You did the hours. You got the letter signed. Then a notice came saying it wasn't enough, or that your benefits are ending. That feels awful, especially when you know you showed up every week.
Take a breath. A rejection is usually fixable, and you have more rights here than the notice makes it sound. Here's what to do, in order.
First: don't ignore the notice
This matters more than anything else on this page. When Nebraska started Medicaid work requirements in 2026, KFF looked at who lost coverage. Of the denied applications, 84% were for not responding to a request for more information. At renewal, 92% of people who lost coverage "did not respond to verification compliance requests." Only 16% of denied applicants, and 8% of people who lost coverage, were found to have actually fallen short.
So answer every notice, even if you're not sure what it means. A phone call that says "I got this, I'm working on it" is better than silence.
Why were my volunteer hours rejected?
Proof gets turned down for reasons that have nothing to do with whether you did the work. Check these first:
| Problem | How to fix it |
|---|---|
| No contact person. Nobody the office can call to confirm. | Add the coordinator's name, phone, and email. The Medicaid rule expects the organization to have "a point of contact who can confirm the hours completed." |
| The numbers don't add up. The total doesn't match the shifts listed. | Recount with the coordinator. List each date and its hours so anyone can check the math. |
| Wrong month. The letter covers the wrong dates, or lumps months together. | Ask for one letter per month, with the month spelled out. |
| The organization isn't accepted. | For SNAP, your state decides which sites count. For Medicaid, the group must be public or nonprofit, but states can't require a 501(c)(3). Ask what rule they used. |
| The wrong person signed. A friend, a fellow volunteer, or you. | Get it signed by staff who saw your work or keep the records, like the volunteer coordinator. |
| It came in late. | Turn it in anyway and ask about good cause (below). Washington, for example, wants SNAP proof by the 10th of the next month. |
| The hours were already used for a court order. | Some states won't count the same hours twice. Washington says hours "can't be counted if also used to meet court appointed or legal obligations." |
Our volunteer hours letter template covers every item a caseworker looks for. If you used it, compare it line by line with what the office wanted.
Ask for the reason in writing
You have a right to know why. For SNAP, the notice must explain "the reason for the proposed action" in "easily understandable language." For Medicaid, the notice must give a clear statement of the specific reasons.
If yours just says "not verified," call and ask:
"Can you tell me exactly what was wrong with my proof, and what you need instead? Can you send that to me in writing?"
Write down the date, the worker's name, and the answer. For SNAP, you can also ask for a free copy of your case file if you're thinking about a hearing.
Fix it and send it back fast
Most problems are a quick fix if you move this week.
- Get a corrected letter or the state's form from your coordinator. Tell them exactly what was missing.
- Keep a copy of everything, or take a photo.
- Send it the way the notice says, and ask how to confirm they got it.
- Call two or three days later to make sure it's in your file.
For Medicaid, the federal rule gives you 30 days after you get a noncompliance notice to show you met the rule or that it doesn't apply to you. (The notice counts as received 5 days after the date printed on it.) Your coverage keeps going during that time. If you're short on SNAP hours, our guide to how volunteering counts for SNAP explains your state's options.
Ask about good cause
If you missed hours for a short-term reason you couldn't control, tell your office. The federal SNAP rule says good cause includes things like "illness, illness of another household member requiring the presence of the member, a household emergency, or the unavailability of transportation." Your state decides if your reason counts.
Medicaid works a little differently. Some states offer short-term hardship exceptions, such as during a hospital stay. If yours does, the noncompliance notice has to tell you about them. Read Medicaid work requirements for more.
How to ask for a fair hearing
A fair hearing is your right to have someone outside your caseworker's office look at the decision. You don't need a lawyer, and asking doesn't cost anything.
| SNAP | Medicaid | |
|---|---|---|
| How to ask | Out loud or in writing. Any clear request counts. | Through the same ways you can apply, usually phone, mail, online, or in person. |
| Deadline to ask | Within 90 days of the action. | Your state sets it, but it can't be more than 90 days from when the notice was mailed. Check your notice. |
| Keep benefits while you wait | Ask before the date on your notice when the change takes effect (at least 10 days after it's mailed). Benefits continue unless you say you don't want them, as long as your certification period hasn't ended. | Ask before the date of action on your notice. In most cases, coverage continues until the hearing decision. |
| If you lose | You may have to pay back benefits you got while waiting. | Your state may try to recover the cost of care you got while waiting. |
Say it plainly: "I want a fair hearing, and I want my benefits to continue." For SNAP, the office must help you with the request if you ask, and must tell you about free legal services.
The fine print comes from the federal rules for SNAP fair hearings and Medicaid fair hearings (42 CFR part 431, subpart E). Your state's notice will have its own dates. Go by those.
If your benefits already stopped
It isn't permanent.
- SNAP: You can get SNAP back by meeting the rule during any 30 days in a row: 80 hours of work (including unpaid work your state accepts), a work program, or a mix. You can also get it back by becoming exempt.
- Medicaid: Your state can't hold a lost-coverage decision against you when you reapply. If you were on expansion Medicaid and lost it for not sending proof, sending that proof within 90 days means your state must reconsider without a new application. Some states give longer.
Get free legal help
Legal aid offices handle benefit cases every day, and many will take yours for free. Find one near you at LawHelp.org, which lists nonprofit legal aid by state. Bring your notice, your proof, and your notes from calls.
Where Verified Hours fits
A lot of rejections come down to a letter missing one detail. Verified Hours builds the same complete record every month: each shift, the total, the organization, and the person who confirmed it, with a QR code your caseworker can scan to check it. It's free for you and the nonprofit. A careful paper letter works too. If you're using court-ordered hours, read whether court service counts for Medicaid before you hand anything in.
A rejection is a setback, not the end. Open the notice, ask why, fix what's missing, and ask for a hearing if you think they got it wrong.