Many local agency notices are computer-generated by the Client Notices System (CNS), a sub-system of New York State's Welfare Management System (WMS). After local agencies enter data on WMS, CNS automatically generates an individualized, multi-page notice that is actually printed and mailed from Albany. These CNS notices have distinctive ten digit "alpha numeric" Notice Numbers displayed at the top of each of their pages (typically 4 to 12 pp.). Notice Numbers begin with "N" for New York City cases and with "U," which stands for "Upstate," a reference to New York States 57 counties outside of New York City, reflecting OTDA's rather skewed sense of geography.

Not all notices are CNS-generated but increasingly CNS is used for many acceptance, denial, reduction, restriction and discontinuance notices as well as for recertification appointments and mail-in Medicaid Renewal forms.

In trying to understand the history of benefit issuances and disruptions, it is often useful to review past notices. If recipients have not retained all past notices, one option is to review their local agency case records. Another option is to obtain any CNS-generated notices through a PPPL request to OTDA.

CNS can generate duplicate copies of each such notice, along with a list of enclosures that were to accompany each notice. CNS can also produce a list of all notices that it has generated for a particular individual or case for any specified period of time. See a sample of such a list by clicking here: http://onlineresources.wnylc.net/FairHearingResources/docs/cns_list.pdf.

Example

A recipient notes that her Public Assistance (PA) and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) [formerly known as Food Stamp (FS)] benefits have fluctuated in amount during the past year due to her sporadic, fluctuating wages. She also had to relocate during the past year and lost some of her records. Your PPPL request might seek: