Texas Kinship Benefit Renewal and Redetermination Deadlines

Getting approved for Texas kinship benefits is only half the work. Keeping them active requires hitting renewal deadlines that arrive on different schedules for different programs — and HHSC will terminate benefits if renewal paperwork is late, even when nothing about the child's situation has changed.

Here are the renewal timelines for each major program, what HHSC and DFPS expect from you, and how to protect your benefits when a deadline slips.

TANF Renewal (Review Schedule Depends on the Case)

The Texas Works Handbook sets reviews every 11 to 12 months for payee cases with zero countable income and every 5 to 6 months for cases with earned income. Watch for HHSC's review notice and use the due date shown on it. Return the completed form with updated information about:

• The child's current living situation — still living with you
• Any changes in the child's income (new child support, SSI, trust distributions)
• Your current address

Because Child-Only TANF excludes the caregiver's income, the renewal is usually straightforward. The risk is not that your circumstances changed — it is that the renewal form gets lost in the mail or filed late. If HHSC does not receive the completed form by the deadline, benefits stop at the end of that certification period.

SNAP Reporting and Renewal

If your SNAP household is assigned Streamlined Reporting, complete the six-month form. Follow the certification and renewal dates on your HHSC notice for your household's specific recertification deadline.

When HHSC sends a renewal packet, it may ask for updated income, household composition, and shelter cost information. For kinship households where the grandparent is on Social Security and the child has no income, the renewal may mainly confirm that nothing changed. Return any requested information by the date on the notice.

Watch for the interview requirement. SNAP renewals may require a phone interview with an HHSC caseworker. If you miss the interview call, contact HHSC promptly and ask what steps remain to complete the renewal.

Medicaid / CHIP Renewal Notices

Children's Medicaid provides 12 months of continuous eligibility. HHSC may renew coverage using available data or send a manual renewal packet; follow the date and instructions on any notice:

• Automated renewal: HHSC checks available data sources (wage databases, TANF records) and auto-renews the child's coverage if eligibility is clearly still met. You may not even receive a form.
• Manual renewal: If HHSC cannot verify eligibility automatically, it may mail a renewal form. Return it by the deadline shown on the notice.

Children who receive Child-Only TANF may qualify for Medicaid, but the child's Medicaid coverage has its own 12-month continuous eligibility period. A TANF case closing does not by itself establish that Medicaid ends immediately; follow any separate Medicaid notice.

DFPS Kinship Reimbursement (12–18 Month Limit)

The DFPS RODC kinship reimbursement ($23.45/day) is not renewed in the traditional sense — it expires after 12 months, with a possible 6-month extension for documented good cause. This is a hard program limit, not a paperwork deadline. Once the reimbursement period ends, the next step depends on the child's permanency plan: foster verification for ongoing rates, or Permanent Managing Conservatorship for the $500/year PMC reimbursement or PCA.

What to Do if You Miss a Deadline

If benefits are terminated due to a missed renewal, you have two options:

1. Reapply. For TANF and SNAP, you can file a new application immediately. There may be a processing gap, but you restart the benefit without needing to appeal.
2. Request a Fair Hearing. If you believe HHSC terminated benefits improperly — for example, you returned the form on time but it was not processed — you have 90 days from the termination notice to request a Fair Hearing. File the request in writing and keep a copy.

The most common scenario: the renewal form arrived while you were dealing with a medical appointment, a school crisis, or simply a busy week, and the deadline passed. Do not wait for the next notice — contact HHSC or 2-1-1 promptly and ask what steps remain to reopen or reapply.

The Texas Kinship Financial Help guide includes a benefit tracking calendar that maps every renewal deadline across TANF, SNAP, Medicaid, and DFPS programs — so you see what is coming before the notice arrives. It also includes a Fair Hearing request letter template for situations where a termination needs to be challenged.

See more Texas guides →