Client Fair Hearing Procedures

• Clients should make application with the intake worker.
• Should applicant feel they have been unfairly denied, or services are at a lesser amount than the household was notified earlier, they should notify the intake worker they wish to implement fair hearing procedures.
• Upon notification, the client’s application will be reviewed by the Executive Director of the Agency or designee.

It is the intent of the Agency to make certain that all requests for hearings are responded to in an orderly, equitable and timely manner. Therefore, when an applicant household is dissatisfied because of one or more of the reasons cited, it shall be the responsibility of the agency to provide for an informal conference between the applicant and or his representative and the Executive Director or designee.  The informal conference will take place within three working days form the date of the request of the hearing.  The agency should render a decision during the conference unless additional information is required.

The claimant shall be afforded an opportunity to review the case file.

The client shall be permitted to bring a representative to accompany him/her at the hearing.

To bring an interpreter if needed.

All hearings shall be recorded and the decision based on that record.

The intake worker shall be present at the hearing.

If the applicant is satisfied with the decision rendered as a result of the informal conference, the agency will notify the applicant in writing of its decision and the action to carry out the decision.

Any applicant who is dissatisfied with a decision rendered by the Executive Director or designee; may appeal such decision by notifying the Executive Director or designee.

An applicant shall have 7-14 days from the date of application to file an appeal with the Executive Director or designee of the agency based on a negative decision rendered by the local agency’s intake worker.

The Executive Director will then contact the funding source responsible for the applied services for a final decision.

All file documentation will be forwarded to the funding source for review.

Failure of applicants to follow the procedures described above may result in appeals being disallowed.