FAA6.F Administrative : 03 Appeals - Overview : D Appeals Specialist Responsibilities : .03 Preparing the Hearing Packet
.03 Preparing the Hearing Packet
 
(04/01/16 - 05/31/16)
The Appeals Processing Unit may add additional documents as they become available. However, the Appellate Services Administration (ASA) is responsible for preparing an appeals hearing packet that consists of the following:
 
●Copy of the documents related to the action being appealed. Documents in the appeals packet include, but are not limited to, the following:
Decision notice relating to the issue being appealed.
Hearing request, including the envelope.
The application for benefits.
Official documentation forms, when applicable.
Verification documents used for the action taken.
Case file documentation relevant to the action appealed.
AZTECS budget prints.
Other documents, when applicable, that include, but are not limited to, the following:
●Requests for information.
●Appointment notices.
●Any documents used to support the change in benefits.
●Change Reports (FAA-0412A).
●Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) transaction history.
Overpayment documents that include, but are not limited to, the following:
●The discovery of the overpayment
●Overpayment claim report
●Recalculated budgets
●Demand notices
 
EXCEPTION
Specific confidential information cannot be viewed by or provided to the participant or their representative. Family Assistance Administration (FAA) must remove all confidential information from the case file prior to the participant or representative’s review.
NOTE This information should also be excluded when preparing an appeals packet.
The following information must be removed or redacted from the case file prior to the participant’s review, and excluded from the appeals packet:
●The names of confidential complaint sources who have provided information to FAA without the applicant’s or participant's knowledge, which information FAA will not use as basis for an adverse action.
●Office of Special Investigations (OSI) Information from Automated Fraud Tracking System (AFTS) for any pending investigations.
●Federal Tax Information (FTI) Reports.
●Any document that contains the birthdate or Social Security Number for persons who are not included in the current household.
●The Department shall redact the birthdate or Social Security Number for non-household members from information received from the Department of Child Support Services (DCSS). Both CHPS and FPUB contain Social Security Numbers and birthdates of non-household members.
●The HOSC screen. The Department will not use information from the HOSC screen to prove the income of the applicant or participant, but will verify the income from the employer if there is a discrepancy between what the applicant/participant reports and the information on HOSC.
●The nature or status of pending criminal prosecutions.
●Information that a physician considers psychologically harmful to any participant in the budgetary unit, such as medical information deemed inappropriate for release by the physician.
Replace the documents after the participant has viewed the case file.
When the documents containing confidential information must be removed from OnBase(g), complete the following:
●Print the confidential documents.
●Email Centralized Document Services (CDS) and request that the documents be deleted from OnBase. Include ‘Participant Case Review’ in the subject line of the e mail.
●When the participant completes the case review, scan the previously printed documents into OnBase.
 
WARNING
Include documents related to each approval period, when the issue of the hearing pertains to the current and prior approval periods.
 
NOTE The Appeals processing Unit may add additional documents as they become available.