Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles: Government Benefits Emergency Help

Government Benefits

Emergency Help

The Government Benefits unit can provide legal assistance to low-income people who have received a notice denying, reducing or cutting off:

CalWORKs (AFDC)
Social Security
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
Medi-Cal, Medicare
Food Stamps
In-home Supportive Services benefits

If you need to speak with someone, please call the Government Benefits intake line at (213) 640-3883 or contact us.

To be eligible for LAFLA services, you must meet certain income requirements. You must also meet certain citizenship and immigration requirements.

Notice of Cut Off CalWORKs (AFDC), Etc.
If you have had your CalWORKs (AFDC), Medi-Cal, IHSS, or related benefits cut off or reduced, or you have been denied benefits, request a hearing right away. Do not wait to get an appointment to have the attorney or paralegal request a hearing for you because it may be too late. Keep a copy of any request for a hearing in your file.

Read your notice of action cutting off, reducing, or denying your benefits to see how long you have to appeal. The notice explains your rights. File your appeal before your time expires.

For CalWORKs, Medi-Cal, Food Stamps, and IHSS, you can continue to get benefits if you request a hearing anytime before the date the notice says your aid will be stopped or reduced. Usually you have 10 days from the date on the notice to request a hearing to get benefits continued while you wait for your hearing. You should file your request for a hearing as soon as possible to avoid a delay in getting your check. Always keep a copy of the hearing request for your records.

In making a decision about whether to request continuing benefits, keep in mind that you will be charged with an overpayment if you continue to get benefits and you lose at the hearing.

Before you come in for an appointment, you should try to talk with your eligibility worker, your worker's supervisor, and the deputy director of your welfare office to try and solve your problem. If you already have a hearing date, be sure to tell the person at Legal Aid who makes your appointment of your hearing date. Do this before you explain your problem.

To make an appointment, call the Government Benefits intake line at (213) 640-3883.

Case Complaint to DPSS for Denial, Etc.
If your AFDC, CalWORKs, Food Stamps, Medi-Cal, or IHSS benefits have been denied, cut off, or reduced, you should complain immediately to the Department of Public Social Services Welfare office that handles your case. If you have tried talking to your eligibility worker about your problem and it is still not resolved, you should call the office of the deputy directory of your workers unit and place a case complaint. You can ask your worker or your worker's supervisor for the deputy directory's name and telephone number.

If you cannot resolve your problem by speaking with your worker, your worker's supervisor or the deputy director, you can call the DPSS Central Help line at (877) 481-1044.

Take the name of everyone you speak to and also note the date and time you speak with them. Keep notes of all your conversations with DPSS workers and officials. If you cannot resolve your problem by making a case complaint, call LAFLA at (213) 640-3883 to make an appointment.

If you already have a hearing date, be sure to tell the person at LAFLA who makes your appointment. Do this before you explain your problem.

Social Security Late Appeals
There are good causes for filing a late appeal. If your Social Security, SSI, or Medicare benefits are denied, reduced, or cut off, you must appeal any notice denying benefits within 60 days. If you appeal after the 60 days, you must have a good reason for requesting your appeal late.

One example of good cause is that you were in the hospital or otherwise physically incapable of requesting an appeal in time. You must state your reason in writing and submit it with your request for appeal. You can go to your local Social Security office to get the form for showing good cause.

Be sure to keep a copy of what you file at the Social Security office with a date stamp or receipt.

Medi-Cal Denied
There are several ways you can get or keep Medi-Cal if you have been told that you will not get Medi-Cal or you will lose it. Three things you can do are:

the welfare office and make a case complaint
File for a Fair Hearing
Reapply for Medi-Cal

Medi-Cal Case Complaint
The first thing you should do is speak with your eligibility worker and say that you have a case complaint. If you cannot reach your eligibility worker, or if your eligibility worker refuses to give you Medi-Cal, then go "up the chain of command." Tell your eligibility worker's supervisor that you have a case complaint.

If the supervisor does not help you, then call the deputy director. You can get the deputy director's telephone number by asking your worker or by calling the general information number for your welfare district office. The deputy director is supposed to call you back within two hours and discuss your case.

LAFLA will only be able to help you with your case after you have tried to reach your eligibility worker, your eligibility worker's supervisor, and the deputy director.

Medi-Cal Fair Hearing
You have a right to ask for a Fair hearing if you are told your Medi-Cal will be taken away or that you cannot receive Medi-Cal. The welfare office is supposed to send you a letter (called a Notice of Action) telling you why you cannot get Medi-Cal.

Look carefully at your Notice of Action to check what date it says your Medi-Cal will be discontinued.

If you are receiving Medi-Cal already but are being cut off, make sure you ask for a Fair Hearing before the date that you lose your Medi-Cal. If you ask for a hearing before you Medi-Cal is taken away, you are entitled to "Aid Paid Pending" meaning that you will continue to receive Medi-Cal until a decision is made in your hearing. If you do not request a hearing before the date your Medi-Cal is to be cut off, you can still request a hearing up to 90 days from the date of your notice, but you will not get benefits while you wait for your hearing.

There are two ways you can file for a Fair Hearing:

Call (800) 952-5253
Write to:

Reapply for Medi-Cal
It is often a good idea to both appeal the termination of your Medi-Cal and reapply for it.

Medi-Cal HMO Disenrollment
If you are enrolled in a health plan because you receive Medi-Cal, you may have the right to disenroll with certain restrictions if you are not satisfied with the health plan you are in.

If you want to disenroll from the health plan, you must request a disenrollment form from Health Care Options (HCO) at (800) 430-4263. HCO will send you a disenrollment form which you must fill out and return. Usually, it will take between 15-45 days after you send in your disenrollment form for you to be disenrolled from the health plan. There are certain cases in which you can disenroll more quickly (called "expedited disenrollment").

HCO also takes complaints when you are having problems enrolling in a plan. For instance, if you asked to be enrolled in a health plan, but you have not received any information about your enrollment, you can call HCO for information at (800) 430-4263.

If you have already called HCO and you are still having problems with your health plan, you may call the Office of the Ombudsman at (888) 452-8609, which is part of the State Department of Health Services. The Ombudsman will investigate and try to resolve your complaints about the care you receive through the health plan and will try to help if you are having problems with HCO in getting disenrolled from the health plan. You can also call the Health Consumer Center for assistance at (800)896-3203.

If you have tried calling the numbers listed and are still having problems disenrolling, call LAFLA at (213) 640-3883 to make an appointment.

Free and Low Cost Health Services
If you need medical services, they are available at public and private clinics, hospitals and other locations and may be provided at low or no cost depending on your income. These services are provided on an ability-to-pay basis. For information on where to get free or low cost health services call (800) 427-8700.

Healthy Families
If you do not have health insurance or free (no share of cost) Medi-Cal to cover the medical needs of your children (up to age 19), the Healthy Families program provides low-cost health insurance for those who qualify. Health Families offers several plans to choose from. For more information about the program or to get an application you can call (888) 747-1222 or call the Los Angeles County and Nutrition Hotline at (800) 597-4777.

General Relief
If you have a General Relief problem, please call (213) 640-3918 Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.