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SNAP CERTIFICATION MANUAL – SECTION 16000 16300 The Household’s Right to Appeal 16320 Designation of a Representative

The household will be advised of any legal service available to provide the household with representation at the hearing. If the individual making the request cannot speak English and the agency is required to provide bilingual staff or interpreters as specified in SNAP 230, the Office of Appeals and Hearings must insure that the hearing procedures are verbally explained in the household’s language.

16320 Designation of a Representative SNAP Manual 12/01/00 A household may designate in writing a representative to act on the household’s behalf during the hearing process. The household must specify in the statement whether the representative is to review the administrative hearing file, to represent the household in the hearing or both. The statement will be filed in the hearing file. (See SNAP 16511 for an explanation of an administrative hearing file.) Once a household has officially designated a representative, the representative must receive a copy of all information provided to the household by DCO regarding the administrative hearing proceedings.

16330 Time Frames for Requesting a Hearing SNAP Manual 12/01/00 Administrative hearings must be requested within 90 days of the date of notification of the disputed action or loss of benefits with the following exceptions: EXCEPTION 1: A household may request a hearing to dispute current level of benefits at any time within the certification period. EXCEPTION 2: A hearing to dispute denial of a household’s request for restored of benefits must be requested within 90 days of the notice of denial. However, the benefits may have been lost up to a year prior to the household’s request for restoration. See SNAP 13310.