Receiving & sharing information without email
A big share of the people we serve don't have email, a smartphone, or internet at home — and the whole benefits system assumes they do. This is a practical playbook for case managers on moving documents, running intake, and following up when digital isn't an option.
Meet the client where they are. The goal isn't to push someone online — it's to get the application filed and the care delivered using whatever channel actually works for them. Every method below is legitimate and, done right, HIPAA-compliant.
Ways to receive & share documents
Match the method to the client and the deadline. Most successful cases use more than one.
Fax (still the workhorse)
Most NH DHHS offices, SSA, housing authorities, and medical providers accept and send faxes. It's the most universally accepted way to move a signed document quickly.
Good for: Widely accepted; immediate; leaves a transmission record.
Watch: Confirm the number before sending PHI, and use a cover sheet with a confidentiality notice. Call to confirm receipt.
Postal mail & drop-off
Paper applications and documents can be mailed or hand-delivered to any DHHS District Office. For clients without a mailing address, the District Office address can receive their mail (in care of the office).
Good for: No technology needed; works for anyone.
Watch: Slower; mail can be lost. Keep copies of everything and note the date sent. Use certified mail for deadline-sensitive filings.
In person
Sit with the client and complete forms together, or accompany them to the DHHS office, SSA, or housing authority. A worker can copy documents and enter the application on the spot.
Good for: Highest completion rate; catches errors immediately.
Watch: Requires transportation and scheduling. Bring originals plus copies.
Phone
NH DHHS (1-844-275-3447), SSA (1-800-772-1213), and NHES (603-271-7700) all take applications by phone. Much benefit business can be conducted entirely by voice.
Good for: No documents to move to start; accessible for clients with low literacy.
Watch: Document what was said and when. Some steps still require a wet signature by fax or mail.
Agency portal (on the client's behalf)
With the client's authorization, staff can use NH EASY and other portals to submit and track applications and upload documents scanned at your office.
Good for: Fast, trackable, keeps everything in one place.
Watch: Requires proper authorization; never use a client's credentials without consent. Follow your agency's policy.
Setting up secure fax-to-email
Fax-to-email services let your agency send and receive faxes from a computer — bridging the paper world clients live in and the digital world your records live in. To keep it HIPAA-compliant:
- Choose a vendor that will sign a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) and encrypts faxes in transit and at rest (e.g., established HIPAA-eligible eFax services). No BAA, no PHI.
- Route inbound faxes to a monitored, access-controlled inbox — not a shared personal email. Restrict who can open it.
- Keep using a confidentiality cover sheet and verify the destination number every time.
- Log transmissions and store received documents in the client record, then purge them from the fax inbox per your retention policy.
- Confirm the setup with your agency's privacy officer before first use.
Using NH DHHS's own paper & portal processes
New Hampshire is built to accept applications through more than one door — you don't have to rely on the client having a device:
- One combined paper form. The Application for Assistance (Form 800) covers Medicaid, SNAP, and cash assistance together. Request it by calling 1-844-275-3447 or download and print it from dhhs.nh.gov/apply-assistance.
- NH EASY on the client's behalf. With authorization, staff can submit and track the application and upload documents you scanned in-office — the client never needs their own login.
- Phone applications. DHHS can take an application by phone; SNAP requires an interview, which is typically done by phone anyway.
- District Office as a mailing address. For clients with no fixed address, DHHS can use the District Office address (in care of the office) so notices and cards reach them.
- Fuel assistance is separate. LIHEAP/Fuel Assistance runs through local Community Action Agencies, not NH EASY — find the agency at capnh.org/cap-lookup.
Helping a client submit when they have no email or internet
- 1
Do the intake in the room or on the phone
Complete the application together. Read each question aloud; don't hand them a form to do alone.
- 2
Scan or copy documents at your office
Make copies of IDs, proofs, and signatures. Keep originals with the client; keep copies in the record.
- 3
Submit through the channel that fits
Portal on their behalf (with authorization), fax, mail, or drop-off — whatever gets it filed fastest before any deadline.
- 4
Set the client up to receive responses
Use a reliable mailing address (theirs, a shelter, or the District Office), and tell them what letters to expect and by when.
- 5
Track deadlines and follow up
Note interview dates and verification deadlines. Call to confirm receipt and to remind the client of appointments.
Tips for phone-based intake & follow-up
When & how to use an authorized representative
When a client can't manage the process alone, a named representative can act for them — a powerful tool, used carefully.
What an authorized representative can do
For NH DHHS programs (Medicaid, SNAP, cash assistance), a client can name an authorized representative who may apply, be interviewed, and act on their behalf. For SNAP specifically, an authorized representative can complete the application and even use the EBT card with permission.
How to set it up
The client designates the representative in writing on the application or a separate signed statement. NH EASY and the paper Application for Assistance both include a place to name one. The designation stays until the client changes it.
For Social Security
SSA distinguishes a 'representative payee' (manages benefit payments) from an 'appointed representative' (helps with a claim/appeal, Form SSA-1696). A signed SSA-3288 lets SSA release information to you. These are separate from DHHS authorization.
Boundaries
Acting as an authorized representative is a real responsibility: act in the client's interest, keep them informed, and document decisions. Confirm your agency permits staff to serve in this role and under what policy.
Authorization to release information — template language
Use this as a starting point for a client-signed release. It is a sample for adaptation, not legal advice— have your agency's privacy officer or counsel review your actual form, and follow 42 CFR Part 2 where substance-use records are involved.
I, [client full name], date of birth [DOB], authorize [agency / worker name] to release and receive information about me to and from the following person or organization: [name of DHHS office, SSA, housing authority, provider, etc.].
Information covered: [e.g., benefit application status, eligibility documents, appointment information]. I understand this may include information about mental health treatment. It does not include substance-use disorder records protected by 42 CFR Part 2, or HIV/AIDS or genetic information, unless I initial here: [____].
Purpose: to apply for and manage benefits and services on my behalf. This authorization expires on [date or event], and I may revoke it in writing at any time, except where action has already been taken in reliance on it.
I understand I do not have to sign this to receive services (except where the release is needed to provide the service I'm requesting), and that I may receive a copy.
Signature: __________________________ Date: ____________
Witness / worker: __________________ Date: ____________
Different agencies (DHHS, SSA, housing authorities) often require their own release forms — e.g., SSA Form SSA-3288. A general agency release may not substitute. Ask each organization which form it accepts.
Quick-reference numbers
NH DHHS Customer Service
1-844-275-3447
Medicaid, SNAP, cash — apply, paper forms, status.
Social Security
1-800-772-1213
Disability, SSI, benefit letters, representatives.
NH Employment Security
603-271-7700
Unemployment claims and questions.
NH 211
211
Statewide resource navigation, 24/7.
ServiceLink (ADRC)
1-866-634-9412
Aging & disability benefits counseling.
603 Legal Aid
1-800-639-5290
Free help with benefit denials and appeals.