HEAR Income Verification Documents by State: What Each State Accepts

A practitioner reference covering exactly which income documents each live HEAR state accepts, which programs trigger presumptive eligibility, and what to do when clients lack standard documentation. Print this and keep it in your application folder.

Document Acceptance Matrix — All 14 Live HEAR States

Presumptive Eligibility Programs

Most HEAR states accept enrollment in specific means-tested programs as presumptive eligibility — meaning the household's benefit enrollment letter substitutes for income documentation without needing a tax return or pay stubs. These are the programs with the widest acceptance:

Program	Income Threshold (Typical)	States That Accept as HEAR Presumptive Eligibility	What to Submit
SNAP (Food Stamps)	≤130% FPL (≈≤80% AMI in most markets)	NY, MA, MD, CO, MI, IL, WI, IN, NC, GA, WA, AZ, NM, RI	Current SNAP award letter showing household name, address, benefit amount, dated within 12 months
Medicaid / MassHealth / CHIP	≤138% FPL (ACA expansion); lower in non-expansion states	NY, MA, MD, MI, IL, WI, IN, NC, GA, WA, AZ, NM, RI — not CO (confirm AMI separately)	Medicaid eligibility notice or benefits card letter showing enrollment dates and household
LIHEAP / HEAP	≤150% FPL (varies by state — some states set at ≤60% SMI)	All 14 live HEAR states	LIHEAP benefit award letter for current or prior heating season
SSI (Supplemental Security Income)	≤75% FPL	All 14 live HEAR states	Current-year SSA benefit verification letter (available at ssa.gov or 1-800-772-1213)
Section 8 / HCV	≤50% AMI (PBRA) or ≤80% AMI (HCV)	NY, MA, MD, IL, WI, IN, NC, GA, WA — varies; confirm with state	Current-year Section 8 voucher letter or HAP contract page from housing authority
WIC	≤185% FPL	NY, MA, IL, IN, WA (may exceed HEAR income threshold — verify AMI separately)	WIC participation letter — often still requires AMI calculation to confirm HEAR eligibility

State-by-State Income Verification Notes

New York

• NYSERDA accepts self-attestation only for households below approximately $40,000 gross income; higher-income households must provide tax returns or pay stubs
• Prior-year NY State tax return (IT-201) is accepted in lieu of federal 1040 if federal return was not filed
• For households with variable income (Uber/Lyft, seasonal workers): 12 months of bank statements showing deposits, combined with a self-attestation, is accepted in some cases — contact NYSERDA HEAR helpline

Massachusetts

• Mass Save accepts the most flexible documentation of any HEAR state; notarized self-attestation is universally accepted if signed by the homeowner under penalty of perjury
• MassHealth (Medicaid) enrollment is the easiest path for most income-qualified MA households — enrollment letter dated within 12 months is sufficient
• Schedules C/E/F (self-employment, rental, farm income) must be included with the 1040 for accurate AMI calculation; failure to include schedules is a common application error

Maryland

• MEA accepts MD state income tax return (Form 502) as an alternative to the federal 1040
• Self-attestation accepted only when paired with an IRS 4506-T Verification of Non-Filing letter — MEA does not accept self-attestation alone
• BGE and Pepco income-qualified customers who are already enrolled in utility assistance programs may have pre-verified income on file — check with the utility before submitting HEAR documentation separately

Colorado

• Energy Outreach Colorado does NOT accept self-attestation as primary documentation — a tax return, W-2, or pay stubs are required
• SNAP and Medicaid letters are accepted but may require additional verification if household income is near the 80% AMI threshold
• For households that recently lost income (layoff, disability): current pay stubs from new employer or disability award letter are accepted with a written explanation

New Mexico

• NM HEAR uses the RebateBridge POS portal — income verification is collected by Franklin Energy at the point-of-sale, not after installation; contractors assist with documentation at the point of application
• NM has the most flexible renter eligibility of any HEAR state: renters at ≤150% AMI (not just 80%) can qualify — income documentation is the same as for owners
• For NM manufactured home residents who rent the pad: eligibility depends on whether the home is titled as real property; income documentation is the standard set

Rhode Island

• RI HEAR (LMI track only) is intake-based through Community Action Partnership agencies — income documentation is handled by the CAP agency, not submitted directly by the contractor
• Contractors should direct RI income-qualified clients to the CAP agency intake process first; the agency verifies income and coordinates contractor enrollment

When Standard Documents Are Missing: Alternatives

Situation	Alternative Documentation	Notes
Didn't file a tax return (below filing threshold)	IRS 4506-T (Verification of Non-Filing letter) + current benefit award letters or notarized self-attestation	4506-T takes 5-10 business days from IRS; request early in application prep. Available at irs.gov or 1-800-908-9946.
Self-employed with variable income	Schedule C from prior-year 1040 + 3 months bank statements showing business deposits	Gross income from Schedule C is used for AMI calculation (before business deductions). May be contested by program reviewers — get year-end gross revenue figure if possible.
Income dropped significantly from prior year	Current pay stubs (all sources, all members) + written explanation + documentation of income change (layoff notice, medical letter for disability)	Most states allow "current income" calculation when it differs materially from prior-year return. Contact state helpline before submitting.
Multiple gig/part-time jobs	3 most recent pay stubs from each employer + 1099s if available + bank statement showing deposit patterns	All sources must be documented; omitting any income source and later having it discovered is grounds for denial or clawback. Self-attestation of total income recommended alongside pay stubs.
Recently retired — no recent pay stubs	Social Security benefit verification letter + pension award letter + 1099-R from prior year	All retirement income sources count toward AMI. SSA benefit verification letter available at ssa.gov/myaccount (My Social Security). Takes 5-10 minutes online.
No Social Security number (ITIN filer)	ITIN-filed 1040 acceptable as income documentation; benefit letters in the household member's name	ITIN status does not affect HEAR eligibility — the program is not a tax credit and does not require SSN; income is the only qualifying factor. Some state portals may require workarounds in the SSN field — contact state helpline.
Household income changed due to new household members (marriage, parent moving in)	Documentation for all current household members; explanation letter for household composition change	HEAR uses current household size and income, not the size/income at prior tax filing. A household that grew since the last tax return should document the new composition and all members' income.

Frequently Asked Questions