If someone else’s income, employment, or personal information has been mistakenly or fraudulently attached to your benefits case, here is how to identify the …
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Before You Apply
How to Determine Which Household Members Must Be Included in Your Benefits Application
Before you fill out a single form, you need to know exactly whose income, identity, and presence in the home the agency expects you to report. Getting the household definition …
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Documents and Verification
How to Verify Homelessness or Unstable Housing Status When Applying for Benefits
If you don’t have a lease, a stable address, or a landlord to vouch for you, agencies still have accepted ways to document your housing situation. Here’s what counts as …
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Renewals and Recertification
How to Add a Newborn or New Household Member to an Existing Benefits Case Between Certification Periods
When a baby is born or someone new moves into your household mid-certification, you don’t wait for your next renewal to report it. Here’s the exact process for adding a …
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Documents and Verification
How to Get Documents Notarized or Certified When Your Benefits Agency Requires It
Some verification requests ask for a notarized statement or certified copy rather than a plain photocopy. Here’s how to figure out exactly what level of authentication is required, where to …
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Renewals and Recertification
How to Request an Extension on a Recertification Deadline During a Natural Disaster or Declared Emergency
When a hurricane, wildfire, flood, or other declared emergency disrupts your mail, transportation, or access to documents, agencies often have separate emergency extension procedures for recertification deadlines. Here is how …
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Before You Apply
How to Decide Which Parent’s Address to Use When Filing a Child’s Benefits Case Under a Shared Custody Arrangement
When parents share custody and split time between two homes, agencies still need one address and one household listed on the application. Here’s how to work out which address to …
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Appeals and Hearings
How to Request Continued Benefits (Aid Paid Pending) While Your Appeal Is Being Decided
If you appeal a reduction or termination before it takes effect, you may be entitled to keep receiving benefits at the old level until a hearing decision is issued. Here …
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Documents and Verification
How to Verify Rent Payments When You Pay in Cash With No Lease or Receipts
If you pay rent informally to a landlord, relative, or friend without a written lease or receipts, you can still document that expense for shelter deduction or household composition purposes. …
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Documents and Verification
How to Report a One-Time Lump Sum Payment Like an Inheritance, Legal Settlement, or Gift Without Jeopardizing Your Benefits
A lump sum from an inheritance, injury settlement, or large gift is treated differently than regular income, but it still has to be reported correctly and on time. Here is …
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Documents and Verification
How to Update Your Benefits Case After a Legal Name Change From Marriage, Divorce, or a Court Order
A legal name change can quietly derail your benefits case if the agency’s records don’t match your new identification. Here’s how to update your file correctly and avoid a mismatch …
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Fair hearings have their own interpreter request rules, separate from the interview stage, and missing them can delay or derail your case. Here’s how to secure language access before your …
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