Learn How to Appeal Denied Unemployment Benefits in Ohio

Find Ohio Unemployment Appealing Denied Benefits Information

Dismissed workers who have had their unemployment compensation benefits denied in Ohio have the right to file an unemployment denial appeal with the OH Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS). The state appeals process is multi-layered, which allows former employees to appeal a decision regarding their denied unemployment benefits in Ohio at several levels of appeals. For instance, UC applicants who disagree with the initial determination regarding their claim can submit a request for redetermination in writing directly to the ODJFS. If their initial plea is discarded and UC claimants still have their unemployment benefits denied in OH, they can appeal at the next level, and so forth.

However, regardless of the level at which they are appealing, UC petitioners must submit their request for reconsideration within a limited timeframe, otherwise, the department’s decision will become final. Note that UC applicants who intend to file an unemployment denial appeal in Ohio must continue filing for UC claims on a weekly basis during the appeal process. Otherwise, if they win their appeal, they will still be denied unemployment payments for the weeks that their UC application should have been accepted.

Former state workers who are wondering, “what can I do if unemployment denied me benefits?”, can read the below sections to learn more about the Ohio unemployment denial appeal process:

What to do prior to initiating the Ohio unemployment denial appeal process
Appeal denied unemployment benefits in Ohio at the first level
Filing an Ohio unemployment denial appeal with the Unemployment Compensation Review Commission
Submitting a last-level unemployment denial appeal in Ohio

Find Ohio Unemployment Resources

How to Apply

Understanding Requirements

How to Claim Benefits

How Extensions Work

Find Out How to Appeal Denied Benefits

What is wrongful termination?

What to Do Prior to Initiating the Ohio Unemployment Denial Appeal Process

In order to ensure that you submit a valid unemployment denial appeal in Ohio, UC petitioners who were denied unemployment coverage must adequately prepare their request for reconsideration. First, unemployment claimants must carefully review the department’s Determination of Unemployment Compensation, as it will contain the reason for denial, along with instructions on how and where to submit their OH unemployment denial appeal.

In general, you will have your unemployment benefits denied in Ohio if:

You failed to meet the weekly UC eligibility requirements.
You voluntarily left your last employment without good cause, or you were fired due to misconduct related to your job.
You did not earn a sufficient amount of wages in at least 20 working weeks.
You did not submit a complete unemployment denial appeal within the allotted timeframe.

The above list, however, is not all-inclusive, and unemployment petitioners may be denied unemployment benefits for a different reason, which will be explicitly stated in the notice of determination. After reviewing the causes that lead to their denial of benefits, unemployment applicants will determine their chances of winning their OH unemployment denial appeal. For instance, if you did not earn at least $237 on average during the weeks of your base period, you will have poor chances of winning your appeal. On the other hand, if you believe you were let go as a result of wrongful termination in Ohio, you can provide the necessary proof when submitting your appeal and increase your chances to obtain a satisfying result.

The next step in the preparatory process is to review the available methods to submit the unemployment denial appeal in Ohio. The ODJFS offers UC petitioners the option to file a written request by mail, by fax or in person through a local ODJFS processing center, or submit an online appeal through the department’s website. Note that, regardless of the preferred filing method and the level at which they are appealing, state workers must submit their plea for reconsideration within 21 days of receiving a decision regarding their UC case.

How to Appeal Denied Unemployment Benefits in Ohio at the First Level

Unemployment claimants can initiate the Ohio unemployment denial appeal process by filing for a redetermination of the original decision regarding their UC petition.

A complete request for reassessment includes:

• The issuing date of the ODJFS determination and its identification number.

• Your Social Security Number.

• The reasons in which you are basing your appeal.

• Relevant evidence documents and witness records.

The ODJFS will send every interested party a written confirmation of the UC applicant’s request for redetermination, which will state the reasons for filing an appeal. Then, within three weeks, the department will either reconsider its decision or transfer the claimant’s request to the next level of appeals.

How to File an Ohio Unemployment Denial Appeal with the Unemployment Compensation Review Commission

The second-level recourse for workers who were denied unemployment benefits in Ohio is to submit an unemployment denial appeal with the ODJFS’s Unemployment Compensation Review Commission (UCRC). The same time conditions and application methods that were used for filing a request for redetermination apply when requesting reconsideration with the UCRC.