Wyoming DFS Benefits Denial: How to Appeal and Request a Fair Hearing

When DFS Denies or Reduces Your Benefits

If DFS denies your application, reduces your benefit amount, or terminates your assistance, they must send you a written Notice of Adverse Action. This document explains the legal and factual reason for the decision and tells you when the action takes effect.

Read the notice carefully. Common reasons for denial in kinship cases include missing verification documents, income calculation errors, or misclassification of the household type. Many denials are fixable — a missing pay stub or an unsigned form can be resubmitted.

Filing Deadlines by Program

Each benefit program has its own strict deadline for requesting a formal appeal. These deadlines run from the date printed on your denial or reduction notice, not from when you opened the mail.

SNAP food assistance — you have 90 calendar days to request a Fair Hearing. If you file within 10 days of the notice date, your SNAP benefits continue at the prior level while the hearing is pending. Be aware: if the hearing upholds the reduction, DFS can seek repayment of the overissued food aid.

POWER cash assistance — the deadline is 30 calendar days. POWER benefits do not continue during the appeal period.

Medicaid and Kid Care CHIP — the standard appeal window is 30 calendar days. If you file before the effective date of the adverse action, your coverage continues during the appeal. If the appeal is denied, medical claims paid during the appeal period may be recouped.

How to Request a Fair Hearing

For SNAP and POWER appeals, submit a written request to your local DFS county office or the DFS Program Manager. You can also call the state appeal line at 1-800-311-7220 to initiate a hearing request over the phone.

For Medicaid and CHIP appeals, follow the filing instructions on the adverse action notice. WDH says requests may be submitted by mail, email, fax, or phone.

Keep a copy of everything you submit and note the date. If you mail your request, send it certified mail or get a delivery confirmation. Missing the deadline by even one day forfeits your appeal rights for that specific notice.

What Happens at a Fair Hearing

A Fair Hearing is a formal proceeding before an impartial Hearing Officer or Administrative Law Judge. You present your side — bring all documentation, income records, and correspondence with DFS. The agency presents their basis for the decision. The officer reviews both sides and issues a written ruling.

You can represent yourself, or contact Legal Aid of Wyoming at 1-877-432-9955 for free legal assistance if you are income-eligible. For complex cases involving income calculation disputes or guardianship subsidy denials, having an advocate familiar with DFS policy can make the difference.

The Informal Route

After you request a formal hearing, DFS schedules an informal conference to review the decision. It can resolve simple errors — a misread document, a math mistake in income calculations, or missing verifications that were actually submitted. DFS schedules the conference within 7 days of the hearing request, or within 2 days for an expedited SNAP denial. The conference does not replace the formal request, so file by the program's hearing deadline.

Protecting Your Benefits Going Forward

Many denials and reductions happen at renewal time when caregivers miss reporting deadlines or fail to submit redetermination forms. POWER requires reporting household changes within 10 days. SNAP renews every 6 to 12 months. Medicaid runs on a 12-month continuous eligibility cycle. The ECARES childcare subsidy re-certifies annually.

A change reported to one agency does not automatically update the others — each program is its own system with its own forms and deadlines.

The Wyoming Kinship Financial Help Guide includes a renewal calendar and appeal tracker designed for kinship caregivers, covering every program's reporting deadlines and exactly how to file a Fair Hearing request if something goes wrong.

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