DENIAL OF BENEFITS, OVERPAYMENT, AND REQUEST FOR REPAYMENT

During these unprecedented times, many Americans have unfortunately lost their job or found themselves unable to find work. As a result, record numbers of Americans have found themselves applying for unemployment benefits.

If you have found yourself out of work and have applied for unemployment benefits, either through a standard Massachusetts Unemployment Insurance claim or through a Pandemic Unemployment Assistance claim, you’ve likely come to realize that this can be a confusing and difficult process. A simple mistake can result in a denial of your claim or worse, a reversal of the decision after unemployment has already approved you and provided payments to you. It is also possible that the Department of Unemployment Assistance may have made a mistake on your claim that caused the denial of benefits. Either way, if unemployment has already provided you with payments and then later denies your claim, unemployment will demand repayment of the money paid to you. If this has happened to you, do not fret, however, because you have options that you can use to remedy those issues. You will have an opportunity to appeal a decision denying benefits and requesting repayment of benefits and with the help of a skilled and competent attorney, these appeals can often be won. There are strict timeframes to file appeal for denial of Unemployment benefits. For standard unemployment claims appeals typically must be filed within 10 days of the decision denying benefits. The PUA appeals must be filed within 30 days. It is important to ensure that you understand the applicable deadline to file the appeal, file your appeal within the required timeframe, and seek the immediate assistance of legal counsel. If you failed to file a timely appeal it may be possible to file a late appeal with good cause shown or to request a waiver of the obligation to repay benefits. As this shows, these issues can be complex and having the assistance of legal counsel can be the difference between a successful appeal or waiver of repayment or an unsuccessful attempt that leaves you responsible to repay thousands of dollars based on the denial of eligibility for the benefits you have already received.

At Cohen Cleary we have several attorneys with many years of experience handling unemployment appeals and requests for waiver of repayments. If you are facing a denial, an overpayment, or your employer is appealing the decision, please contact us ASAP. On these matters time is of the essence in getting you the money you deserve and need during these trying times. We encourage anyone who is faced with these issues to call office at 508-880-6677 and speak with one of our experienced unemployment appeal attorneys today.