How to Appeal a K-TAP Denial in Kentucky

A denial letter from DCBS does not mean the conversation is over. Kentucky law gives you the right to an administrative fair hearing under 921 KAR 2:055 and KRS Chapter 13B, and the deadlines are tight enough that understanding them before you need them matters.

The 30-Day and 10-Day Deadlines

When DCBS denies your application or reduces your benefit, it sends a written Notice of Action in the mail. You have 30 calendar days from the mail date printed on that notice to request a fair hearing. You can also request a hearing if DCBS fails to act within the required processing time.

There is a second, faster deadline that most people miss. If DCBS is reducing or terminating benefits you already receive and you file your hearing request within 10 calendar days of the notice date, you can ask for benefit continuation. That means your existing K-TAP and Medicaid payments keep flowing at the current amount while the hearing is pending.

The catch: if the hearing officer ultimately sides with DCBS, you owe back the continued benefits paid during the process.

How to Request a Hearing

You can file a hearing request:

• Online through kynect.ky.gov
• In writing at your local county DCBS office
• By mail to the address on the Notice of Action

The request does not need to be complicated. State your name, the case number, the date of the notice, and that you disagree with the decision and want a hearing. Include why you believe the decision is wrong if you can, but the request itself is what starts the clock.

Preparing for the Hearing

Gather everything that supports your case:

• A copy of the Notice of Action
• The documents you submitted with your original application
• Any additional proof DCBS did not consider — updated income verification, a sworn relationship affidavit, school enrollment records showing the child lives with you
• Notes on what happened during the application process, including dates of contact with caseworkers

The hearing is conducted by an independent hearing officer, not by the same caseworker who denied you. You can bring someone to help you — a family member, a friend, or a legal aid attorney.

The CHFS Ombudsman

If you are having trouble with a caseworker — unanswered calls, missing documents, processing that has stalled past the 30-day deadline — the DCBS Family Support Ombudsman can intervene internally. The ombudsman number is 800-372-2973.

Contacting the ombudsman is an internal escalation, not a legal hearing. It does not extend or pause the 30-day deadline for requesting a fair hearing. If you think you may need to appeal, file the hearing request first, then contact the ombudsman in parallel.

Free Legal Help for Appeals

You do not have to navigate a hearing alone. Four regional legal aid organizations serve Kentucky:

• Legal Aid Society (Louisville area): 800-292-1862
• Legal Aid of the Bluegrass (Central/Northern KY): 800-888-8189
• Kentucky Legal Aid (Western KY): 800-782-1924
• AppalReD Legal Aid (Eastern/Appalachian KY): 800-556-3876

The statewide portal kyjustice.org also offers self-help legal guides and an intake directory.

The Financial Help for Grandparents and Relatives Raising a Child in Kentucky guide includes a fair hearing preparation worksheet and a timeline tracker so you do not miss the critical deadlines.

See more Kentucky guides →