Appeals are processed promptly. In deciding the appeal, staff must not take more than 90 days (60 days for food stamps) from the date of the request for an appeal until action to provide retroactive benefits is initiated. The fair hearing may be postponed, however, at the request of the appellant or when the appellant fails to keep his first appointment for the fair hearing. In these cases, the time lapse caused by the delay is added to the 90 or 60 days allowed for processing the appeal.