Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Before you apply for unemployment insurance benefits
Applying for benefits, eligibility requirements and more . . .
Once you have applied for benefits
Remaining eligible, Tel-A-Claim, payment information and more . . .
The Appeals process
What to do if you have been denied benefits or disagree with a decision
Overpayments and Fraud
What to do if you have an overpayment, fraud information
The Appeals process
What to do if you have been denied benefits or disagree with a decision:
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What if I am denied benefits?
If you are denied benefits, an Eligibility Determination will be mailed to you telling you the reasons why. This notice will also explain for what period of time benefits are being denied, how to requalify and how to protest/appeal the decision.
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How do I protest an Eligibility Determination?
You may protest any determination affecting your rights to benefits. (Your employer may also protest if you are determined to be eligible.) You have 14 days from the date the Eligibility Determination was mailed to protest. Your protest must be made in writing and must be signed. Mail or hand-deliver your protest to the local Idaho Commerce and Labor office that made the determination. Make sure you include your Social Security number on your protest and the reasons you disagree with the determination. The Appeals Bureau will notify you of the date and time of the hearing.
IMPORTANT: If, while a hearing is pending, you remain unemployed, you should continue to claim benefits. If the decision of the Appeals Examiner holds you are eligible, you will be paid only for the weeks you claimed pending the hearing and for which you met all eligibility requirements.
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What is the address and phone number for the Appeals Bureau?
Their address is 317 West Main Street, Boise ID 83735. Their phone number is 1-800-621-4938. For calls within the Boise area, please call 332-3570 ext. 3572.
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Where are the hearings held?
All hearings are held via a conference telephone call. At the scheduled time for the hearing, you and and any witnesses that are to take part in the hearing will need to follow the instructions contained in the letter you receive to dial into the conference call.
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What happens at the hearing?
Hearings in Idaho are conducted via telephone conference calls. After you have called the phone number as instructed in your letter from the Appeals Bureau, the Appeals Examiner will begin the hearing by identifying all the parties to the hearing and then telling everyone what the hearing is about. The Appeals Examiner may then ask questions of you, your employer and any witnesses either side may have. If either side has a lawyer or representative, the Appeals Examiner will allow the lawyer or representative to ask questions.
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Can I ask questions?
Yes. You have the right to ask questions of your witnesses, your employer, and your employer's witnesses. Your employer or your employer's representative will have a chance to question you and your witnesses.
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Can I call a witness?
Yes. You can have any individual(s) called who can tell the Appeals Examiner something that helps you support your position. You, your employer, and the Appeals Examiner will be able to question witnesses. Your employer may also call witnesses, and you can question them.
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Can I bring a lawyer or someone to help me?
Yes. A lawyer or anyone else may participate in the hearing to help you. Your employer can also have lawyer or agent assist them.
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What happens if I miss the hearing?
The Appeals Examiner will hold the hearing without you and will decide your case without hearing your side of the story.
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What happens if my employer misses the hearing?
If your employer misses the hearing, the Appeals Examiner will hold the hearing and will decide your case without hearing your employer's side of the story.
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What if I win but my employer protests?
Your employer may protest a decision that is rendered in your favor. If the Appeals Examiner agrees with them, you will be required to repay your benefits. You have the same rights that you would have if you had lost the hearing and protested the determination yourself.
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Can I protest the Appeals Examiner's determination?
Yes. You have 14 days to protest the Appeals Examiner's determination to the Industrial Commission. Send a letter to the Industrial Commission giving the reasons you think the examiner's decision was wrong. Do not send your protest to the Appeals Bureau; they cannot forward your request to the Industrial Commission. Your employer may also protest the determination.
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What is the address, phone number, and fax number for the Industrial Commission?
Their address is: Industrial Commission, ATTN: Judicial Division, 317 West Main Street, 2nd Floor, PO Box 83720, Boise, ID 83720-0041. Their phone number is (208) 334-6000. Their fax number is (208) 334-2321.
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