Social Services Appeal Board

Hearing Instructions

• Download the printable version in PDF format

Confirm your attendance:

• You must call when you receive this package to confirm that you are attending your hearing. Call (204) 945-3003.
• If you do not call at least two (2) working days before your scheduled hearing date to confirm your attendance, your hearing will be cancelled, your appeal withdrawn and the matter dismissed.
• If you require an interpreter, call (204) 945-3003 as soon as possible.
• If you have not called to confirm your attendance, and you show up at the place and time scheduled for your hearing, the hearing will not be held.
• If you call to confirm that you will attend the hearing, but then you do not show up at the hearing, your appeal will be dismissed.
• If you do not show up at your hearing, but call the office on the day of your hearing to explain why you did not show up, your hearing might be rescheduled. You must have a legitimate reason for missing the hearing – illness, a death in the family, transportation problems on the way to the hearing or other events that could not have been reasonably foreseen. Sleeping in, going to other appointments, or forgetting the date are not legitimate reasons.
• If you do not show up for your hearing and do not call on the day of your hearing, your appeal will not be reopened unless you write a letter to the Board explaining why you did not show up, and requesting your file be reopened. The Board will decide if your file should be reopened.

At the hearing:

• You can bring someone to help you – a friend, a family member, an advocate or even a lawyer.
• Please bring all the information sent to you. If you have any further documents that you want the Board to see, please provide them to us as soon as possible. If you try to introduce these documents the day before the hearing or on the day of the hearing, the Board might not accept it, especially if the amount of pages is excessive.
• When you arrive at the hearing location, you will be asked to wait outside the hearing room until the Board is ready. The Department will also be waiting outside the room.
• When the Board is ready, you and the Department will be brought into the room. Usually, you and the Department will sit on one side of the table while the three Board members will sit on the other side of the table. A hearing officer sits at the end of the table.
• After the Board Chair makes the introductions, you will be asked by the Chair if you want to make your presentation first, or have the Department make its presentation first. It is your decision – the Board will not make it for you.

• After both sides make their presentations, the Board will ask questions. You will have a chance to ask the Department questions, and the Department may ask you questions.
• The Board will not make a decision while you are in the room. The written decision will be released within 15 days of the hearing and it will be sent to you.
• Unless you are told otherwise, the hearings are scheduled to last one hour. Keep that in mind when parking, making child care arrangements or planning the rest of your day.