).  All other households may apply beginning January 1, 2021 through March 31, 2021 or until LIEAP funds are exhausted.  Please note that January 1, 2021 is a holiday; therefore, applications will resume on January 4, 2021.

A portion of the CARES Act funds will be used for LIEAP to issue automatic payments to a target population that received a LIEAP payment in 2019-2020. This automatic payment will help continue social distancing efforts and eliminate face-to-face contact for the more at-risk population.

The target population to be evaluated to receive the automatic LIEAP payment must meet the following criteria:

• Households with persons aged 60 or older or
• Households with disabled individuals receiving DAAS services and
• Currently receiving FNS and
• Received LIEAP during the 2019-2020 LIEAP season

NC FAST will generate a notice with 2019-2020 pre-populated application information. The notice will be sent to the target population the week of November 16, 2020 with instructions to the recipient on how to report changes to information. The recipient can contact or return the notice with changes to their local DSS office within 10 business days.

Eligible households will not receive a LIEAP check, as the payments will be made directly to the heating provider such as your Electric, Gas, or Fuel Oil Company. 

Due to COVID-19 and the current Health Emergency, applications can be completed by calling Harnett County Department of Social Services at 910-814-6823. Interested individuals can also access an application online via the ePass Portal at https://www.nc.gov/services/e-pass. Once completed online, applications will need to be printed and either mailed to the Harnett County Department of Social Services at PO 2169 Lillington, NC  27546, or dropped off in the Drop Box outside of Social Services at 311 W. Cornelius Harnett Blvd, Lillington, NC  27546.  Office hours are 8:00 am until 5:00 pm Monday through Friday.

For more information on the Low Income Energy Assistance Program, call Harnett County Department of Social Services at 910-814-6823 or visit www.harnett.org/ss.

Download LIEAP/CIP flyer 1 and LIEAP flyer 2 in English. 

Download LIEAP/CIP flyer 1 and LIEAP flyer 2 in Spanish. 

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) added a new optional Medicaid eligibility group for uninsured individuals to cover COVID-19 Testing during the Public Health Emergency (PHE). These individuals are eligible to receive a limited benefit of testing and diagnosis of COVID-19. It does not cover treatment for COVID-19.

This administrative letter (click here to view letter) provides guidance and describes information regarding the eligibility requirements and the Medicaid for Coronavirus (MCV) application processing guidelines for individuals who apply for COVID Testing coverage.

Current Medicaid beneficiaries have coverage of COVID-19 testing, including Medicaid for Pregnant Women (MPW) beneficiaries during the post-partum period. Active Family Planning Program (FPP) beneficiaries with no other insurance will be considered part of the new MCV group, effective September 1, 2020, for the duration of the Public Health Emergency, and will not need to submit a separate application. They will still be identified in NCFAST as FPP. FPP beneficiaries were mailed a notice informing them of the added benefit.

Complete this application (click here to download application) to get help paying for certain coronavirus (COVID-19) testing costs. Do not include people on this application who are not seeking coverage for COVID 19 tests. In order to be eligible for COVID-19 Testing Medical Assistance:

• Live in North Carolina
• Be a U.S. Citizen or U.S. National or have eligible Immigration status
• Not be covered by Medicaid, Medicare, or health insurance

Completed applications should be mailed to:

DHHS/DHB
2501 Mail Service Center
ATTN: COVID Medicaid Application
Raleigh, NC 27699

Harnett County Department of Social Services is now accepting applications for the Crisis Intervention Program. The Crisis Intervention Program (CIP) is a federally funded program that assists individuals and families who are experiencing a heating or cooling related crisis. CIP provides a vendor payment for households that are in a heating or cooling crisis and experiencing a life threatening or health related emergency.

A household is considered to be in a crisis if it is currently experiencing or is in danger of experiencing a life threatening or health related emergency and sufficient, timely and appropriate assistance is not available from any other source. Life threatening is defined as a household which has no heating or cooling source, has a disconnect notice for their primary heating or cooling service and the health or well-being of a household member would be in danger if the heating or cooling crisis was not alleviated.  Each household should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis to determine if there is a heating or cooling crisis.

Applications will be accepted through June 30, 2021 or until the CIP allocation is exhausted, whichever comes first.

To apply for the Crisis Intervention Program, households must: 

• be a Harnett County resident
• have at least one U.S. Citizen or a non-citizen who meets certain eligibility criteria
• have countable income at or below 150% of the Federal Poverty Level (proof of income is required)
• be in a heating or cooling related emergency and experiencing a life threatening or health related emergency
• be responsible for the household heating bill. (Copy of cooling bill is needed.)

Applications can be accepted when a past due or final notice has been received, when your power is already disconnected, or to establish new service. Disconnection notices are no longer required, but the customer must have a past due balance.

Completed applications can be mailed, dropped off, emailed or faxed. If you need to have an application mailed to you, please email your request to Tmatthews@harnett.org or call 910-814-6823 to make your request. Applications can also be picked up outside of Harnett County Social Services, located at 311 W. Cornelius Harnett Blvd. Lillington, NC 27546. The fax number is 910-814-8242.

For more information on the Crisis Intervention Program, call Harnett County Department of Social Services at 910-893-7500.

Please consider completing our customer service survey. This feedback help us continually monitor or change our services to serve you better. Click on the title to access the survey in English. Click here for the Spanish survey. 

If you like one of our DSS Brochures then click here for the English and Spanish version.

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

 ATTENTION MEDICAID BENEFICIARIES: NOTICE OF YOUR RIGHTS UNDER HAWKINS v. COHEN

Hawkins v. Cohen (5:17-CV-581 E.D.N.C.) is a federal lawsuit filed in 2017 on behalf of Medicaid beneficiaries in North Carolina. The case concerns improper terminations of Medicaid benefits.

The Court hearing the case has certified it as a class action. This means that the case is to help not just the people who filed the case but other Medicaid beneficiaries whose Medicaid has been or will be terminated improperly.

The Court has ordered the N.C. Medicaid agency to stop terminations or reductions of Medicaid benefits until eligibility under all Medicaid categories has been considered and advance notice of the right to a hearing has been mailed to you. For example, if you get Medicaid based on having a minor child who is turning eighteen years old, your county Department of Social Services must consider whether you are disabled before they stop your Medicaid.

If you have any questions about this lawsuit or about your rights, you may contact the attorneys who filed the case, the Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy. You can reach these lawyers by calling this toll free number: 1-800-936-4971. You can also send the lawyers an email at Hawkinsinfo@charlottelegaladvocacy.org.

You also may contact these lawyers if you want to report that you lost your Medicaid without a decision that you were no longer eligible for Medicaid under any category or without receiving advance written notice that your Medicaid would stop. There is no cost to you for any help that these lawyers provide to you.