Texas Utility Help Procedure Manual (2024)

The Texas Utility Help (“TXUH”) program provides financial assistance to qualified low-income Texas households who need help to pay their utility bills. TXUH is a statewide program administered by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) with federal funding from LIHEAP and LIHWAP. The program website is www.texasutilityhelp.com.

• The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) assists eligible low-income households with bill payment assistance for electricity, propane, and gas charges.
• The Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) assists eligible low-income households with bill payment assistance for water and wastewater charges.

The Texas Utility Help program was initially funded with the following grant amounts for distribution to qualified households for direct utility payment assistance. Funds are provided as a nonrecourse grant payable directly to participating utility vendors on behalf of qualified households.

Software and Database System: Yardi
Yardi Systems, Inc. (“Yardi”) delivers and supports the TXUH application portal, utility vendor portal, application processing platform, and payment system. Yardi’s scope of work includes maintaining TXUH’s data repository that acts as the system of record and is used for data presentation and reports.

Call Center: Yardi
Yardi provides call center services to answer program guideline and system navigation questions for applicants and utility vendors.

Application Processing: Yardi
Yardi provides application processing services, including application review for compliance, final disposition of applications, and vendor payments.

Funds Distribution & Vendor Payments: Yardi
Yardi provides funds distribution services to affected payees upon successful disposition of applications.

This document outlines the following procedures:

• Household Applications
• Application Auditing and Underwriting
• Payment Calculations
• Funds Distribution and Utility Vendor Payments
• Notifications to Applicants and Utility Vendors
• Applicant Representatives
• Appeals
• Utility Vendor Onboarding and Support
• Call Center Support
• Record-Keeping

Texas households apply for assistance from the TXUH program by submitting a request online via a portal at TexasUtilityHelp.com. The data and documents the applicant enters via the portal are retained and presented to the Auditing team for review and closure. The application is catalogued and tracked in the system by case number.

The following items are presented to the applicant for completion during the application process.

Eligibility Pre-Check
The eligibility pre-check confirms that the applicant meets the basic program qualifications. Questions are related to residency and household information, and income. Once eligibility is verified, the applicant may proceed with the application. Once the applicant completes the entire application, a Case number is assigned to the application. An applicant representative may also complete the application on behalf of the applicant.

Applicant Address
The applicant provides the address of the home they own and occupy as their primary residence.

Occupants
This section collects basic demographic information and employment status from the applicant for each member of the household, including citizenship status.

Income
Income information must be provided for each occupant over age 18. Documentation is required for every listed source of income, including wages, tips and overtime, unemployment, disability, alimony, pension, Social Security, and any other income.

Payments Requested
Monetary requests for assistance are entered, including supporting documentation. These may include documentation of the past and current due balance owed to the utility bill vendor for electricity, gas, propane, water, and/or wastewater.

Utility Information
Additional utility related detail is gathered in support of requests for utility assistance, including the household’s average utility expenses per year.

Documents
The applicant is required to provide additional documents needed to evidence other requirements of the TXUH program, such as proof of occupancy or proof of citizenship status and identity.

Application Submission
The applicant is required to provide and sign an attestation of truthfulness and an agreement to share needed data with others involved in the case auditing process (e.g., utility vendors).

Case Number Assignment
When the application is fully submitted, the system generates a case number for use in tracking the application.

The purpose of case auditing is to convert a submitted application into an eligibility determination by processing submitted applications, reviewing eligibility criteria, approving assistance, and moving the application through a quality control process.

Auditors from Yardi perform application intake by confirming that the applicant has submitted a complete application containing all pertinent documents and information. Yardi is responsible for outreach to the applicant if the information initially supplied is insufficient.

Auditors from Yardi are responsible for eligibility determinations and approval of award amounts.

The case auditing process adopts a two-level approach to case review and approval. A Case Auditor reviews each section of the case and must explicitly execute a Verify click at the completion of each step. Once finished, a case supervisor must explicitly execute a mirrored Verify click at the completion of each step. Only after both the auditor and the supervisor have verified a case in its entirety can the case be approved for funding.

The documentation below describes Yardi’s workflows and procedures for TXUH applications. Exhibits D, E, and F present additional details on program regulations and case processing.

When the application is submitted, the case moves to the application processing queue. A Yardi Case Manager monitors this queue and assigns each application to a Case Auditor to review.

The Yardi Case Auditor determines whether all required documentation and information has been submitted by the applicant into the system.

Following this initial assessment, the Case Auditor will take steps to complete the application data and documents by reaching out to the applicant, if needed.

Cases are assigned in order of priority. The priority rules are configured in the system.

The Case Auditor reviews the case and evaluates the data and documents provided by the applicant to determine eligibility and award amounts by following these steps:

• Duplicates. The system presents to the Case Auditor other cases that may represent possible duplicate cases in the system. The Case Auditor evaluates the possible duplicates and cancels duplicate cases, if needed.
• Verify Applicant. The Case Auditor verifies that documents submitted by the applicant confirm personal identity and citizenship status, property occupancy, and other documents that may be provided.
  • Qualified Aliens. If any occupant is a qualified alien, the status is confirmed with a SAVE (Electronic Immigration Status Verification) check.
• Verify Income. The Case Auditor confirms and validates the income calculation based on documents provided by the applicant. Income information is entered as gross monthly values.
• Payments. The Case Auditor confirms the amounts being requested by the applicant are valid delinquencies properly documented by the evidence provided by the applicant. The Case Auditor confirms the payee entity(ies).

The Case Auditor then refers the case to a Case Supervisor for final case approval or denial. The Case Supervisor reviews the data and information provided by the applicant and the Case Auditor. The Supervisor, like the Case Auditor, explicitly confirms the data and documents provided.

• Case Denial. Based on the evaluation of the Case Auditor and the Case Supervisor, the Case Supervisor denies the case by changing the case status to Denied.
• Case Approval. Based on the evaluation of the Case Auditor and the Case Supervisor, the Case Supervisor approves the case for funding by changing the case status to Approved.

The Case Auditor reviews the case, evaluating the data and documents provided by the applicant to determine eligibility and award amounts, by following these steps:

• Duplicates. The system presents to the Case Auditor other cases that may represent possible duplicate cases in the system. The Case Auditor evaluates the possible duplicates and cancels duplicate cases, if needed.
• Verify Applicant. The Case Auditor verifies that documents submitted by the applicant confirm personal identity and citizenship status, property occupancy, and other documents that may be provided.
• Utility Info. The Case Auditor enters and defines additional utility details including the assignment of the utility vendor and the account number.
• Verify Income. The Case Auditor confirms and validates the income calculation based on documents provided by the applicant. Income information is entered as gross, monthly values.
• Payments. The Case Auditor confirms the amounts being requested by the applicant are valid payments owed for current or past utility bill charges, which are properly documented by the evidence provided by the applicant. The Case Auditor confirms the Payee entities.

The Case Auditor then refers the case to a Case Supervisor for final case approval or denial. The Case Supervisor reviews the data and information provided by the applicant and the Case Auditor. The Supervisor, like the Case Auditor, explicitly confirms the data and documents provided.

• Case Denial. Based on the evaluation of the Case Auditor and the Case Supervisor, the Case Supervisor denies the case by changing the case status to Denied.
• Case Approval. Based on the evaluation of the Case Auditor and the Case Supervisor, the Case Supervisor approves the case for funding by changing the case status to Approved.

Eligible Utility Expenses

• Electricity
• Gas
• Propane

Maximum Payment Amounts Per Household (LIHEAP)
Maximums apply to the total payments made to a household during a calendar year (January 1 through December 31).

LIHEAP Prospective Payment Calculation Method: ABM
The Alternative Billing Method (ABM) is used to calculate the prospective LIHEAP payment amount, in the absence of an actual 12-month billing history for the household. ABM determines the average consumption amount (kWh, therms, MCF, gallons, etc.) per month for each household size and type, using averages provided to Yardi by TDHCA monthly.

Electricity ABM Tables

Estimated Annual Electric Consumption (kWh)

Estimated Annual Electric Cost ($)
The 36-month average electric price per kWh is $0.1194.
Source: https://www.eia.gov/beta/states/states/tx/data/dashboard/prices-rates-revenues-costs-expenditures.

Gas ABM Tables

Estimated Annual Gas Consumption (CCF)

Estimated Annual Gas Cost ($)
The 36-month average gas price per CCF is $1.5388.
Source: https://www.eia.gov/beta/states/states/tx/data/dashboard/prices-rates-revenues-costs-expenditures.

Eligible Utility Expenses

• Water
• Wastewater

Maximum Payment Amounts Per Household (LIHEAP)
Maximums apply to the total payments made to a household during a calendar year (January 1 through
December 31). Prospective payments are currently not eligible for the LIHWAP program; only past due
and current balances are eligible.

Cases that are approved for payment move into the payment queue. A Treasury Manager executes the disbursem*nt of funds. Through this process, payment instruction files are delivered into the banking network for ACH transfers or to a check printing and processing center for delivery of physical checks.

Funds are distributed from a bank account held and managed by Yardi through funding provided by TDHCA. Funds are delivered in the form of a physical check or virtual credit card payment to all utility vendors. At a frequency determined by the Treasury Manager and TDHCA (approximately twice per week), the following steps are executed for funding:

• All Approved cases that are pending payment are batched into a single funding request. The system status of these cases is set to Funding Requested.
• An email-driven funding request, with a detailed list of applicable cases, is delivered to TDHCA for approval and funding.
• TDHCA delivers the requested funds to the disbursem*nt bank account using the United States Federal Reserve Fedwire system.
• Upon deposit of the requested funds, the Treasury Manager sets the system status of these cases to Funding Approved.
• Once per day, the Yardi Payment Processing engine gathers all cases set to Funding Approved and formats the data in the format needed for the delivery of physical checks or ACH transfers. The system status of these cases is set to Sent to Bank.
• Upon acknowledgement from the banking network that the funds have been delivered, the system status of these cases is set to Paid.

In the event of a funding exception in an amount greater than $100, the Treasury Manager will arrange a return of funds via the banking network with the payee. Examples include overpayments or uncashed checks. This return of funds commonly occurs via physical check.

Once the payment is received, the Treasury Manager records the return of funds into the system using the Payment Details > Return function on the Case screen.

Applicants receive automated email notifications at the following stages in the case lifecycle. All activity is recorded in the system.

• Registration. Confirming applicant registration with the portal.
• Case Payment. Notification of payment(s) to payee(s).
• Case Denial. Notification of case denial.
• Reset Password. Notification of a request to reset the portal password.

Utility vendors receive automated email notifications at the following stages in the case lifecycle. All activity is recorded in the system.

• Invitation. An invitation to access the portal to interact with the Case team.
• Case Payment. A notification email is sent at the time each payment is sent.
• Reset Password. Notification of a request to reset the portal password.

The system accommodates the use of a representative that may act on behalf of an applicant to complete an application for assistance.

An individual applicant representative may act on behalf of n number of applicants. Individuals acting as applicant representatives receive any email and SMS notifications related to the case. Applicant representatives may transfer portal ownership of the case to the applicant at any time.

The program accommodates the opportunity for one appeal per case. Typically, the following steps are
taken to resolve an applicant’s case appeal:

• Through case auditing and underwriting, the Case team denies an application for assistance and sets the system status of the case to Denied.
• While the status of the case equals Denied, an opportunity to appeal is presented to the applicant via the portal.
• When asking for an appeal, applicants are required to enter a justification reason on the appeal.
• The Case team retrieves case appeals and sets the system status to In Progress.
• The Case team evaluates the appeal justification along with the information submitted with the case. If additional data or documents are needed as a result of the appeal, the Case team contacts the applicant to retrieve this additional information.
• Upon completion of the Case team’s appeal review, the system status of the Case is updated to either Approved or Denied-Final.
  • Approved cases move into the funding queue for processing and payment by the Treasury Manager.
  • Denied-Final Cases are not provided an opportunity for further appeal.
• All cases set to Denied are updated to Denied-Final after 30 days if the applicant has not taken appeal action.

• New utility vendor payees are discovered via the case review process.
• As cases are reviewed and approved for payment, the Case team must select the payee from the approved list of payees.
• If the payee does not appear on the list of approved payees, the case is referred to Yardi’s Vendor Onboarding team for onboarding.
• The Vendor Onboarding team performs outreach to the new utility vendors to begin the onboarding process.
• Utility vendors receive an invitation to enter the portal to sign the required Vendor Participation Agreement and confirm a mailing address for use when receiving physical checks.
• A TDHCA staff member with the role of Utility Vendor Approver then approves the utility vendor, and the vendor is added to the system as a payee for selection by the Case team.
• Utility vendors may use the portal to download reports in Excel format of households that have received payments for program assistance.

• The landlord/property manager must agree to participate in the program by either:
  • Following the same Onboarding procedures detailed for utility vendors and signing a vendor agreement OR
  • Manually signing the Landlord Verification Form (available for LIHWAP, only).
• If the landlord fails to cooperate and fulfill the participation requirements, the case is denied, and the applicant is referred to the local subrecipient for further assistance.
• The applicant must provide supporting documentation, such as:
  • A utility invoice that displays utility fees
  • A rent statement that itemizes utility fees, OR
  • A lease agreement that defines monthly utility charges
• If the applicant fails to provide detailed utility fee information, a W-9 form is required from the landlord to process the payment.
• If the landlord fails to provide the W-9 form, the case is denied, and the applicant is referred to the local subrecipient for further assistance.

A call center is available for applicants and applicant representatives. The call center is open Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 6 PM Central Time. The call center phone number is published on the Texas Utility Help website, TexasUtilityHelp.com.

• Call center staff can view all applicant applications that are in process or fully submitted.
• Call center staff can enter activities on fully submitted cases. These are stored into the system for future review.
• The call center is available to answer consumer questions but cannot enter data or upload documents on the applicants’ behalf.

If a Case Auditor encounters what appears to be a material misrepresentation on a case, s/he will refer the case to the Case Supervisor for denial.

The Case Supervisor will update the status to Denied with a denial reason of Denied due to apparent misrepresentation.

On occasion, Yardi will need to refer cases to TDHCA staff for direction and counsel. The following represents the protocol to follow when transferring cases.

On those occasions, Yardi will assign the case to the appropriate TDHCA staff member as Case Supervisor. When the case needs to be returned to Yardi, the TDHCA staff member will assign Kai Obono or Sharon Evans as the Case Supervisor and set the secondary status to Waiting on Supervisor.

• Address discrepancies in the case
  • Different mailing address on applicant’s bank statements or utility bills
  • Address on utility bill, different property address
• Applicant’s name not on the utility bill statement
• Duplicate address
• Related cases
• Documentation that includes deletions, correction fluid, or other alterations
• Numbers on the documentation that appear to be “squeezed” due to alterations
• Different handwriting or type styles within documentation

• The borrower and the employer have the same phone number
• Employer’s name is similar to the applicant’s name
• Employer’s address shown only as a Post Office box, the property address, or applicant’s current residence
• Significant or unrealistic commute distance to work
• Verification of employment letter from employer
  • Not signed
  • Not on company letterhead (depending on type of business)

• Once denied for no income, applicant appeals including new income
• Different mailing addresses listed on W-2s and bank statements
• The income given is unrealistically high for the type of employment
• Year-to-date or past-year earnings are even dollar amounts
• Withholding not on check
• Withholding totals vary significantly from pay period to pay period
• Pay period dates overlap
• The year-to-date total stays the same on all paystubs provided
• Applicant reports substantial income but has no cash in bank
• Income appears to be out of line with type of employment, applicant’s age, education, and/or lifestyle
• Handwritten VOE, pay stubs, or W-2 forms
• Paystubs are copied and pasted or altered

• LIHEAP Statute (www.acf.hhs.gov)
• Texas Administrative Code Chapter 6 (texreg.sos.state.tx.us)
• 2 CFR 200 (OMB Super Circular)
• Texas Grant Management Standards (PDF): TXGMS information at https://comptroller.texas.gov/purchasing/grant-management/

• Income Calculator (XLS) revised June 2019
• Declaration of Income State Form and Guidance (PDF) revised May 2018
• Income Guidelines FAQ (PDF) updated July 2022
• US Identity and Citizenship Documentation Matrix (PDF) revised September 2020

Program Year 2022 Income Limits for CEAP (Effective January 28, 2022)
Eligibility for CEAP is calculated at 150% of Federal Poverty Income Guidelines. Source: U.S Department of
Health and Human Services Federal Poverty Guidelines: https://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty-guidelines.

• CEAP Production Schedule Tool (XLS) revised May 2021
• CEAP Poverty Population Analysis Tool (XLS)
• CEAP Reporting Instructions (PDF)
• LIHEAP Performance Measures Module User Guide (PDF)
• LIHEAP Performance Measures Module Validations (PDF)
• CEAP Timeline (PDF)
• CEAP Admin and Program Services Costs (PDF)
• Checking CEAP Reports (PDF)
• CEAP Flowchart (PDF) revised April 2022
• CEAP FAQs (PDF) revised April 2022
• CEAP Flexibility Reference Guide (PDF)
• CEAP Client File Checklist (PDF)

• CEAP Budget Amendment Form (XLS)
• CEAP Inventory List: Tools and Equipment (DOC fillable)
• Municipal Utility Vendor Agreement 2022 (PDF)
• Public Utility Vendor Agreement 2022 (PDF)

• 2022 Service Delivery Plan (XLS)
• 2022 Service Delivery Plan Instructions (PDF)
• Community Assessment Tool Instructions (PDF)
• 2022 Service Delivery Plan Webinar (WMV): September 8, 2021
• 2022 Service Delivery Plan PowerPoint (PDF)

For additional information, visit https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ocs/law-regulation/liheap-statute-andregulations
and https://www.tdhca.state.tx.us/community-affairs/ceap/index.htm.

• LIHWAP Statute (www.acf.hhs.gov)
• Texas Administrative Code Chapter 6 (texreg.sos.state.tx.us)
• 2 CFR 200 (OMB Super Circular)
• Texas Grant Management Standards (PDF): TXGMS information at https://comptroller.texas.gov/purchasing/grant-management/

• Income Calculator (XLS) revised June 2019
• Declaration of Income State Form and Guidance (PDF) revised May 2018
• Income Guidelines FAQ (PDF) updated July 2022

• LIWHAP Q&A (PDF) revised March 2022
• LIWHAP Flowchart (PDF) revised March 2022

• Water Provider Agreement (PDF) revised June 2022
• Landlord Verification Agreement (PDF)

Program Year 2022 Income Limits for LIHWAP (Effective January 28, 2022)
Eligibility for LIHWAP is calculated at 150% of Federal Poverty Income Guidelines. Source: U.S Department
of Health and Human Services Federal Poverty Guidelines https://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty-guidelines. For
additional information, visit https://www.tdhca.state.tx.us/community-affairs/lihwap/guidance.htm and
https://www.tdhca.state.tx.us/community-affairs/lihwap/index.htm.

Case processing documentation and guidance documents are available for review.