Their Inbox is full, which means they don't bother to check their email messages. So it's a waste trying to contact them by email.

Here is CUI's webpage:
www.brawleycui.com

It looks as though the racism and discrimination starts there. They receive funding from our state and federal government in the form of grants.

If the problems persist it may be time to contact the government agencies and demand an investigation and an audit. Next would be everyone having problems to contact all the news media they can to complain about the gross discrimination practiced by those they hire and that they hire ONLY hispanics.

If they continue to refuse to operate in a fair and compliant manner as governed by rules and regulation, then perhaps it may be time to shut them down and get a program that will be fair to all.

When applying for CUI assistance, tell them you will be faxing your personal information to LIHEAP because you do not trust CUI to properly control your information. My file disappeared from their office, which included copies of my ss card, bank statements, etc. I will NEVER trust them with that information again. I believe they should be held accountable to HIPPA laws and regulations. Right now, I do NOT believe they can be trusted with that information.

Department of Community Services and Development
1-866-675-6623

You will have to go through the voice menu.
It may be faster to just stay on the line and wait (as tho' you have a rotary phone) until a live person answers. Then request to be transferred to the HEAP department.

*NOTE* There is a woman who works at LIHEAP who is not very helpful. You may have to request to speak with someone else or request a supervisor. Once you find a helpful person, get his name and be grateful you found him.

I am sooo glad to see that I was not the only one. I was having the same problems and had to fight for my rights. I ended up filing a formal discrimination report against CUI and at one point Sacramento sent an agent down to investigate.

First off; CUI is RUDE and RACIST. In the Oceanside office I watched as all those hispanic turning applications to the hispanic workers were approved with barely a glance. Anyone not hispanic they denied for any reason they could think of.

The first time I applied, I got an appointment and brought in my paperwork. They denied me saying I didn't have proper paperwork on my alimony payments. It's on the bank statement, which showed it was paid through the state. I don't think the state would lie about that and I don't think the bank would lie. They denied me anyway and refused to let me see the policy that governed them saying they couldn't show it to the public (huh?). Since when??? Sacramento had me fax my paperwork to them and agreed that I did indeed qualify and the paperwork I had met requirements. CUI was forced to approve me.

The second time I spent 3 days straight trying to call in only to hear their phone ring all day long each day. I had to call Sacramento again to tell them they were not answering their phone. I even drove 60 miles (one way) to their office on a Friday afternoon (which the gas is a considerable expense to me) only to find no one there at 3:45 pm. I called Sacramento and let them know the place was closed. Found out later they had another number people can call in to. Guess who probably calls in on that line. Only those they want to provide assistance to. After Sacramento got a hold of them and a lie as to why no one could get through, they denied me by phone without even looking at my paperwork. They would not even let me get an appointment. I had to call Sacramento again, who said they could not deny me by phone. They must take in applications for review before they could make a decision. I told LIHEAP that without an application there's no paper trail so no evidence they denied someone who was not hispanic. Again, I had to show my paperwork to Sacramento, who again said I qualified, who again told CUI to let me in and approve me.

Sacramento sent an agent down to investigate their office. The agent requested to view my physical file. CUI could not produce it - it had disappeared. Now I have to worry if my personal information, including the copies of SS card, bank statements, etc., was sold or passed out to criminals.

Sacramento needs to clean house at CUI. LIHEAP should demand they have an ethically diversed work force with NO hispanics in charge. The gross racism and discrimination is way out of control.

Call LIHEAP and tell them you want to file a formal complaint. It may be the only way they can get something done about CUI.

I’ve had several problems with this organization over the years
They denied my application in past years despite knowing that I’m disabled and require breathing equipment.
On many occasions, they have DENIED ME ASSISTANCE without providing me any means of APPEAL.
This organization (seems to be ALL 1st Generation American Hispanic) isn’t familiar with the Constitutional guarantee of a citizen’s RIGHT to REDRESS a GRIEVANCE.
Moreover, they’re RACIST against people that aren’t Hispanic or don’t have a Hispanic last name.
During the years that I was DENIED assistance, they told me they were looking to give this money to people that have never received it in the past.
This is just BLATANT CODE for RACISM.
They’re of the opinion that they are the FINAL WORD on APPROVAL or DENIAL of this GOVT ENERGY ASSITANCE PROGRAM.
It’s like Bolshevik Russia – NO APPEALS – THEIR WORD is FINAL – NO OPPORTUNITY for REVIEW or APPEAL – COMPLAIN and there’ll BE RETALIATION, DELAYS, and DENIALS of ASSISTANCE.
Now this time around, I requested that the application be sent to me and that I be given the opportunity to MAIL IT IN TO THEM.
I requested this method of application because I’m disabled, have no car, and the bus/trolley (takes 4 separate boardings and deboardings) takes 3 hours one way, 6 hours total, to go from Poway to their San Diego office.
I sent my application back to them by REGISTERED MAIL, RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED.
They SIGNED for it on Nov 13, 2009.
They told me it would take 10 weeks to process my request for assistance.
Now they say that they don’t start counting the 10 week period of processing until THEY DECIDED to PROCESS MY REQUEST, which they said started in the middle of Dec 2009, not on the day they signed for the registered mail.
I have called their office several times and have been treated with unbelievable rudeness like being put on hold for hours at a time, had my call redirected to the warehouse, and been HUNG UP on several times.
This organization has either children answering the phones that are playing games and/or adults with very unprofessional, mean spirited, and vindictive attitudes.
When I finally did manage to get through on the phone to a woman that seemed to know what was going on, and I attempted to explain the extremely frustrating situation to her, she kept telling me to shut up and that by complaining to her, that I was being abusive and then she hung up on me.
This seems to be their standard operating procedure: play games on the phone, deliberately redirect the call to the wrong person, leave people on hold for hours, blast them with terrible music while they’re waiting, and finally hang up on them, in order to get the person to give up trying to get this funding.

I’ve had several problems with this organization over the years
They denied my application in past years despite knowing that I’m disabled and require breathing equipment.
On many occasions, they have DENIED ME ASSISTANCE without providing me any means of APPEAL.
This organization (seems to be ALL 1st Generation American Hispanic) isn’t familiar with the Constitutional guarantee of a citizen’s RIGHT to REDRESS a GRIEVANCE.
Moreover, they’re RACIST against people that aren’t Hispanic or don’t have a Hispanic last name.
During the years that I was DENIED assistance, they told me they were looking to give this money to people that have never received it in the past.
This is just BLATANT CODE for RACISM.
They’re of the opinion that they are the FINAL WORD on APPROVAL or DENIAL of this GOVT ENERGY ASSITANCE PROGRAM.
It’s like Bolshevik Russia – NO APPEALS – THEIR WORD is FINAL – NO OPPORTUNITY for REVIEW or APPEAL – COMPLAIN and there’ll BE RETALIATION, DELAYS, and DENIALS of ASSISTANCE.
Now this time around, I requested that the application be sent to me and that I be given the opportunity to MAIL IT IN TO THEM.
I requested this method of application because I’m disabled, have no car, and the bus/trolley (takes 4 separate boardings and deboardings) takes 3 hours one way, 6 hours total, to go from Poway to their San Diego office.
I sent my application back to them by REGISTERED MAIL, RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED.
They SIGNED for it on Nov 13, 2009.
They told me it would take 10 weeks to process my request for assistance.
Now they say that they don’t start counting the 10 week period of processing until THEY DECIDED to PROCESS MY REQUEST, which they said started in the middle of Dec 2009, not on the day they signed for the registered mail.
I have called their office several times and have been treated with unbelievable rudeness like being put on hold for hours at a time, had my call redirected to the warehouse, and been HUNG UP on several times.
This organization has either children answering the phones that are playing games and/or adults with very unprofessional, mean spirited, and vindictive attitudes.
When I finally did manage to get through on the phone to a woman that seemed to know what was going on, and I attempted to explain the extremely frustrating situation to her, she kept telling me to shut up and that by complaining to her, that I was being abusive and then she hung up on me.
This seems to be their standard operating procedure: play games on the phone, deliberately redirect the call to the wrong person, leave people on hold for hours, blast them with terrible music while they’re waiting, and finally hang up on them, in order to get the person to give up trying to get this funding.

I WAITED ON THE PHONE...I KID YOU NOT AN HOUR AND SEVEN MINUTES...YES 1:07MIN . LADY ON THE PHONE DIDNT GREAT ME OR ANYTHING JUST SAID HOW CAN I HELP YOU?! I MADE A COMMENT ABOUT THE WAIT AND SHE TALKED OVER ME WITH A ...HOW CAN I HELP YOU? ! SO I TOLD HER I WAS CALLING trying to find out more about the program and what i had to do to get assistance. SHE THEN SAID...OH YOU NEED TO...UGH ( AS IF I WAS FRUSTRATING HER OR TAKING HER TIME) LET ME TRANSFER YOU...after that all i heard was a beeeeeppppp....SHE HUNG UP ON ME!!! my goodness...i wanted to cry...a whole hour i waited for her to hang up on me?! its ridiculous Never have i asked for any assistance. I have worked since i was 16years old i pay my damn taxes...i didnt know whether to laugh or cry or what...not worth it....JUST CRAZY UNPROFESSIONAL AND TIME WASTING!

I WAITED ON THE PHONE...I KID YOU NOT AN HOUR AND SEVEN MINUTES...YES 1:07MIN . LADY ON THE PHONE DIDNT GREAT ME OR ANYTHING JUST SAID HOW CAN I HELP YOU?! I MADE A COMMENT ABOUT THE WAIT AND SHE TALKED OVER ME WITH A ...HOW CAN I HELP YOU? ! SO I TOLD HER I WAS CALLING trying to find out more about the program and what i had to do to get assistance. SHE THEN SAID...OH YOU NEED TO...UGH ( AS IF I WAS FRUSTRATING HER OR TAKING HER TIME) LET ME TRANSFER YOU...after that all i heard was a beeeeeppppp....SHE HUNG UP ON ME!!! my goodness...i wanted to cry...a whole hour i waited for her to hang up on me?! its ridiculous Never have i asked for any assistance. I have worked since i was 16years old i pay my damn taxes...i didnt know whether to laugh or cry or what...not worth it....JUST CRAZY UNPROFESSIONAL AND TIME WASTING!

I must agree with the ones taking about there were only Hispanics in there. They are rude,don't speak a bit of english, only help their people first ,take too long to actually start the payment saying it takes 2-3mths to start payment ,which by then your bill is already 300.00. People need to look closely at who they hire at these places. Trying to always save a buck by hiring illegals we get what we pay for and my family didn't pay taxes for most people need think twice before they hire them. Even in any job industry they only hire their people like nobody else want to work. If we all stick togather and and record and video these situations and send it to the news stations so they can see how predjuce they are aganist Americans we can rid them all out of the workforce and only hire the legal ones and the ones that don't take advantage of the system and stop treating the Americans like we owe them something. Like I said we get what we pay for.

I was left in tears during my last visit to the San Diego
CUI office downtown.
I called to ask that an application form be mailed to me as it is difficult for me to get out...you know how hard it is to actually reach someone on the phone ther.

They finally answered the phone and told me to just come in person and they will fill out the form with me there.
This was very difficult but I agreed.

When I got to my appointment the office was empty...except for two workers. I was late by less than 5 minutes because it was difficult to walk from my parking spot (only street parking) and the workers told me they couldn't help me because I was late.
Though there was not one single other client in the office
they would not help me.

So I asked if they could please just give me the application
and I would fill it out at home.
They refused to give it to me!
They said I would need to request that by phone!!!!!!
I told them that I already had done that...
they then told me that if I didn't leave the premessis than
they would call the police. I was NOT being threatening.

I cried and cried. I felt like a sub-human. I felt like they spit on me. When I called a supervisor at another office they told me they were not responsible for CUI behavior and could not help.

So, I have gone without medically necessary A.C. and heating and other energy needs because I was unable to get through on many levels. What is wrong with this situation?

Someone needs to give this contract to a different organization since I think there is something really strange happening at this office. Nobody seems to be getting help
and there are paid workers who deliberately make things more difficult than need be.

Looking at these comments i wonder if its worth the effort to go to this place for ASSISTANCE... Can anyone say if mother goes there with sons bill etc sice he is working furiously all day to pay rent Will that work

How does a taxpayer find out if a household is receiving HEAP and maybe abusing this program by having 1 large window and 1 medium window wide open since January 2009? The home is large and so must be the heating bills. Unfair to people who use and need this program and also the taxpayers.

Be prepared. I called for days, weeks, and when I finally got a hold of them, they said it wasn't my day to call. After all this time, I said "screw it", I'll drive! Got there and waited 45 min past my appt. time, only for them to tell me they needed a copy of my SS#... I don't have it but I know it....."Tough luck" Go home and try to make another appointment....Lucky for me, I cried after being treated like some homeless begger, my husband had a copy of an old SS# card of mine, he was able to fax it.......
NOW 2 hours later....and a lot of humilation! I had to still pull out $$ from my account and pay SDG&E and show a receipt in order for them to help me....4 months later, they finally came through...by then, I had to be late on the rent to keep up with payments until this one come through!!!
Thank you, but jeez.....there isn't a need to treat people like this!!!

... I completely agree with the previus comments... I was I'm desperate need for help and am a single mother who is from here and been working since I was fifteen... I finally was able to get through after several attempts and was asked my whole life story and then put on hold for who knows how long... When the rude girl came back she explained to me that my social security # was already being used to recieve benefits com this agency!!!!... And would not listen to me about how much this man was not me... Finally after going back and forth she set up an appointment and I gathered all of my info and went all the way down there... Had my id, ss card, birth certificate and everything and went through the whole bit and thought I would be recieving the help... Come to find out the didnt do anything and when I asked what happened they said that I had to go to the ss office and get proof that that was my ss#!!??... I could not understand what more I could or should have to do to proofs to them that the illegal alien man that was using my # was not me?. Why can't he prove that to them instead of me???... All and all I never did get anything but the run around:(.... I can't believe that someone who is here illegally has more rights using my ss # than I do???!!.... Grrrrrr...

I agree, dealing w/ this company, is Impossible!!!!!!!

Mondays only to call??? Last year, bc of everyones total incompentence, I didn't recieve the assistance, I should have.
I called East County, was routed to Chula vista, talked to a supervisor, was reassured, papers sent out..
Nothing came..!!! Called again, went thru 2 agencys.. CV and East County, was on the phone, literally for hrs..
getting ZERO help...I never got any paperwork or an appt, NOTHING...
. I had to have my parents help out me out, ...if not for them.. i would have been up a creek!
(I'm disabled).

I HOPE this year, that they will be SCREENING ALL EMPLOYEES!!! INcluding Supervisors/ management!!!
The rudeness of the people who work there was astounding!!! If they didn't like what you were saying or didn't want to deal w/ you.. or know the answer.. some literally hung up on you!!!
I could NOT get any help and the supervisors were just as bad!

I would also like to know why this program is supporting immigrants who can't even speak english and don't have SS
Cards?? Who are ILLEGALS.. ILLEGALS.. what kind of message is this sending out??
It is unfair to AMERICAN CITIZENS, who speak English, Spanish, etc.. to not get help bc we are literally giving away
money to people , who have no right to be in this country..
Not sure if this is the MAAC program , but saw it was in the Neighbor to Neighbor Program..

Why do people who are mainly poor, some too disabled to take a bus, have to meet In person??
Thats also crazy!!

With the internet today, there is absolutely no reason, why one can't send in proof.. or be on a yearly list and every year, recieve something to fill out.. or just do it over the phone!!!

It'd be much easier to verify.. There NEEDS and MUST be some Changes in this PROGRAM!!!!
I really hope there are some kind, caring, intelligent , Compentent people out there, who can Make the
Changes that are so despartly needed.

I'm very very grateful, that we have this sort of program.. but It needs to WORk!!

With heat soo high , right now.. I'm praying that somehow I do get help, this year, that I wasn't able to last year.

Why are there only Hispanics working in this office? The only people that were heard or given any courtesy were Mexicans. This needs to be looked into. I will be doing some research to find out who to contact to formally file a complaint.

LHIEP-San Diego is a joke. For the first time since living on my own, I need assistance paying my bill. That bastard named Alex acts as though this money is coming from his pocket. My landlord doesn't give rent receipts because we pay by check so your check is your receipt. A alot of landlords do this with tenants. One person at LHIEP says a cancelled check is okay, now this bastard Alex says he needs a letter from the landlord and then sets my appointment for the next day. How am I going to get a letter that fast when the landlord lives on the other side of town? The employees at LHIEP are rude on the phone, they cut you off while your talking, not letting you finish a sentence. That's probably the best job they'll ever have so that's why they are all on an ego trip.

I have called 211. It was a non working number. How am I supposed to figure out who to call if the information that is given to me is incorrect?

This service is not intended for a low-income family who is working very hard to put food on their table. I went there for assistance, first time in my life, with all my bills and everything. They did nothing for me. They wanted to know everything, properly if I had given my first born son then everything would be ok.

211 told me to call CUI. I spent 1 1/2 hours trying to get through.
When I finally did, I was given an appt for the next day, at 9am.
Put my last 10.00 in the gas tank, and was at the appt 15 minutes early.
I waiting there for 45 minutes, when I heard the clerks asking each other for my screening paperwork. They found it. Then I was called to the counter and told, "Were sorry, we do not help your zip code." I explained 211 gave me the energy assistance phone number, who sent me to CUI, CUI screened me & told me to come here, and here I was. CUI told me, tough luck and to go home and call Maac # next Monday. My SDGE gets turned off today without an arrangement from CUI or Maac.
This is crazy.

CUI needs to either find more employees to answer their phones...tired of this

47 minutes on the phone waiting for CUI to answer.........................and still waiting. Thank god I don't have anything else to do today. I appreciate the service but for crying-put-loud, this is insane.