NYS Department of Labor appeal for unemployment - what exactly is this process?
I got denied for unemployment benefits last week and the determination letter mentions something about filing an appeal. I'm really confused about what this actually means. Is an appeal different from just reapplying? How does the NYS Department of Labor handle these appeals and what are my chances of getting approved if I go through with it? The letter says I have 30 days but I don't want to waste time if it's pointless. Has anyone here actually won an appeal before?
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Evelyn Rivera
An appeal is basically your chance to challenge NYS Department of Labor's decision to deny your claim. It's not the same as reapplying - you're asking for a formal review of their decision by an administrative law judge. You'll need to explain why you think they were wrong and provide any evidence that supports your case. The 30-day deadline is firm, so don't delay if you're considering it.
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Kolton Murphy
•Thanks! Do I need a lawyer for this or can I represent myself? The whole process sounds intimidating.
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Julia Hall
I went through an appeal last year when NYS Department of Labor said I quit voluntarily but I was actually forced to resign due to unsafe working conditions. The hearing was conducted over the phone and I had to present my case to the judge. I won because I had documentation showing I tried to resolve the safety issues first. Key thing is having evidence - emails, texts, anything that supports your side of the story.
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Kolton Murphy
•That's encouraging! How long did the whole appeal process take from start to finish?
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Julia Hall
•About 6 weeks total. The hearing was scheduled about 3 weeks after I filed the appeal, then I got the decision about 2-3 weeks later.
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Arjun Patel
honestly the appeal process is just more bureaucratic nonsense... they denied me twice and I gave up. spent months fighting them over something that should have been obvious
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Jade Lopez
If you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to ask questions about the appeal process, I found this service called Claimyr that helped me reach an actual agent to discuss my situation. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. I was able to get clarification on what evidence I needed for my appeal before filing it. Check out claimyr.com - it saved me a lot of frustration trying to call on my own.
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Kolton Murphy
•Did they charge a lot for this service? I'm already stressed about money since I'm not getting benefits.
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Jade Lopez
•They focus on the value rather than cost. For me it was worth it to actually talk to someone who could explain the process properly instead of getting hung up on repeatedly.
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Tony Brooks
wait what's the difference between an appeal and adjudication?? I thought adjudication was the appeal process
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Evelyn Rivera
•Adjudication happens when NYS Department of Labor is investigating an issue with your claim before making their initial decision. An appeal comes after they've already made a decision and you disagree with it. Two separate processes.
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Ella rollingthunder87
You can definitely represent yourself but make sure you understand what specific reason they gave for denying your claim. The appeal has to address that exact issue - like if they said you were fired for misconduct, you need to prove it wasn't misconduct or wasn't serious enough to disqualify you from benefits.
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