Provides free legal advice and direct representation for public benefits cases with DSHS where benefits have been denied, reduced, overpaid or terminated. 
These cases include: 
- Basic Food/food stamps 
- TANF 
- ABD (formerly GAU/GAX/Disability Lifeline programs) 
- Housing and Essential Needs (HEN) Referral 
- WA Apple Health (Medicaid)
- Medical assistance (including issues with prescription drugs, durable medical equipment, managed care programs, specific medical treatment/services) 
- Childcare 
- Emergency financial aid (including AREN, DCA and Refugee Cash Assistance) 
- Alien Emergency Medical Program 
- State long-term care cases (can only assist with issues of financial eligibility) 
- Medicare Savings Program

Benefits Legal Assistance offered at Solid Ground

Provides legal services to recipients and applicants for TANF, HEN, ABD, Basic Food, WA Apple Health (Medicaid) and childcare from King County; advocates with DSHS and represents in hearings. Call 2-1-1 for screening.

Programs that provide assistance for non-citizens who are having difficulty understanding, accessing, and/or are unaware of government-sponsored entitlement programs and social services for which they are eligible including housing programs, employment assistance and job training, medical assistance, and other government entitlements. The program may help these individuals understand the eligibility criteria for benefits and services, the benefits/services available, the payment process and the rights of beneficiaries; provide consultation and advice; help them complete application forms; negotiate on their behalf with benefits administration and social service staff; and/or represent them in administrative processes or judicial litigation. Included are benefits counseling organizations that offer a range of advocacy services and legal aid programs that offer more formalized legal assistance.

Immigrant Benefits Assistance

Programs that provide assistance for prospective or current public financial assistance recipients who are having difficulty understanding and/or obtaining the full benefits to which they are entitled by law under various income support entitlement programs. The programs may help people understand the eligibility criteria for benefits, how much they can work without affecting their benefits (for some programs), the benefits provided by the program, the payment process and the rights of beneficiaries; provide consultation and advice; help them complete benefits application forms; negotiate on their behalf with public assistance benefits staff; and/or represent them in administrative hearings or judicial litigation. Included are welfare rights organizations that offer a range of advocacy services as well as legal aid programs that offer more formalized legal assistance. Entitlement programs include (but are not limited to) General Relief (GR), Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), Food Stamps/SNAP, Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI).

Welfare Rights Assistance

Programs that are responsible for hearing appeals and resolving complaints that have been filed by people who have applied for or who are receiving assistance through the Food Stamp program and believe that they have been discriminated against, that their rights have been violated or that the county has failed to take appropriate action with respect to their application or benefits.

Food Stamps/SNAP Appeals/Complaints

Programs that provide assistance for individuals with disabilities who are having difficulty understanding, accessing, and/or are unaware of the full benefits and services to which they are entitled by law. Included are federally mandated programs that are part of the formal protection and advocacy system which includes Protection and Advocacy for Persons with Developmental Disabilities (PADD), Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI), Protection and Advocacy for Individual Rights (PAIR) and the Client Assistance Program (CAP); and independent organizations that provide the same types of services. Protection and advocacy programs provide legal representation and other advocacy services, under federal and state laws, for all people with disabilities and endeavor to ensure full access to inclusive educational programs, financial entitlements, health care, accessible housing and productive employment opportunities. The programs maintain a presence in facilities that care for people with disabilities where they monitor, investigate and attempt to remedy adverse conditions. CAP agencies (many of which are housed within protection and advocacy offices) provide information and assistance for individuals seeking or receiving vocational rehabilitation services under the Rehabilitation Act, including assistance in pursuing administrative, legal and other appropriate remedies.

Protection and Advocacy for Individuals With Disabilities

Programs that are responsible for hearing appeals and resolving complaints that have been filed by people who have applied for or who are receiving services through Medicaid and believe that they have been discriminated against, that their rights have been violated or that the state or county has failed to take appropriate action with respect to their application or benefits.

Medicaid Appeals/Complaints

Programs that are responsible for hearing appeals and resolving complaints that have been filed by people who have applied for or are receiving assistance through TANF and believe that they have been discriminated against, that their rights have been violated or that the county or state has failed to take appropriate action with respect to their situation.

TANF Appeals/Complaints

Programs that are responsible for hearing appeals and resolving complaints that have been filed by people who have applied for or are receiving assistance through the state disability program and believe that they have been discriminated against, that their rights have been violated or that the state has failed to take appropriate action with respect to their application or benefits.

State Disability Insurance Appeals/Complaints

Independent state agency conducts appeals hearings for DSHS in four main categories: Public assistance, Child support, Facility licensing, and Juvenile rehabilitation. 
If you are an applicant or recipient of public assistance, in any form, through DSHS, and you disagree with a decision that DSHS has made about your benefits, you have a right to an administrative hearing. If you disagree with a notice that DCS has sent you about your child support obligation, you have a right to an administrative hearing. The decision will not be made at the hearing. The judge will consider all of the evidence presented at the hearing, make findings of facts, and then apply the applicable DSHS regulations to those facts. The resulting written decision (called an Initial Order or a Final Order, depending on the type of case) will then be mailed.

DSHS Hearings offered by Washington State Office of Administrative Hearings in Olympia

Conducts hearings for DSHS in four main categories: public assistance; child support; facility licensing; and juvenile rehabilitation. If clients disagree with a decision DSHS has made, they have a right to an administrative hearing.