I'm going through the exact same nightmare right now! Just got hit with a $3,100 overpayment notice and I'm completely overwhelmed. Reading through everyone's experiences here is both terrifying and reassuring at the same time. One thing I noticed from my determination letter is that they're claiming I didn't report income for weeks where I KNOW I reported everything correctly. I've been keeping detailed records because I was paranoid about making mistakes, but now I'm second-guessing everything. Has anyone had success with requesting the specific calculation details from DEO? Like, can they show you exactly how they arrived at the overpayment amount? I feel like I'm flying blind trying to figure out what they think I did wrong. Also, for those who successfully appealed - how long did it take from filing the appeal to actually getting a hearing date? I'm worried about the financial stress dragging on for months while this gets resolved. Thanks to everyone sharing their stories and advice. This community is literally the only place I've found real information about dealing with these overpayment nightmares!

I'm dealing with this same situation right now - got hit with a $2,950 overpayment notice three weeks ago and I was absolutely panicking at first. After reading through everyone's experiences here, I wanted to share what I've learned so far. The biggest thing that helped me was realizing that DEO makes A LOT of mistakes with these determinations. I spent hours going through my records and found that they were double-counting income from a two-week pay period where my employer paid me for the previous week and current week together. It showed up as unreported income because of how the dates lined up. For anyone just getting started with this process: 1. Don't panic (easier said than done, I know!) 2. Gather EVERYTHING - pay stubs, bank statements, screenshots of your weekly certs if you have them 3. Create a timeline matching your actual pay dates to the weeks you certified 4. File your appeal immediately through CONNECT - don't wait I'm still waiting for my hearing date (filed appeal 2 weeks ago), but getting organized and understanding exactly what they're claiming has made me feel so much more confident about fighting this. The people in this community who've won their appeals all seem to have one thing in common - they had solid documentation and didn't give up. Hang in there everyone - sounds like we have a real fighting chance if we stay organized and persistent!

Wow, reading through all these experiences really shows how widespread this problem is! I'm currently at 6 weeks pending adjudication for about 2 months now, and like everyone else, I keep getting the runaround from phone reps who can't actually help. @Steven Adams your success story gives me real hope - I had no idea about the CareerSource option! I'm calling mine tomorrow to find out when DEO staff are available. @Grace Durand I'm also going to look into Claimyr since you and others had success with it. It's infuriating that we have to become experts in navigating this broken system just to get what we're legally entitled to, but I'm grateful for this community sharing what actually works. The solidarity here is keeping me motivated to keep fighting instead of just giving up like they clearly want us to do.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm dealing with 12 weeks pending adjudication for about 5 months now - longest I've seen mentioned here. Reading everyone's experiences and solutions gives me hope that there IS a way through this maze. I've tried the regular phone route dozens of times with no luck, but I hadn't heard about the CareerSource option or Claimyr before finding this discussion. @Steven Adams - your step-by-step breakdown and success story is exactly what I needed to see! I'm calling my local CareerSource tomorrow to find out their DEO schedule. @Grace Durand and others who mentioned Claimyr - I'm definitely looking into that too since multiple people had success with it. It's both comforting and infuriating to see how many of us are stuck in the same broken system. The fact that we have to crowdsource solutions just to access benefits we're legally entitled to is absolutely insane. But I'm so grateful for this community sharing what actually works instead of just complaining (though we have every right to complain!). Will definitely update once I try these strategies. Thank you all for not giving up and sharing your knowledge!

Thank you everyone for all the helpful responses! I finally got through to DEO this morning (took about 15 attempts) and found out there was an 'employment verification hold' that wasn't showing up in my account. The agent cleared it and said my payments should process within 48 hours. She also confirmed my Way2Go card was mailed 3 weeks ago, so she's having them send a replacement. Really appreciate all the advice - this system is so confusing for newcomers!

So glad you got it resolved! This is exactly why I always recommend calling when payments are delayed - there are so many backend issues that don't show up on the CONNECT portal. For anyone else reading this thread who might be in a similar situation, Amara's experience shows how important it is to be persistent with calling DEO. Those "invisible holds" like employment verification are super common and can only be cleared by speaking with an agent. Keep claiming your weeks while you wait for the replacement card - all those back payments will be there when it arrives!

I'm going through a similar situation right now and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I just want to add one more tip that my friend who works for a legal aid clinic told me: when you're gathering evidence, don't forget about any witness statements. If you have coworkers who witnessed the "restructuring" or can confirm you didn't voluntarily quit, ask them to write a brief statement about what they saw/heard. It doesn't have to be formal - just a simple email or text explaining what they know about your situation. Sometimes having a third party back up your story can really strengthen your case. Also, if you have any performance reviews or emails from your boss praising your work, include those too - it helps show you weren't fired for cause. Good luck with your appeal, and remember to file it TODAY if you haven't already!

I just went through this process myself last year and I'm so glad to see everyone sharing their experiences! One thing I want to emphasize that hasn't been mentioned yet: if you have ANY documentation about the "restructuring," make sure to upload it as evidence when you file your appeal. Even if it's just an internal company memo or announcement about layoffs/restructuring, it can be incredibly powerful evidence that contradicts their claim you "voluntarily quit." Also, don't be intimidated by the hearing process. The appeals referee I had was very patient and asked clarifying questions to make sure they understood the full situation. They're not trying to trip you up - they genuinely want to get to the truth of what happened. One last tip: if your former employer doesn't show up to the hearing (which happens more often than you'd think), you'll basically win by default as long as you present your side clearly. But still prepare as if they will be there! You've got 20 days so don't delay, but you have enough time to gather your evidence and prepare properly. Wishing you the best of luck!

So glad you got it sorted out! That's exactly what I was hoping would happen when I mentioned Claimyr. The fact that DEO admitted there was a "glitch in their system" is both infuriating and sadly typical - how many people probably missed their hearings because of this same issue? At least now you have everything you need to prepare properly. Make sure to submit those tax forms and pay stubs at least 24 hours before the hearing like the instructions say. Good luck with your appeal!

This is exactly why DEO's system is so broken - "glitches" that prevent people from getting proper notice of their hearings should be unacceptable. I'm glad you were able to get through and get the information you needed, but it's really concerning how many people probably miss these hearings through no fault of their own. For anyone else in this situation, document EVERYTHING - take screenshots of your CONNECT account showing the hearing date, save any emails or correspondence, and if you do get through to someone who admits there was a system error, ask them to email you confirmation of that conversation. This kind of documentation can be crucial if you end up needing to file additional appeals later. The fact that you had to pay a third-party service just to reach your own state agency is ridiculous, but I'm glad it worked out in the end!