Indiana TANF Denial Appeal and Fair Hearing Request

The letter from DFR says your grandchild's TANF application was denied. Or worse — benefits they've been receiving are being cut. You have a right to challenge that decision, but the clock is already running.

The 33-Day Deadline

For a TANF application denial, the request must be received within 33 calendar days of the NOA mailing date. For a reduction or termination of existing benefits, the 33-day period is measured from the action's effective date shown on the notice. The period includes 3 days for mailing. If the deadline falls on a non-business day, DFR considers the request timely if it is received by the next business day.

How to File the Appeal

You may request a TANF appeal by contacting DFR by phone at 800-403-0864, by fax at 888-436-9199, or in person at your local DFR office. To file in writing, use State Form 53932 (Administrative Appeal and Hearing Request) and send it to:

FSSA Document Center, P.O. Box 1810, Marion, IN 46952.

Write clearly on the form what decision you're appealing and why you disagree. Keep a copy of everything, and if you fax, print the transmission confirmation showing the date and time. DFR must receive a written request by the deadline; do not rely on the postmark.

If you call, clearly ask DFR to file an appeal and confirm that it has been recorded. A case-status call by itself should not be treated as an appeal request.

Continued Benefits: The 13-Day Window

There's a shorter deadline inside the 33-day window. To be considered for continued TANF benefits while the appeal is pending, DFR policy requires the appeal to be received within 13 days.

This matters if your grandchild was already receiving TANF and the notice says benefits are being reduced or terminated. The 13-day rule concerns continued benefits; the 33-day deadline concerns the right to request a hearing.

One warning: if the Administrative Law Judge upholds DFR's decision after the hearing, you may have to repay benefits that were overpaid during the appeal period.

What Happens at the Fair Hearing

An Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) from the Office of Administrative Law Proceedings (OALP) presides over the hearing. The notice or OALP will provide the hearing date and format.

Bring or be ready to reference:

• The NOA letter (the decision you're appealing)
• Any documents you submitted with the original application
• Additional evidence that supports your case — pay stubs, bank statements, proof of the child's living arrangement, birth certificates showing the kinship relationship
• Notes on what happened during the application process, including dates you spoke with caseworkers

You can bring someone to help — a relative, a friend, or a legal aid attorney. Indiana Legal Services (1-844-243-8570) represents low-income kinship caregivers in benefit appeals at no charge.

The ALJ issues a written decision. If DFR's action is reversed, follow the written ruling for any restoration of benefits.

Common Reasons for TANF Denials in Kinship Cases

Some denials are straightforward — missing documents, an incomplete application, or a verification that wasn't returned by the deadline. These are often fixable by reapplying with the missing pieces.

Others involve counting errors: DFR included your income when it shouldn't have (child-only cases exclude the caregiver's income entirely), or counted an SSI-receiving child in the assistance group (SSI recipients must be excluded from TANF). These are strong grounds for an appeal.

The Indiana Kinship Financial Help Guide includes a Notice Tracking and Fair Hearing Worksheet that logs every NOA, calculates your deadlines, and organizes your evidence for the hearing.

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