DEO appeal process for missed weeks due to system crashes - anyone got benefits back?

Ugh the CONNECT system is GARBAGE!!! I had the same thing happen in January and tried to appeal. Got denied because they said 'technical difficulties' isn't a valid reason even though THEIR SYSTEM was the problem!!! They expect you to somehow magically enter work searches when the site won't even load. Such bull****.

I won an appeal for a similar situation last month. The key is documenting EVERYTHING. I took screenshots showing error messages, included timestamps of all my attempted logins, and listed exactly what work search activities I tried to enter. Also get a statement from anyone who can verify you were actively job searching during those weeks. The most important part is proving you made a good faith effort to comply with the requirements despite the system issues.

same thing happened to my cousin he got the appeal denied too

I had similar issues trying to claim weeks last yr. Kept trying to enter my work searchs and the system would crash. I ended up missing out on 3 weeks of payments ($1200). Filed an appeal but gave up after waiting 2 months with no response. The whole process is designed to make u give up tbh

I've been through several appeals with DEO and won most of them. For system issues specifically, you need to request the system logs from DEO that show the outages - they keep records of when CONNECT has problems. Submit a request in writing for those records before your appeal hearing. Also, if you were job searching during those weeks, bring all evidence - emails to employers, applications, etc. Appeals usually take 3-4 weeks to schedule, and you'll get about 10 days notice for the hearing. Make sure to prepare all your evidence ahead of time. If you're having trouble even reaching someone at DEO to discuss your appeal, try Claimyr (claimyr.com) - I used them to finally get through to a real person after weeks of busy signals. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/UzW_hbUy-ss?si=zORd51jeq1GX5Ldj that shows how it works. Definitely worth it when you're trying to get nearly $900 back.

i had a similar thing happen but it was cuz my internet went out lol. tried to tell them it was their system. no dice.

Actually went through this exact appeal process back in March! It was stressful but not as complicated as it looked. First, you need to submit the appeal form (I did it online through CONNECT) and clearly explain that the system crashes prevented you from entering work searches. Be super specific about which weeks you're appealing. For the hearing, I had my list of job searches ready (even though I couldn't enter them at the time), plus screenshots of error messages from other attempts to use CONNECT during that period. The judge was surprisingly understanding - apparently they've heard a LOT of similar cases lately. My hearing was by phone and lasted about 15 minutes. Got approval 2 weeks later and the money appeared on my Way2Go card 3 days after that. Don't give up - the system errors aren't your fault and they do sometimes acknowledge that!

Handled it myself! No lawyer needed for this type of appeal. Just be organized and stick to the facts. Good luck!

Why is everyone saying they won appeals?? Almost NOBODY wins against DEO - their whole process is designed to deny benefits and keep their numbers low. They literally don't care if their system causes problems, they'll still blame you!!

Thank you all for the input! I'm going to file the appeal online today and start gathering my evidence. Will try to get those system logs like @profile2 suggested and have all my job search activities documented clearly. Feeling a bit more optimistic now. I'll update this thread once I have my hearing scheduled!