Florida Unemployment Appeals Process

Florida may be called the ‘Sunshine State’ but everything isn’t very sunny about Florida, especially the number of the unemployed labor force. An estimate by the Bureau of Labor Statistics says close to 4.63% (average of unemployed men, women, and teenagers) of its entire population is unemployed (as of June 2016). Today’s market prices cut a wide hole in all our pockets – which is why keeping the interests of every American at heart and also understanding the improbability of the development of saving habits among Americans, a benefit scheme seeks to address all your financial problems and lend some security at the expense of Government’s Revenue.

How-to-appeal-when-benefits-are-denied

Every state in the United States have their own governing laws pertaining to the distribution of benefits for job-seekers who with no cause arising from their side, find themselves unemployed. With the intention of providing financial security and assistance in times of emergencies, the state isn’t far away from lending you a helping hand. Also, every state based on the status of your dependents and their jobs fix the sum of money for weekly monthly benefits.

There is no telling when the economy will go up or down, which is why we recommend you to register yourself at the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (FDEO). It can nevertheless be handy to not merely register but also learn everything that entails a Benefit Scheme. More so appealing to a higher authority for a denied claim is something most people are unaware of as this facility is vastly unused for a state with some of the highest numbers of complaints on treating claimants unfairly through the introduction of tests.

Why Are Your Benefits Denied?

Before appealing a higher authority challenging the status quo of your Application for Unemployment Benefits, it is arguably sensible to find out ‘why’, and then commence your appeal’s process.

Nearly all working and employed professionals are recommended to register with the Florida Department of . Economic Opportunity (FDEO), irrespective of their job status. If you should find yourself unemployed and not as a consequence of your own actions, you can visit them to acquire benefits, make yourself more marketable by taking up training courses or even look for new jobs, those offered through Public Private Partnership.

Your first claim made online (phone call or personal visit) with the intention of earning benefits from the FDEO can be denied for many reasons. The commonest of reason is of course not meeting the required eligibility criteria. These can break down to four reasons –

  1. ‘Able’ and ‘Available’ for work – To qualify for any kind of unemployment benefits you must demonstrate to the FDEO that you do not possess any physical or time impediment that would prevent you from working. Without fulfilling the above condition you won’t qualify for the Florida Unemployment Benefits. This is due to the presence of exclusive benefit scheme for disabled persons. Also, another crucial word is ‘Available’, which is introduced in order to imply for the job seeker to give the time expected of him/her. This is why part-time job workers get less weekly benefits compared to the rest.
  2. You must lose your job with no fault of your own – Only those people are eligible for benefit amount who have been laid off the company they work for, who have played no part in the dismissal of the job – be it mannerism, addiction or lack of productivity. The Government obliges to offer help only for those who haven’t been offered an explanation as to why they were fired from their jobs, through no fault of their own but the sole responsibility of the employer.
  3. You either must be totally or partially employed.
  4. You must have earned a stipulated minimum amount of wages in a given time period which is referred to as the ‘Base Period’. Base Period refers to the first four complete quarters (3 months) which must have begun at least 18 months prior to claiming of the Unemployment benefits.

Other reasons include –

  1. Non-disclosure of part-time jobs or misinformation on the amount of wages earned through part-time wages.
  2. No reportage of wages earned by Dependants, if any.
  3. The absence of information on children if they are students and are eligible to do part-time jobs.
  4. Reporting 7 days late on your Unemployment Benefit can result in your claim either being delayed or denied

How To Apply For Unemployment Benefits Denial?

If you are determined as ineligible for receiving benefits, you are allowed to request an administrative hearing conducted by an appeals referee from the Office of Appeals. This appeal must be communicated either online or through writing within 20 days from the day of determination.

Appealing Online

  1. Login to your Connect Account from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity website.
  2. On the left-hand menu click on Determination, Pending issue, and Decision summary. From here click on the Appeals View.
  3. Here you appeal the determination you wish to challenge.

Appealing through writing

To appeal through writing you can either send a letter or write to the Office of RA (Reemployment Assistance) Appeals. Before sending your letter, do not miss to mention your Social Security Number or Claimant ID.

Office of RA Appeals

PO Box 5250

Tallahassee FL 32399-5250

When your request is received and processed, an Appeals Information Pamphlet along with the Notice of Hearing will be mailed to you. A schedule for the hearing will be stated in the mail, hence be prepared to the commonly asked questions, the most obvious and the important of which are your justifications for the reason of the refusal of your determination.

In the event where you miss the hearing, you’ll have to write a request letter to the hearing officer.

After the hearing, you will receive a written decision. If you disagree with the Appeal, there is another provision for re-appealing the Appeal’s decision. Known as the process of “Review of the Appeals decision”, it must be requested in writing to the Reemployment Assistance Appeals Commission – either by fax at (850) 488-2123 or by logging into FloridaJobs website.  

With this, we hope to have covered every information which would help you actualize your denied Benefits. Also, to know more about eligibility criteria, initial claiming process and employment opportunities offered by the state, you can refer to our site. If any queries do leave us a comment, for help is not far away from our already growing community.

 

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