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Tips to protect your SNAP (Food Stamp) benefits

Did DTA stop your SNAP benefits even though you sent in papers DTA asked for?Is DTA asking you for documents you don’t have or don’t know how to get?

Here are some things you can do to get your SNAP benefits back.

Call DTA’s Assistance Line (877-382-2363)

How do I get through to a live DTA worker?

You do not need to enter your personal information to get to a live worker. Call and dothis:

→ Select your language. (Press 1 for English, 2 for Spanish, etc.)

→ Press 1 for “current or former client, or if you have recently applied for benefits”

→ Press 1 for “calling for an interview” (You can do this to get a worker, even if you do not need aninterview).

The DTA phone system may ask you to enter 4 pieces of information ( EBT cardnumber, SSN, year of birth, and zip code). You do not have to do this to reach a liveworker. You only need to do this to get your automated case information

What if I can’t get through?

Keep trying. DTA says the worst times to call are early mornings and Mondays.

If your SNAP case is closed, call the Office Director. See Attachment A. We alsoencourage you to keep track of how many times you called – and report your efforts tothe Office Director and to your State elected officials!

What should I ask for if I reach a live DTA worker?

If you sent in documents, tell the DTA worker what notices you sent in and when.Ask the worker to look in the Document History in DTA’s Computer System to see ifthey have everything you sent in. For a sample screen shot, see Attachment B.

Ask the worker “Do you have everything you need to reopen my case?” If they do,ask when your case will be reopened.

If they say some documents are missing, ask “What documents are missing andwhat date did my case close?”

If it is less than 30 days since your case closed:i) Fax the missing documents to: 617-887-8765 OR

ii) Mail the missing documents to: DTA , Document ProcessingCenter, P.O. Box 4406, Taunton, MA 02780.

iii) Call the DTA assistance line 1-3 days after you mail or faxdocuments and ask if your documents have been received andare being processed.

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If DTA gets the missing documents within 30 days of when your case closed,they should open your case. They may not give you all the SNAP benefits youmissed if they think the delay was your fault. If that happens, you can appeal thisdecision – see information below about appealing.

If it is more than 30 days since your case closed: See information below aboutapplying again and appealing.

If you do not have copies of the DTA notices sent, set up a “My Account Page” to seeyour notices. Go to: http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/consumer/basic-needs/vg/map/

What if I can’t find the employer information that DTA wants?

DTA has been sending out letters to SNAP clients asking for documents aboutcurrent and past jobs based on information they got from the Department of Revenue(DOR).

These letters ask for pay stubs, or a letter from the employer that shows whenyou stopped working. See sample: Attachment C.

There are a lot of mistakes with the DOR information. DTA may ask forinformation about places you never worked, wages you already reported to DTA,old wages, or income that does not count (like work study, earnings of a highschool student). Call an advocate for help!

If you cannot get the employment information DTA wants, you can:

Fill out a form called “Request for Employment Information.” See Attachment D.Fill out and sign this form and send it back to DTA.

Write a “Self-Declaration” to DTA and explain if you have never worked at theplace listed on the letter, or that you no longer work there. A self-declaration is astatement that you sign to give information about something. See AttachmentF.

What if DTA says it needs other documents I do not have?

If you have trouble getting a document, fill out a “Voluntary Consent for Releaseof Information.” DTA should get it for you. See Attachment E.

Or send a general request that DTA help you. See Attachment G.

The SNAP rules say DTA workers must help you get verifications if you need help. DTAshould not cut off your SNAP if you ask for help by signing and sending in one of theseforms.

Call the DTA Ombudsman or the local DTA Office Director

When should I call the DTA Ombudsman?

If your case is closed and you cannot get through the DTA Assistance Line or you didnot get the help you need. The DTA Ombudsman may be able to get your casereopened or explain what’s going on. Call Sara Craven at 617/348-5354.

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When should I call the DTA Local Office Director?

If you cannot get through to the Ombudsman, or this case is an emergency, call the localDTA Director. Explain that you tried the DTA Assistance Line and Ombudsman already.

Where can I find phone numbers for the Ombudsman or Local Director?

See Attachment A for both the DTA Ombudsman Sara Craven and the Director’s phonenumber. Call the direct line or try the main number for your local DTA office.

Call the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) New England Office

Why should I call the USDA New England Office?

SNAP benefits are paid for by the federal government. USDA wants people to get theSNAP benefits that they are supposed to get. They want to know if people inMassachusetts are having problems with DTA. You can call the USDA Regional Office inBoston: 617-565-6370.

What should I say?

Ask to talk to someone at USDA who can help with your Massachusetts SNAP benefits.Tell him or her you want to file a complaint about DTA cutting off your benefits.

Explain what happened in your SNAP case and ask for help fixing it. Explain that youtried to reach DTA and that didn’t fix the problem.

Call your Massachusetts State Senator or State Representative

Why should I call my legislators?

Most legislators try to help their constituents when they have problems (You are aconstituent if you live in the area that the legislator represents). Tell your legislator’s staffwhat happened in your SNAP case, and ask for help fixing it. Explain that you tried tocontact DTA directly and that didn’t fix the problem.

Where can I find out who my legislators are and their phone numbers?

Call 1-800-392-6090 (from within Massachusetts) or check online atwww.wheredoivotema.com

Do a new application for SNAP benefits

If you cannot get your SNAP case reopened quickly using one of the tips above, youshould reapply right away. You can still file an appeal on the closed case too.

If DTA still will not reopen your SNAP case because they say a document is missing, fillout Attachment E and/or G for DTA worker help to get the missing documents.

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Appeal the termination of your SNAP benefits

Why should I appeal?

You may be able to get SNAP benefits back to the date that your benefits stopped.Bring missing documents to the hearing or you can show DTA made a mistake in cuttingyou off.

Should I appeal and do a new application for SNAP benefits?

Yes. You should reapply even if you are filing an appeal because the appeal willprobably take a long time.

How do I file an appeal?

Fill out DTA’s “Request for Appeal” form, see Attachment H. Fax it to: 617-348-5311. Ormail to DTA, P.O. Box 4017, Taunton, MA 02780.

After getting your appeal, DTA will send you a letter with the date of the hearing. Thehearing can be held in person at the local office or by phone. If you want a phonehearing or have questions about if a hearing was scheduled, call the Division ofHearings at 617-348-5321.

Ask a local organization to help you with getting DTA to fix your case

You can give your written consent to an organization who can call DTA to find outwhat is going on. Fill out the “Written Consent to Access DTA Client CaseInformation” or a similar hand written statement. Be sure they fax it to the DTADocument Center before they call DTA. See Attachment I.

ATTACHMENTS

A. DTA Ombudsman and DTA Local Office Directors phone numbers.

B. Sample “Scanned Document History” screen where should look to find documents sent to DTA.

C. Sample “DOR Employer Verification Notice” sent to DTA clients.

D. DTA Form: Request for Employment Information. (This form gives DTA permission to contact employers directly.We recommend filling in the employer name and address listed on the “DOR Employer Verification Notice.”)

E. DTA Form: Voluntary Consent for Release of Information. (This form gives DTA permission to contact a thirdparty directly. We recommend filling in the name of the client and third party, have the client sign it and then fax it to DTA.)

F. Sample client “Self Declaration Form.” (A self-declaration can be handwritten on any piece of paper.)

G. Sample client request to DTA to provide worker assistance (sample request form).

H. Request for an Appeal (Fair Hearing) form (Appeal can also be written on any piece of paper).

I. Consent to Access DTA Client Case Information (Consent can also be hand written on any piece of paper).

TIPS SHEET: Produced by Greater Boston Legal Services and the Mass Law Reform InstituteUpdated: June 2, 2015

Attachment A

DTA OMBUDSMAN (as of May 2015)

SARA CRAVEN sara.craven@dta.ma.us 617-348-5354

DTA Local Office Director List (as of Jan 2015)

SANDRA PELLICANE Brockton 508- 427-9521

OU NGUON Fall River 508-235-0800

JEFFREY TRAVERS New Bedford 508-984-2900

PETER DANZELL Hyannis 508- 862-6618

JOHN FRAGA Plymouth 508 732-3119

FRANTZ MONESTIME Taunton 508-828-2144

NEYCOLE HOWELL Dudley 617-989-2401

MARY WALSH (acting) Framingham 508-661-6659

ADRIANNE ANDERSON-FLOYD (Acting) Lowell 978 275-4811

DIANE DEBAN New Market 617-989-6624

LEONARD (JAMES) BOYLE Chelsea 617-660-1850

MARYALYCE CLEVELAND Fitchburg 978-340-9102

ANNE LOUISE GLYNN Lawrence 978-557-0918

ANNE LEHANE Malden 781-338-1203

LISA GRIFFIN North Shore 978-542-0111

JOANNE LACOUR Greenfield 413-773-6200

MICHAEL LONGLEY Holyoke 413-552-4525

NATHAN SKROCKI Pittsfield 413-494-8706

ROXANNE SMITH-MILLER Southbridge 508-764-5900

MELISSA PIETRASZKIEWICZ Springfield State 413-205-1301

CLAUDETTE O'SULLIVAN Springfield Liberty 413- 452-5522

LORI JACQUES-BASINER Worcester. 508-421-2709

"Entered" means

document uploaded

to case and reviewed

by a DTA worker.

"Available" means

document uploaded

to case file but NOT

acted on.

ر© ¬± º·²¼ ±«¬ ·º ÜÌß ´±±µ»¼ ¿¬ ½´·»²¬ù­

¼±½«³»²¬­æFirst, ask the DTA worker to pull up the "Scanned Document

History Tab" in BEACON. Second, ask her to look for any

documents not processed (coded as "available.") Third, if the

document is already "entered", ask worker to look again at the

documents to be sure they handled properly. There are often

mistakes.

Attachment B

If you do not recognize

this name - or it is not

the same name on your

pay stubs - it could be

the "parent" company, a

payroll company or the

former name of the

company. If you already

reported your wages,

ask DTA to contact the

employer about the

change in the employer's

name.

Amount listed is for a 3 month period

(a "work quarter"). It might not be right

"Start" date list is usually NOT the date you started the

job. DTA notices have been inserting the date the SNAP

household applied for SNAP or the start of the current

"Certification period."

The federal SNAP rules say you can

provide other proofs or you can ask

DTA for help getting proofs including

having them call the employer as a

"collateral contact". See 7 C.F.R. §

273.2(f)(5).

FEIN= Federal Employer ID Number.

Do you have other letters from DTA with

the same FEIN? If so, DTA should NOT

ask for proof of this employer again.

Ì×ÐÍæ ر© ¬± ®»¿¼ ÜÌßù­ Ó·­´»¿¼·²¹

ÜÑÎ É¿¹» Ó¿¬½¸ Ò±¬·½»­

**See MLRI TIPS packet for suggestions on how to

get a SNAP problem fixed!

Attachment C

Attachment D

Voluntary Consent to Release Information

Section 1: DTA Client or Applicant

Client/Applicant Name

DTA Agency ID or Last Four Digits of SSN Date of Birth

Section 2: Information to be Shared

I give permission to DTA to share all confidential information about my public assistancecases with the person or organization named in Section 3.

Section 3: Person or Organization to Receive the Information

Name of Person or Organization

Address of Person or Organization

Phone Number

Section 4: Right to Revoke

You may change your mind and stop the release of this information. To stop it, you must:call 1-877-382-2363 during regular business hours and speak to a DTA Representative; orwrite to DTA. Send your request to the address or fax number listed below.

Section 5: Signature

I understand that when I sign below, I am giving permission to DTA to share my confidential

information.

Client/Applicant Signature Date

This Voluntary Consent to Release Information is valid for one year from the date of theapplicant/client signature, unless revoked (see Section 4).

Mail or fax this form to: DTA DOCUMENT PROCESSING CENTER, P.O. BOX 4406,TAUNTON, MA 02780-0420. FAX: 617-887-8765

VARI-OI (12/2014)

Commonwealth of MassachusettsMassachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance

Attachment E

Attachment F

Attachment G

Request for an Appeal

DOH-10 (Rev.10/2014) 02-148-1014-05

 

If you have trouble reading or understanding this notice, call DTA at 1-877-382-2363 for help.

What is an appeal? If you disagree with a Department (DTA) action, you have the right to appeal. If you appeal, you will have a hearing. Hearings are usually held in your local DTA office. If you cannot come to the office, you can have a phone hearing. An independent hearing officer will make the decision. At least ten days before the hearing, you will get a notice of the time and place of the hearing. At the hearing, a DTA employee will explain the reason for the DTA action. You or someone helping you can then explain why you disagree with the action. After the hearing, the hearing officer will make a decision and mail a copy to you.

Can I bring someone to help me? Yes. You can bring anyone you want, including a family member or friend to support or represent you. You can also bring witnesses to testify. You may be able to get free legal help. Call the Legal Advocacy and Resource Center (LARC) at 1-800-342-5297 or go to www.masslegalhelp.org for information about free legal services.

How do I appeal? Fill in the spaces below. I, __________________________________________________, wish to appeal the following decision by DTA ________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Your Name (Print) _________________________________________________ SSN_____________________________ Address_________________________________________________________ Telephone ( ) ____________________ City/ZIP____________________________________________________________________________________________

If you have someone to help you with this appeal, please fill in their information: Name______________________________________________________Title____________________________________ Address____________________________________________Telephone ( ) _________________________________ City/ZIP___________________________________________________________________________________________

If you need special help due to a disability please contact the Division of Hearings at the numbers listed below. Mail this request to: DTA, P.O. Box 4017, Taunton MA 02780-0314 or fax (both sides) to (617) 348-5311.

If you are currently receiving benefits – If we get this request before the date your benefits are to be stopped or lowered, your benefits will continue until the appeal is decided. If you lose your appeal, you will have to pay back these benefits. If you receive SNAP, your benefits will stop when your certification period ends. If you receive TAFDC time limited benefits during your appeal and you lose, the months of benefits you received may count toward your time limit. If you do not want to get benefits during your appeal, check this box . If you choose not to get benefits during the appeal period, and win your appeal, DTA will pay you any benefits owed.

What are the deadlines for appealing? We must get your appeal request no later than 90 days from the date on this notice. But there are exceptions:

You have 21 days to request a hearing on Emergency Assistance shelter benefits. There is no deadline if you appeal the amount of your SNAP benefits during your certification period. You have 120 days if DTA fails to act on your request for benefits or services. You generally have 120 days if the appeal is about coercive or improper conduct by a DTA employee. You only have 30 days if you are appealing because your state tax refund has been held to repay an

overpayment of DTA benefits.

Right to an interpreter – You have the right to a free interpreter if you need one. The interpreter will keep all of the information about your case confidential. You also have the right to bring your own interpreter. If you need an interpreter, please call us at any of the phone or TTY numbers listed in the section below or check this box and tell us your primary language or dialect:____________________________________________ and we will find an interpreter for you.

What if I cannot come on the date of the hearing? If you need to reschedule, please call at (617) 348-5321 or (800) 882-2017. (If you are Deaf or hard-of-hearing, you can call TTY (617) 348-5337 or (800) 532-6238.) If you do not reschedule and miss the hearing, we will send you a letter about your rights. If you had a good reason for missing the hearing, we may be able to give you a new hearing.

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Request for an Appeal

DOH-10 (Rev.10/2014) 02-148-1014-05

 

Section I — Category (√ the boxes that apply to you)  

Section II — Reason for Appeal (√ the boxes that apply to you)

Attach additional information if necessary to explain.

Send the completed form to: DTA P.O. Box 4017, Taunton MA 02780-0314

Telephone: (617) 348-5321 (Toll Free: 1-800-882-2017) Fax: (617) 348-5311

I am applying for: receiving:

(TAFDC) Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children

(EAEDC) Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled and Children

(SNAP) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

(EA) Emergency Assistance

The reason for my appeal is:

My application (request) for assistance was denied.

I was denied the right to apply for assistance.

My assistance was: reduced terminated suspended.

A Department employee’s conduct was coercive or otherwise improper in handling my case: Name of Employee: _____________________________________________________Date:____________________

Describe the conduct:

______________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Other (explain) ______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

For DTA Use Only

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Attachment I