Effective 01 Oct 2008, see footnote

288.070. Claims for benefits — procedure — payment pending appeal. — 1. All claims shall be made in accordance with such regulations as the division may prescribe; except that such regulations shall not require the filing of a claim for benefits by the claimant in person for a week of unemployment occurring immediately prior to the claimant's reemployment, but claims in such cases may be made by mail, or otherwise if authorized by regulation. Notice of each initial claim filed by an insured worker which establishes the beginning of such worker's benefit year shall be promptly mailed by the division to each base period employer of such individual, except notice of an initial claim shall not be mailed to any contributing base period employer which paid such individual gross wages in the amount of four hundred dollars or less during such individual's base period, and to the last employing unit whose name is furnished by the individual when such individual files such claim. In similar manner, a notice of each renewed claim filed by an insured worker during a benefit year after a period in such year during which the insured worker was employed shall be given to the last employing unit whose name is furnished by the individual when the individual files such renewed claim or to any other base period or subsequent employer of the worker who has requested such a notice. Any such base period employer or any employing unit, which employed the claimant since the beginning of the base period, who within ten calendar days after the mailing of notice of the initial claim or a renewed claim to the employer or employing unit's last known address files a written protest against the allowance of benefits, and any employing unit from whom the claimant was separated during a week claimed other than a week in which an initial or renewed claim is effective, shall be deemed an interested party to any determination allowing benefits during the benefit year until such time as the issue or issues raised by the protest are resolved by a determination or decision which has become final.

2. If the last employer or any base period employer files a written protest against the allowance of benefits based upon the claimant's refusal to accept suitable work when offered the claimant, either through the division or directly by such last or base period employer, and such protest is filed within ten calendar days of the claimant's refusal of work, such employer shall be deemed an interested party to any determination concerning the claimant's refusal of work until such time as the issue or issues raised by the protest are resolved by a determination or decision which has become final.

3. Any base period employer or any employing unit, which employed the claimant since the beginning of the base period, who files a written protest against the allowance of benefits based upon the claimant not being able to work or available for work shall be deemed an interested party to any determination concerning claimant's ability to work or availability for work until such time as the issue or issues raised by the protest are resolved by a determination or decision which has become final.

4. A deputy shall promptly examine each initial claim and make a determination of the claimant's status as an insured worker. Each such determination shall be based on a written statement showing the amount of wages for insured work paid to the claimant by each employer during the claimant's base period and shall include a finding as to whether such wages meet the requirements for the claimant to be an insured worker, and, if so, the first day of the claimant's benefit year, the claimant's weekly benefit amount, and the maximum total amount of benefits which may be payable to the claimant for weeks of unemployment in the claimant's benefit year. The deputy shall in respect to all claims for benefits thereafter filed by such individual in the claimant's benefit year make a written determination as to whether and in what amount the claimant is entitled to benefits for the week or weeks with respect to which the determination is made. Whenever claims involve complex questions of law or fact, the deputy, with the approval of the director, may refer such claims to the appeals tribunal, without making a determination, for a fair hearing and decision as provided in section 288.190.

5. The deputy shall, in writing, promptly notify the claimant of such deputy's determination on an initial claim, including the reason therefor, and a copy of the written statement as provided in subsection 4 of this section. The deputy shall promptly notify the claimant and all other interested parties of such deputy's determination on any claim for benefits and shall give the reason therefor; except that, where a determination on a later claim for benefits in a benefit year is the same as the determination on a preceding claim, no additional notice shall be given. A determination shall be final, when unappealed, in respect to any claim to which it applies except that an appeal from a determination on a claim for benefits shall be considered as an appeal from all later claims to which the same determination applies. The deputy may, however, not later than one year following the end of a benefit year, for good cause, reconsider any determination on any claim and shall promptly notify the claimant and other interested parties of such deputy's redetermination and the reasons therefor. Whenever the deputy shall have notified any interested employer of the denial of benefits to a claimant for any week or weeks and shall thereafter allow benefits to such claimant for a subsequent week or weeks, the deputy shall notify such interested employer of the beginning date of the allowance of benefits for such subsequent period.

6. Unless the claimant or any interested party within thirty calendar days after notice of such determination is either delivered in person or mailed to the last known address of such claimant or interested party files an appeal from such determination, it shall be final. If, pursuant to a determination or redetermination, benefits are payable in any amount or in respect to any week as to which there is no dispute, such amount of benefits shall be promptly paid regardless of any appeal.

7. Benefits shall be paid promptly in accordance with a determination or redetermination pursuant to this section, or the decision of an appeals tribunal, the labor and industrial relations commission of Missouri or a reviewing court upon the issuance of such determination, redetermination or decision (regardless of the pendency of the period to apply for reconsideration, file an appeal, or petition for judicial review as provided in this section, or section 288.190, 288.200, or 288.210, as the case may be, or the pendency of any such application, appeal, or petition) unless and until such determination, redetermination or decision has been modified or reversed by a subsequent redetermination or decision, in which event benefits shall be paid or denied for weeks of unemployment thereafter in accordance with such modified or reversed redetermination or decision.

8. Benefits paid during the pendency of the period to apply for reconsideration, file an appeal, or petition for judicial review or during the pendency of any such application, appeal, or petition shall be considered as having been due and payable regardless of any redetermination or decision unless the modifying or reversing redetermination or decision establishes that the claimant willfully failed to disclose or falsified any fact which would have disqualified the claimant or rendered the claimant ineligible for such benefits as contemplated in subsection 9 of section 288.380.

9. Benefits paid during the pendency of the period to apply for reconsideration, file an appeal, or petition for judicial review or during the pendency of any such application, appeal, or petition which would not have been payable under a redetermination or decision which becomes final shall not be chargeable to any employer. Beginning with benefits paid on and after January 1, 1998, the provisions of this subsection shall not apply to employers who have elected to make payments in lieu of contributions pursuant to subsection 3 of section 288.090.

10. The ten-day period mentioned in subsections 1 and 2 of this section and the thirty-day period mentioned in subsection 6 of this section may, for good cause, be extended.

11. Any notice of claim or notice of determination required to be mailed by the division to an employer or claimant under this section may be transmitted electronically by the division to any employer or claimant requesting such method of delivery. The date the division transmits such notice of claim or notice of determination shall be deemed the date of mailing for purposes of filing a protest to the notice of* claim or filing an appeal concerning a notice of determination.

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(L. 1951 p. 564, A.L. 1957 p. 531, A.L. 1972 S.B. 473, A.L. 1974 S.B. 450, A.L. 1979 S.B. 477, A.L. 1984 H.B. 1251 & 1549, A.L. 1988 H.B. 1485, A.L. 1993 H.B. 502, A.L. 1996 H.B. 1368, A.L. 2008 H.B. 2041)

Effective 10-01-08

*Word "or" appears in original rolls.