The county won’t give me CalFresh (food stamp) benefits.
There are many reasons the county might say you cannot get CalFresh benefits. (CalFresh used to be called “food stamps”.) Some reasons could be that your income is too high or you did not turn in paperwork to the county.
The county must give you a written notice telling you that the county thinks you are not eligible to receive CalFresh and why you are not eligible. If you think the county is wrong, you can appeal and have your case heard before an independent hearing officer. You have 90 days from the date of the written notice to appeal. If you have a very good reason for appealing late, you can appeal up to 180 days after the date of the written notice. If your notice does not meet the legal requirements, such as not giving a reason or not in your primary language, you can appeal after the 90 days.
If the county does not let you apply or does not give you benefits but does not give you written notice, you can still appeal.
Once you appeal, a hearing will be scheduled to give you a chance to explain why you think you are eligible and for the hearing officer to decide if the county is right or wrong. If the hearing officer decides you are right, the hearing officer can order the county to pay you benefits or to consider your application for CalFresh again.
You can find out more about your rights at the LSNC CalFresh Guide. The back of the notice tells you how to appeal. You can also appeal online at the State Hearings Division.
If you want free legal information or advice,
Disclaimer: None of the information or links provided at this site are legal advice.