- Find your determination letter and extract the key details15 min
What this step produces: a one-page written note that captures every critical data field from your denial letter — the agency name, docket or case number, the specific legal finding (misconduct, voluntary quit, or other), the weekly benefit amount, the effective date of the denial, and the appeal deadline.
The letter is official correspondence from your state workforce agency. The name varies — Texas Workforce Commission, California Employment Development Department, New York State Department of Labor, Florida Department of Commerce — but every state uses the same structure.
Get the original letter:
- Pull the original letter from your mail, email inbox, or online portal — do not rely on memory or a screenshot of the summary box.
Read it all, not just page one:
- Read every section of the letter.
- Look for the appeal deadline in a bold box on page 1 or in fine print on the last page — practice varies by state.
- Scan any second page or attachment.
Write down each field on paper or in a digital note:
- Agency name and docket or case number
- Legal finding — the exact phrase the agency used, such as “discharge for misconduct connected with the work” or “voluntary quit without good cause”
- Weekly benefit amount (WBA) and maximum benefit amount (MBA), if printed
- Effective date of the denial
- Appeal deadline — both the printed date and how the letter says the clock starts (date of mailing, date of receipt, or date printed on the letter)
Keep: the written note with all six fields. You will use the case number on every filing, the legal finding to frame your argument in Phase 2, and the appeal deadline to set your calendar in Step 4.