What to Do If You Have a Problem Getting Benefits with Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS)

The Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) helps people with food, cash, medical benefits, and other services. You have important rights when dealing with ODHS. You can also fight decisions made by ODHS if you think they made a mistake. 

This article focuses on your rights and options when dealing with ODHS about public benefits like food, cash, long-term care, and medical help.

Your rights when dealing with ODHS

You have the right to:

• Be treated with respect, fairness, and politeness by ODHS staff.
• Apply for any ODHS program you believe you qualify for.
• Request a receipt when you turn in paperwork at an ODHS office.
• Ask for a meeting with an ODHS caseworker or a manager.
• Get help filling out forms or reporting changes in your income.
• Get help in the language you speak. 
• Ask for accommodations related to a disability.
• Ask to see the information in your file.
• Have your information kept private. 

You can read more about these rights in the ODHS guide "Your Rights and Responsibilities."

What kinds of ODHS decisions can you fight?

If you disagree with a decision made by ODHS, you usually have the right to fight the decision through an appeal. An appeal means you're asking someone else to review ODH's decision.

You can appeal if ODHS:

• Denies your application for benefits.
• Stops or reduces your benefits.
• Says you were overpaid benefits and must pay the money back.
• Accuses you of fraud or claims you intentionally gave false information.
• Denies help with in-home care or changes your care plan.

Read the paperwork and notices you received from ODHS. They should tell you how to file an appeal and explain the process. If ODHS schedules a hearing on your appeal, you can visit this article for information on how to prepare for your hearing.

In most cases, you have a limited number of days to appeal a decision, so it's important to act quickly!

Getting help with ODHS problems

If you need more help dealing with an ODHS problem, you can contact:

• Oregon Public Benefits Hotline (PBHL): This statewide hotline helps callers navigate issues with public benefits, like food stamps (SNAP), unemployment, TANF, disability, and other government assistance programs. Find out how to contact the PBHL here.
• Governor's Advocacy Office (GAO): This office helps people understand their options for resolving issues with ODHS. Find out how to contact the GAO and file a complaint on this website.

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