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i had a friend who went thru this. she said the most important thing is KEEP DOING YOUR JOB SEARCHES while you wait!!! and document everything super carefully. if u win ur hearing u can get all the back pay but only if u did all the job search stuff every week
anyone else notice how they always deny valid claims hoping people will just give up? my sister and 5 other people from her company all got denied for the exact same bogus reason, only 2 of them fought through the whole appeal and petition process and BOTH won eventually. system is rigged
YES!! This is exactly what I think too! They count on people giving up because the process is so long and complicated. I almost gave up twice during my appeal.
While the process can certainly be frustrating, ESD decisions are based on the information available at the time. The appeal and petition process exists specifically to correct decisions that may have been made with incomplete information. If you believe a decision is incorrect, it's always worth pursuing through the proper channels.
when i had my appeal last year the judge let me submit new evidence at the hearing that i didnt include with my original appeal letter. so if you remember anything else helpful later you can still use it. also keep applying for jobs and document all that cuz they might ask about your job search during appeal too
yep this is super important!!! u gotta keep doing those 3 job search activities every week and logging them even during appeal or they can deny u for that reason even if u win the misconduct thing
One more thing I forgot to mention - if your appeal is denied, you can appeal AGAIN to the Commissioner's Review Office. I had to do this because I lost my first appeal, but won on the second level review. So even if the first appeal goes against you, don't give up! The higher level review often reverses decisions.
I didn't know there was a second level of appeal! That's good to know. I'm really hoping to win on the first try though because I can't go much longer without income. Did you have to wait a long time between the first and second appeals?
i dont get why they make this stuff so complicated!! just let people get their benefits when theyre not working! its not like any of us are trying to game the system, we just need to pay our bills until work starts again!!!!!
For anyone else in this situation, here's a time-saving tip: Save a documented copy of your job search activities in your personal records even if you're on standby. This way, if you unexpectedly hit the 8-week limit, you'll have your job search documentation ready to upload immediately instead of scrambling to backfill activities or facing denials. The system requires 3 qualifying job search activities per week, which can include: - Job applications - Employment workshops through WorkSource - Creating accounts on job search websites - Networking events - Updating your resume and submitting it to companies Also, mark on your calendar exactly when you'll hit 8 weeks of standby for the benefit year so you aren't caught by surprise.
Great news! This is exactly why speaking with the right specialist matters. For anyone else reading this thread with similar issues, always ask for a claims specialist who can see the detailed status codes on your account. General agents often can't see or fix these specific problems. Glad it worked out!
Javier Cruz
My husband just went through this whole process in December. For his January-filed claim, they looked at October 2023 through September 2024 for the standard base year. When he couldn't qualify with that (he had been in school part of that time), they automatically checked the alternate base year which was January 2024 through December 2024. He qualified under that one. The determination letter will tell you which calculation they used.
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AstroAlpha
•That's exactly my situation - I was in school part-time during early 2024. I'll check my determination letter more carefully to see if they considered the alternate base year. Thanks for sharing your experience!
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Paolo Longo
To answer your question about the appeal - yes, there is a specific appeal process. You can file an appeal online through your eServices account by selecting the "Appeals" option. Make sure to upload copies of your paystubs or any documentation showing your correct hours. Appeals must be filed within 30 days of the date on your determination letter. If you call ESD, ask them specifically about the hours calculation and which quarters they used. If some of your hours are missing, they can help identify where the discrepancy is coming from.
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AstroAlpha
•Perfect, thank you! I just found the appeals section in my eServices account. I'm gathering all my paystubs now to show the correct hours. Really appreciate everyone's help!
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