You have the right to appeal any decision made by the GDOL about your application for Georgia unemployment insurance benefits. Perhaps you received a denial letter, or your weekly benefit amount is less than the Georgia unemployment calculator suggests. Sometimes a mistake is made when filing a weekly claim and claimants are falsely accused of being dishonest and committing unemployment fraud.
Whatever the case may be, Georgia DOL has an appeals process in place to help you.
You must submit your appeal within 15 days from the date on your claim determination letter. If the 15th day falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or a state holiday, you can file your appeal on the next work day.
Levels of Appeal
Within the Georgia Department of Labor, there are two levels of appeal:
Appeals Tribunal
The first level of appeal is the Appeals Tribunal. If you are denied Georgia unemployment benefits, submit your appeal to the Appeal Tribunal within the 15-day deadline. If a hearing is necessary, an Administrative Hearing Officer will conduct the hearing and provide a written decision.
Board of Review
If the Appeals Tribunal decides to deny your Georgia unemployment benefits, you can appeal to the Board of Review. This is a panel of three members appointed by the governor to review hearings conducted by the Appeal Tribunal and issue written decisions.
The Board doesn’t hold hearings, take testimony, or consider new evidence that wasn’t presented during the hearing with the Administrative Hearing Officer. You must submit your appeal to the Board of Review within 15 calendar days.
How to file an appeal
The first step of the appeals process is to request a hearing with the Georgia Appeals Tribunal.
You can file an appeal by email, fax, mail, or online. The fastest and preferred way is to submit it online. If you need a computer or fax machine, you can find them in your local Georgia Career Center.
Online: Visit the MyUI Claimant Portal. You will need your account password and Social Security number. Type in the required information and follow the step-by-step instructions shown on the screen.
If you prefer not to appeal online, you can download the Appeal Form and submit it by email, fax, or mail.
Email: Send your request via email to [email protected].
Fax: You can fax your appeal request to 404-232-3901 or 404-232-3902.
Mail: You can also file an appeal by mail, by sending it to:
Georgia Department of Labor
UI Appeals Tribunal
148 Andrew Young International Blvd. NE
Suite 525
Atlanta, GA 30303-1734
When filing an appeal, make sure to:
- Clearly explain why you believe you are eligible for Georgia unemployment benefits.
- Submit the appeal within 15 days of the date on the determination letter.
- Provide your name, Social Security number, address, phone number, and the date on the determination or decision.
- Include the docket number if you are appealing an Administrative Hearing Officer’s decision.
After submitting your appeal request
Once you’ve submitted your appeal request, the Appeals Tribunal will decide if a hearing is necessary. If they determine that a hearing should be scheduled, they’ll set a date and time for it. The Appeals Tribunal will then send you, the employer, and any other involved parties a Notice of Hearing, which includes the time, date, and issues to be discussed during the hearing.
If a hearing is necessary, the Appeals Tribunal will schedule it on a first-come, first-served basis. You’ll receive a Notice of Hearing in the mail, which includes the date and time of your scheduled hearing.
Telephone Hearing
Appeal hearings are typically scheduled and conducted over the phone.
In-Person Hearing
Requests for in-person hearings can be granted as an accommodation for people with physical impairments or other factors that make a telephone hearing impractical. The request must be approved by the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer.
Legal Representation
If you’re appealing a claim for UI benefits, it can help to get some legal advice. You have the option to be represented by an employment lawyer or another authorized agent at your own expense. If your representative isn’t an attorney, you must give the Appeals Tribunal your representative’s name, phone number, and address in writing before the hearing.
If your representative is an attorney, they must file an Entry of Appearance with the Appeals Tribunal before the hearing takes place.
If the Appeals Tribunal is informed about your representative before the Hearing Notice is mailed, the notice might be sent to your representative. It’s your responsibility to make sure your representative knows the date and time of the hearing and has received all necessary documentation for the hearing.
After the Appeals Tribunal Hearing
When the hearing is over, the Appeals Tribunal will mail their decision to everyone involved. If you don’t agree with the decision of the claims examiner, you have the right to appeal to the Board of Review.
Board of Review Appeal
If you want to appeal the decision made by the Administrative Hearing Officer, you must file an appeal with the Board of Review within 15 calendar days from the release date of the decision letter. Your appeal must be in writing and sent directly to the Board of Review, following the instructions provided in the Appeals Tribunal determination letter.
The Board of Review will mail you a notice acknowledging receipt of your appeal and informing you of the timeframe allowed for submitting written arguments.
The Board of Review listens to the recorded testimony and examines the evidence from the Appeals Tribunal hearing – but it doesn’t accept new or additional evidence about your Georgia unemployment claim.
Send your Board of Review appeal to:
Georgia Department of Labor
Board of Review
148 Andrew Young International Blvd. NE
Suite 510
Atlanta, GA 30303-1734
Email: [email protected]
Fax: 404-232-3339
Superior Court
If you’re not satisfied with the Board of Review’s decision, you can request a judicial review by filing a petition in the Superior Court of the county where the work was performed. You must do this within 30 days from the release date on the Board of Review decision letter. At this stage, it’s recommended that you consider hiring an attorney.
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