New York State Public Benefits Appeal and Complaint Process
If you are denied New York State Cash Assistance, SNAP, or Medicaid benefits or you disagree with the benefit amount, you can appeal the decision by requesting an informal conference and/or a more formal fair hearing.
A conference is an informal meeting with the local agency that administers those benefits. You can request a conference at any time. If you do not agree with the decision by the local agency after the conference, you can request a fair hearing. You can also request a fair hearing directly, without first having a conference.
A fair hearing is a proceeding before the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA). You must request the fair hearing within 60 days of the date on the Notice of Decision or Intent regarding your benefits. Fair hearings can be requested by telephone, mail, online or in person. You have a right to access to your entire case file and receive free copies.
Recipients of Child Health Plus benefits do not have notice and fair hearing rights, but they can file grievances and request external reviews of plan decisions.
If you feel that a Human Resources Administration (HRA) worker has mistreated you, misinformed you, or refused to follow the law, you may file a complaint against that work. The complaint is also called a grievance. To file a grievance you can either call the Office of Constituent Services at 212-331-4640 or mail your complaint to:
New York City Human Resources Administration
Family Independence Administration
Office of Constituent Services
150 Greenwich Street, 38th Floor
New York, NY 10007
Legal Editor: Lisa Pearlstein, City Bar Justice Center
Changes may occur in this area of law. The information provided is brought to you as a public service with the help and assistance of volunteer legal editors, and is intended to help you better understand the law in general. It is not intended to be legal advice regarding your particular problem or to substitute for the advice of a lawyer.
Our Lawyers
Lawrence G.
LRS Lawyer
Our lawyers are screened and approved – they have all gone through an application and interview process. Each lawyer we recommend has been screened for significant experience, knowledge of ethics codes and rules, and law office practices, including customer service skills and handling of fees and billing.
About Us
When you call us, you will be speaking with an attorney. One of our attorney referral counselors takes your call and talks with you about your legal question, or reviews your online referral request. There is no charge to speak with one of our attorney referral counselors -- we’re here to help.