What Documents Are Needed for DHR Alabama: The Kinship Caregiver Checklist

The 10-Day Verification Letter That Stalls Everything

After you submit a benefits application, DHR sends a verification request — often a Form DHR-FA-1125B or 1125F series letter — listing the documents you need to provide within 10 days. If you can't produce them in time, the application may stall or be denied. Not because you weren't eligible, but because the paperwork wasn't ready.

Gathering everything before you apply eliminates that bottleneck entirely.

The Core Document Stack

These documents cover Family Assistance, SNAP, and Medicaid applications. Have the records ready and follow the notice for which documents to submit and how.

Child identity and age:

• Certified birth certificate, hospital birth record, or official school transcript
• The child's Social Security card

Your identification:

• Driver's license or state-issued photo ID
• Your Social Security card

Proof of Alabama residency:

• Current lease or rental agreement
• Utility bill (electric, gas, water) showing the address
• Mortgage statement
• Written landlord letter confirming the address

Proof of relationship to the child:

• Birth certificates tracing the family connection through generations (e.g., your birth certificate showing your parents, plus the child's birth certificate showing their parent who is your child or sibling)
• If you have one: a court custody or guardianship order, or a notarized Power of Attorney under Ala. Code § 26-2A-7

Child's income documentation (if any):

• Child support payment records from ExpertPay or DHR's Child Support Enforcement Division
• SSI benefit notices addressed to the child
• Social Security survivor or dependent benefit letters under the child's SSN
• Any other income received by the child personally

SNAP-specific deductions (bring these to maximize the benefit):

• Shelter expenses: rent receipts, mortgage statements, property tax bills
• Utility bills for the standard utility allowance
• Out-of-pocket medical expenses for elderly (60+) or disabled household members — prescription receipts, copay records, medical bills over $35/month
• Childcare cost receipts

What You Don't Need to Bring for Child-Only FA

If you're applying for child-only Family Assistance as a non-needy relative, you do not need to document your own income, bank accounts, retirement funds, or employment. The caseworker excludes your financial information from the eligibility calculation. Bring the child's documents and your ID — that's the core of the child-only case.

When DHR Asks for Something Extra

Caseworkers occasionally request documentation not on the standard list — school enrollment records, immunization records, or a letter from a neighbor confirming the child lives with you. If the verification letter requests something you don't have, contact your caseworker before the deadline to discuss alternatives. Missing the deadline can delay or lead to a denial; don't assume a phone call extends it. Ask what alternatives DHR will accept and how to document your response.

The Document Preparation Checklist

Walking into DHR with a complete file on Day 1 is the single most effective thing you can do to speed up the process. The Alabama Financial Help for Kinship Caregivers guide includes a printable Document Preparation Checklist organized by program, so you can pull everything together before the first appointment and avoid the verification letter entirely.

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