Section 100.400  Allocation of Funds

a)         The Department shall allocate financial assistance for each county from sums tentatively transferred for any fiscal year from the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Block Grant, as described in the State's annual plan to HHS, and the State Supplemental Low-Income Energy Assistance Fund.

b)         The Department shall determine allocations for each county from available funds.

1)         At least 90% of the funds tentatively transferred shall be allocated to each county based on the "Index of Needs".

A)        The Index of Needs is comprised of five factors:

i)          Heating Degree Days;

ii)         Fuel Cost Factor Per 100,000 BTUs;

iii)        Persons in poverty per the most recent census data;

iv)        Elderly in poverty per the most recent census data; and

v)         Handicapped (or disabled) persons in poverty.

B)        Each factor will be multiplied by an assigned weight.  The formula for determining each of these factors and the weight to be assigned to these factors is as follows:

i)          number of climatic heating degree days per county divided by total climatic heating degree days for State = heating degree days (5%);

ii)         estimated fuel cost per 100,000 BTUs per county divided by total estimated fuel cost per 100,000 BTUs for State = fuel cost factor per 100,000 BTUs (5%);

iii)        number of persons in poverty per county divided by total number of persons in poverty for State =  persons in poverty (75%);

iv)        number of elderly persons in poverty per county divided by total number of elderly persons in poverty for State = elderly poverty (10%); and

v)         number of disabled persons in poverty per county divided by total number of disabled persons in poverty for State = handicapped (or disabled) in poverty (5%).

C)        The sum of weighted factors will be multiplied by the total amount allocated to the counties to determine the county's allocation of funds.

2)         The remaining funds, not to exceed 10%, shall be held by the State for meeting those program contingencies that cannot be reasonably anticipated (e.g., an unusually high need for furnace replacements in any given county) and to meet the local agencies' training and technical assistance needs.

c)         The Department shall increase or reduce the allocation for a county for any of the following reasons:

1)         Changes in federal fund availability.

2)         Changes in sums tentatively transferred for any fiscal year from the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Block Grant as described in the State's annual plan to HHS.

3)         The Department determines that the number of eligible applicants that are eligible under Section 100.450 differs from the local agency's allocation, which is determined pursuant to subsection (b), during the subgrant period for which financial assistance was awarded.

d)           The Department's Chief of the Office of Energy Assistance shall notify the designated local agencies of the county allocations for which that agency is eligible to apply.  Where no agency has been designated, the county allocations will be included in a request for proposal that shall be publicly advertised within the area to be served.

(Source:  Section 100.400 recodified from 89 Ill. Adm. Code 109.400 at 33 Ill. Reg. 9466)