Appealing Disability Lifeline (GAU) Terminations

Do you or someone you know receive Disability Lifeline or GAU? Effective September 1st, 2010, thousands of Washington State residents will lose their Disability Lifeline (formerly called GAU or General Assistance-Unemployable) benefits from the state. Benefits are being terminated due to a 24-month time limit approved by the state legislature last session.

If you or someone you know has received a termination notice, you have the right to appeal! If your termination notice is dated in August 2010 you have only until August 31st to file your appeal and keep benefits until the hearing decision. You can still file an appeal later — up to 90 days after your notice — but you will not continue to receive benefits while you wait.
The best way to file an appeal is to go to your local DSHS office. Turn in a written hearing request. Keep a copy! Have DSHS stamp your copy with the date received. Keep this as your proof of submitting your appeal.
If you cannot go in to a DSHS office in person by August 31, call DSHS. Be sure to speak to a person, not just a voicemail box. Write notes about your conversation including the name of the person you are speaking to and the date and time of your call. Keep these notes as your proof of your appeal. Ask for a “fair hearing” for your benefit termination. Ask the DSHS worker on the phone to make the written request to the hearings office for you.
You can also file your appeal through a combination of faxing and mailing the original on the same date. Use the fax number and address listed on the hearing form. Keep a copy of the appeal request, and keep the proof of the fax transmittal. It is safer if you can mail the original via certified mail with a return receipt.
In order to win your hearing, you may need to collect and bring medical and other evidence showing that you qualify as disabled under the SSI disability standards.
If you lose your hearing, any benefits that have been continued will stop and you may have to repay up to two months worth of benefits.
After you file your appeal, seek legal help. Call Solid Ground’s Family Assistance attorneys at 206-694-6742 or email at evonnez@solid-ground.org or call 2-1-1.
In all other counties call CLEAR at 1.888.201.1014 to speak to an advocate.
Additional information is available online at Washington LawHelp.