I went through an OAH hearing last year and won. Here's what helped me: 1. I organized a binder with tabs for each piece of evidence, numbered to match the exhibits 2. I wrote out answers to likely questions so I wouldn't get flustered 3. I practiced explaining my situation in under 2 minutes (judges appreciate conciseness) 4. I made a simple timeline showing key dates (when housing issue arose, when I notified employer, when I moved, etc.) 5. I had documentation showing I'd been applying for jobs consistently Stay calm during the hearing, address the judge respectfully, don't interrupt anyone, and stick to the facts. The judge will likely ask if you've reviewed all exhibits - make sure you have! Definitely use the Unemployment Law Project - they can review your case and might even represent you at the hearing if they have availability.

btw did they actually told u why they denied u? my letter was so vague i had no idea what they were even saying i did wrong lol

One thing to consider: if the overpayment notice says it's due to unreported earnings, get an official earnings record from every employer you had during your claim period. You can also request your official wage records from ESD themselves as evidence. If there's a discrepancy between what you reported and what employers reported to ESD, that could explain the issue. Also, check whether they're claiming this was a fraudulent overpayment or non-fraudulent. The difference is important for penalties and repayment options. If they're alleging fraud, you'll want to take that very seriously.

Update: I was finally able to get through to ESD this morning. Turns out they somehow duplicated my entire claim history and counted it TWICE, plus they're claiming I didn't report income from a job I never even had! The agent said it looks like a system error combined with possible identity mix-up with someone with a similar name. She's escalating it to a supervisor but said I should still prepare for the hearing just in case it's not resolved by then. Thank you all for your help and advice!

One more important thing to consider: ESD may put you on a \

That's really helpful! My doctor has already documented that I need frequent breaks and can't stand for more than 20 minutes at a time. I'll ask if he can add more specifics about what kind of work I could do. Thank you!

yeah they ended up paying me everything but it was super stressful waiting! i almost missed a car payment. hope u get yours fixed faster!!

Update: I managed to get through to ESD this morning! Called right at 8:00 AM like someone here suggested and only waited about 20 minutes. The person I spoke with was actually helpful and explained that my adjudications were for: 1. Job separation issue (my employer is claiming I quit) 2. Potential availability issue (because I mentioned possibly taking classes) 3. Wage verification (they need paystubs from a previous job) She expedited my claim due to financial hardship and consolidated the issues under one adjudicator. She said I should hear something within 5-7 business days! Thank you all for your advice - it really helped me understand what was going on and how to address it.

Does anyone know how long these appeal hearings usually last? My friend just went through one and said it was only like 20 minutes, seems way too short to explain everything!

I work in HR (different state) and from the employer perspective, this sounds like a badly handled termination that they're now trying to classify as a quit to avoid the UI claim. That's actually against the rules. If they initiated the separation convo by saying "we're letting you go" then it's THEIR decision regardless of whether your husband offered to give notice afterward. One question - did they give any reason for letting him go? If it was something like "position elimination" or "restructuring" that would further support your case that it wasn't a quit.