Short answer
What should I do if my SNAP stopped or was denied?
Read the notice for the reason and the dates. If a document was missing, send it: your state must give you at least 10 days, and a new application can be reopened if you finish within 60 days of applying. (7 CFR 273.2) If you disagree, ask for a fair hearing, by phone or in writing, within 90 days. If you ask within the notice period, your benefits can continue while you wait. (7 CFR 273.15) If your income has dropped since, you can apply again at any time. (7 CFR 273.10)
| Rule | Timeline | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Notice before benefits are cut or stopped | Generally at least 10 days | 7 CFR 273.13 |
| Time to send requested proof | At least 10 days | 7 CFR 273.2 |
| Finish a denied application without reapplying | Within 60 days of the application date | 7 CFR 273.2 |
| Finish a renewal after the period ends | Within 30 days after the certification period ends | 7 CFR 273.14 |
| Ask for a fair hearing | Within 90 days of the action | 7 CFR 273.15 |
| Hearing decision | Within 60 days of your request | 7 CFR 273.15 |
Source: 7 CFR 273.15, Fair hearings Verified .
Your state SNAP agency and hearing officers make the decisions. This page explains the rules; it is not legal advice. Benefit Bull is free and never applies or appeals for you.
Why did my SNAP stop after a short or seasonal job?
SNAP looks at the income your household has and expects to have. When a new job raises income over the limit, your state can close the case, but it must first send a notice of adverse action, generally at least 10 days before the change takes effect. (7 CFR 273.13) (USDA FNA, SNAP eligibility)
If the job has already ended, you can apply again. Benefits for a new application are counted from the date you apply, not from the date you are approved. (7 CFR 273.10) If you are over the limit in the month you apply but expect to be under it the next month because the job is ending, federal rules let the state use the same application for the next month, so you do not have to apply twice. (7 CFR 273.10)
If you think the state used income you no longer have, you can also ask for a fair hearing. See steps 4 and 5. (7 CFR 273.15)
If a seasonal job is over, apply again right away and bring the last pay stub or a letter showing the job ended.
What does "proof not received" mean?
Verification means a document or a contact with someone else that confirms what you reported. Your state must give you at least 10 days to send what it asks for, and it must tell you in writing what it needs and the date it is due. (7 CFR 273.2) (7 CFR 273.14) The state also has to help you get documents that are hard to find, and it must promptly contact a person you name who can confirm your information. (7 CFR 273.2)
A denial for missing proof is often fixable:
- New application. If you send what was missing within 60 days of the date you applied, the state must reopen the case without a new application. (7 CFR 273.2)
- Renewal. If your renewal was denied for missing proof, you have 30 days after your certification period ends to finish, and it still counts as a renewal. (7 CFR 273.14)
- Sent it but they say they did not get it. Send it again, keep a copy, and write down the date and how you sent it. If the state still says no, you can ask for a fair hearing. (7 CFR 273.15)
Federal rules separate failing to cooperate from refusing. A denial for refusal is only allowed when a household was able to cooperate and clearly refused; a household that simply could not finish a step should get help, not a denial. (7 CFR 273.2)
Call or visit your SNAP office, ask exactly which document is missing, and send it the same day. Keep a copy of everything you send.
Got a work requirement notice but have a disability?
Federal SNAP rules exempt a person who is physically or mentally unfit for employment from the general work requirements. (7 CFR 273.7) For the time limit that applies to some adults without dependents, a person counts as medically certified unfit for work if they:
- get temporary or permanent disability benefits from a government or private source;
- are obviously unfit for work, as the state decides; or
- give the state a statement from a doctor, physician assistant, nurse, nurse practitioner, psychologist, social worker, or other medical staff the state accepts, saying they are unfit for work. (7 CFR 273.24)
That third option matters if a disability claim is still pending. You do not need an approved disability case to send a medical statement. (7 CFR 273.24)
Act fast on the notice. Your letter gives the date the change takes effect, and asking for a fair hearing before that date can keep your benefits going while you wait. (7 CFR 273.15) State deadlines for other programs can be shorter, so check the date on your letter.
Send your SNAP office a medical statement and ask in writing to be marked exempt. If the notice has a short deadline, ask for a fair hearing at the same time.
How do you ask for a fair hearing?
A fair hearing is your right to have someone outside your caseworker review the decision. A request can be oral or written; you only need to say clearly that you want to appeal. (7 CFR 273.15)
- Deadline. You can ask for a hearing on any action or loss of benefits from the past 90 days. (7 CFR 273.15)
- Benefit amount. At any time during your certification period, you can ask for a hearing to dispute your current benefit amount. (7 CFR 273.15)
- Decision. The state must hold the hearing and send you a decision within 60 days of your request. (7 CFR 273.15)
Your notice should explain how to ask. In Massachusetts, for example, an appeal form usually comes with DTA notices about a change in benefits. (Mass.gov, File an appeal with DTA)
Ask for the hearing in writing if you can, and keep a copy. Then call to confirm it was received.
If you need help with paperwork, an authorized representative can act for you. (7 CFR 273.2) Learn who can apply for SNAP on your behalf.
Can you keep getting SNAP while you appeal?
Often, yes. If you ask for a fair hearing within the notice period on your letter and your certification period has not ended, your benefits continue at the old level until the decision, unless you say you do not want them to. (7 CFR 273.15) (7 CFR 273.13)
Two things to know. Continued benefits stop when your certification period ends, so you may need to renew while you wait. (7 CFR 273.15) (Texas HHS, Texas Works handbook B-1050) And if the decision goes against you, the state may ask you to repay benefits you got while waiting. (Texas HHS, Texas Works handbook B-1050) If you would rather not take that chance, you can say so when you ask for the hearing. (7 CFR 273.15)
Read the date on your notice. Ask for the hearing before that date if you want your benefits to keep coming.
How does this work in Massachusetts, New York, and Texas?
| State | How to ask | Deadline and continued benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts (DTA) | Call the Division of Hearings at (617) 348-5321, mail DTA Hearings, P.O. Box 4017, Taunton, MA 02780-0314, or fax (617) 348-5311. Hearings are by phone. (Mass.gov, File an appeal with DTA) | The hearing notice is mailed 15 days before the hearing, and the decision is mailed within 30 days after it. (Mass.gov, File an appeal with DTA) Federal 90 day and continued benefit rules apply. (7 CFR 273.15) |
| New York (OTDA) | In writing, by telephone, or in person. (N.Y. 18 NYCRR 358-3.5) | Within 90 days of the action for SNAP. (N.Y. 18 NYCRR 358-3.5) |
| Texas (HHSC) | Orally or in writing. (Texas HHS, Fair hearings handbook 1400) | Within 90 calendar days of the action or the notice date, whichever is later. (Texas HHS, Fair hearings handbook 1400) Continued benefits if you ask within 13 days of the notice; not when the certification period has expired. (Texas HHS, Texas Works handbook B-1050) |
Every state follows the federal rules in 7 CFR 273.15, and many add their own steps. Your notice tells you where to send your request. (7 CFR 273.15)
Find the hearing instructions on the back of your notice. That is the fastest way to reach the right office.
Which SNAP deadlines matter most?
- 10 days
- Minimum time your state must give you to send requested proof
- 60 days
- Window to finish a denied application without reapplying
- 90 days
- Time to ask for a fair hearing on a SNAP action
- 60 days
- Time the state has to decide your hearing
See which other programs may help your household while you sort out SNAP, with official links.
Sources: (7 CFR 273.2) (7 CFR 273.15)
What this adds up to
A closure or denial usually comes down to income, a missing document, or a rule that may not fit your situation. (7 CFR 273.2) (7 CFR 273.13) Send missing proof quickly, reapply if your income has dropped, send a medical statement if a work notice does not fit you, and ask for a fair hearing within 90 days if you disagree, before the effective date if you want benefits to continue. (7 CFR 273.10) (7 CFR 273.24) (7 CFR 273.15) If your benefits went down instead of stopping, see Why Did My SNAP Benefits Go Down? You apply and appeal yourself; Benefit Bull walks you through it and never files for you.
Sources
Every claim above links to the source it came from. Figures checked October 2026. Last updated October 23, 2026.
- USDA Food and Nutrition Administration, SNAP Eligibility (accessed October 22, 2026)
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 7 CFR 273.2, Office operations and application processing (accessed October 22, 2026)
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 7 CFR 273.7, Work provisions (accessed October 22, 2026)
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 7 CFR 273.10, Determining household eligibility and benefit levels (accessed October 22, 2026)
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 7 CFR 273.13, Notice of adverse action (accessed October 22, 2026)
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 7 CFR 273.14, Recertification (accessed October 22, 2026)
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 7 CFR 273.15, Fair hearings (accessed October 22, 2026)
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 7 CFR 273.24, Time limit for able-bodied adults (accessed October 22, 2026)
- Mass.gov, File an Appeal with DTA (accessed October 22, 2026)
- New York Codes, Rules and Regulations, 18 NYCRR 358-3.5, Requests for a fair hearing (accessed October 22, 2026)
- Texas Health and Human Services, Hearings Handbook, section 1400, Submitting a Fair Hearing Request (accessed October 22, 2026)
- Texas Health and Human Services, Texas Works Handbook, B-1050 Handling of Benefits During the Appeal Process (accessed October 22, 2026)
