Detroit Lifeline H2O Program - Required Documentation Guide
Valid Award Letters for Categorical Eligibility
If you are qualifying through categorical eligibility (participating in an eligible government assistance program), your award letter must meet the following requirements:
IMPORTANT: The DWSD Account holder must be listed on the award letter as the recipient. Award letters showing only a household member (not the account holder) cannot be accepted.
Accepted Programs
The award letter must be from one of the following programs:
- SNAP (Food Assistance Program)
- Medicaid
- MEAP (Michigan Energy Assistance Program)
- TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families)
- FIP (Family Independence Program)
- SSI (Supplemental Security Income - note: this is NOT SSA Retirement or Disability benefits)
- SER (State Emergency Relief)
Expiration and Validity Requirements
- The benefit must not be expired - the expiration date must be in the future
- If there is no expiration date on the letter, it must show an active benefit within the last 12 months
- Bridge cards are NOT acceptable proof
Online Screenshots Requirements
If you are providing an online screenshot instead of a paper award letter, it must clearly show:
- Account holder as the benefit recipient (must match the DWSD account holder name)
- Name of benefit received (must be one of the accepted programs listed above)
Income-Based Qualification Requirements
If you are qualifying based on household income (rather than categorical eligibility), you must provide income documentation for all household members for the past 30 days. The table below shows what types of documents are accepted for each income type.
| Income Type | What the Document Must Show | Acceptable Documents | Unacceptable Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0 income | Name, current date, statement of no income | Written or typed $0 income statement | Blank or undated statements |
| Alimony / spousal support | Recipient, payer, amount received, dates | Court order, payment history | Bank statements |
| Child support | Recipient, amount received, dates | Court order, payment record | Bank statements |
| Disability payments | Recipient, payer, gross amount, dates | Disability award letter | Bank statements |
| Dividends | Recipient, source, gross amount, dates | Brokerage or royalty statement | Tax documents, including 1099s |
| Insurance or annuity payments (only if ongoing) | Recipient, payer, gross amount, dates of payment | Insurance payout or annuity statement | Tax documents, including 1099s |
| Investments & savings | Recipient, payer/institution, dates, interest and/or dividends earned | Brokerage or bank statement showing earnings | Tax documents, including 1099s |
| IRA / 401(k) disbursement | Recipient, payer/institution, account type, distribution amount, dates | Account statement showing distributions or withdrawals | Tax documents, including 1099s |
| Military / Veteran pay (including allotments / housing allowance) | Recipient, type, gross amount, dates | Military statement, LES | Bank statements |
| Pensions / retirement income | Recipient name, payer, gross payment amount, dates | Pension award letter or statement | Tax returns, bank statements, 1099 |
| Per diem income | Recipient, payer, gross amount, dates | Court or government statement, pay stub | Bank statements |
| Rental income (net) | Recipient, property, gross rent, expenses, dates | Rent ledger, Profit & Loss statement | Bank statements, tax returns |
| Retroactive payments (SSA, SSI, Railroad Retirement) | Recipient, lump sum amount, period covered | Lump sum notice | Bank statements, 1099 |
| Royalties | Recipient, source of royalty income, gross amount paid, and payment dates | Royalty statements (e.g., from publisher, distributor, or rights organization) | Bank statements alone, documents showing net amounts only |
| Self-employment (net profit) | Recipient, business name, revenue, expenses, net profit, dates | Profit & Loss statement, self-employment ledger | Tax returns, bank statements, 1099 |
| Severance pay | Recipient, employer, gross amount, dates | Severance letter, final pay stub | Bank statements |
| Social Security (SSA) | Recipient, benefit type, gross amount, effective date | SSA award letter, COLA letter | Tax returns, bank statements, 1099 |
| Unemployment Insurance Benefits (UIB) | Recipient, benefit type (UIB), gross weekly or bi-weekly benefit amount, and benefit dates | State Department of Labor benefit award letter; DOL payment history | Bank statements, documentation without recipient name or dates |
| Wages, salaries, commissions (before deductions) | Recipient, employer name, gross income, pay period dates (or pay dates) | Consecutive pay stubs, employer payroll statement, written employer letter (must include all required details) | Bank statements, paychecks that don't show gross amount, tax forms (e.g. W2) |