- (a) At a minimum, an eligible entity should retain documentation that is sufficient to demonstrate that, where an individualized determination of income was required, a staff member has screened the applicants for income eligibility.
- (b) The following are two (2) possible examples of the records that could be kept in order to document the fact that an eligible entity reviewed a client’s income and determined the client to be eligible for Community Services Block Grant services or benefits: Example 1: An eligible entity maintains a statement that identifies which documents staff examined and states that the applicant is eligible for Community Services Block Grant services or benefits. The statement is signed by an employee who reviewed the documentation and determined the applicant to be eligible for Community Services Block Grant services or benefits. Where an applicant claims no household income, the eligible entity maintains the form attesting to that and signed by the applicant and the staff member who attempted to verify the applicant’s household income. Example 2: An eligible entity keeps an eligibility determination record for each applicant for Community Services Block Grant services or benefits, which includes: Copies of all documents submitted by the applicant relating to the applicant’s eligibility for services and any staff member’s notes recording any other information related to eligibility received from any source;A signed and dated statement by the applicant certifying that the documents and information that the applicant provided concerning eligibility are accurate to the best of the applicant’s knowledge;Documentation establishing that a staff member has sought to verify the accuracy of the information on eligibility provided to the eligible entity by: Conducting an in-person interview with the applicant; andSeeking information from third parties who have first-hand knowledge about the applicant’s eligibility in cases in which no documentation regarding the income eligibility of the applicant has been received by the eligible entity, or when it is either more efficient or reliable to do so rather than to search for eligibility documentation. The record should include the names, titles, and affiliations of the third parties, and the applicant’s signed consent form permitting the program to contact each third party; and A signed and dated statement by the staff person who made the eligibility determination certifying that the information on eligibility in the file is accurate to the best of the person’s knowledge and based on that information the person has determined the applicant to be eligible for services.