It would be incredibly STUPID of you not to "waste their time" by responding to your employer's protest of your approval for benefits. They (the unemployment system workers) get paid the same whether they work on your case or someone else's case. They are there so you can be given the full process of appeals and decisions as required by law. And there is some fair chance that you may be upheld here, would continue to receive benefits, would not end up not having to pay the money you've gotten back.

If the appeal goes against you, you'll have a non-fraud overpayment of the benefits you've already received. They might not demand their money back right away, or with penalties, but it would definitely stay with you. They could take any state fees or tax refunds you were entitled to for repayment. If you ever signed up on unemployment again, they'd take this overpayment back before you got any, even if you were easily and completely eligible. Why would you roll over and accept this without taking the effort to explain yourself? This is not the civil court system, it is an agency hearing. Not such a big deal.

Legal aid or anyone else cannot help you, but you do not need them to help you. The employer has told his side of the situation. You quit showing up for work. You called once. They didn't hear from you again, and after three weeks, they assumed you had quit, and filled your position with someone else. That was appropriate for them to do.

You tell your side of it. Don't bear down too heavily on your son being your only source of transportation, that makes little difference to the system. But explain how you did call and make your explanations to the employer, what he told you at that time. And while you may have failed to keep him updated after the first call, it was not ever your intention to quit your job. It was your understanding that the job was being held for you based upon this conversation you'd had with him.

You applied for unemployment when you had returned, presented yourself to your employer and were told there was no work available for you. Don't say that "quite by accident" you got a call from the unemployment office as if it was a fluke they found you or a bolt from the blue. When you are receiving benefits, you are supposed to keep yourself available to them to answer any questions they may have or participate in any job search or validation activities they wish to perform.

You make it sound like you have been subjected to harassment or something, when in reality the system is just running along as it should. Your employer received notice you had filed for benefits and been approved, and they exercised their right to appeal, saying that by not showing up for work for three weeks, you had quit your job by your own choice. If you draw unemployment benefits, it costs them money, so they'd naturally exercise their right to appeal.

Now YOU exercise your right to defend yourself, saying that you did call in, that you didn't intend to quit your job, that per your agreement with the employer in your call, you reported back to them as soon as you were able to return to work. That's all that you need to say. You don't need to go around and beg this entity or agency or somebody to help you. Things are just going as they should.

You have not been "deceived" or mistreated by your employer. They assumed you'd quit. You assumed you'd have a job when you got back and were ready to go to work. Two sides of the coin. Don't go to this hearing and whine about your good intentions and how badly you've been treated. Remove all the "pitiful me" stuff and the drama. Lay off the "everybody refused to help me!" business. Be professional and polite and make yourself clear. You did not want to quit your job. You tried to keep your employer informed. You can do this, you don't need others to speak for you.

Unemployment insurance is not "needs based" it is eligibility based. There is a clearly spelled out process whereby the employer and the claimant can both tell their side of this issue and a determination is made about eligibility. Your word has as much believability and importance in this system as that of the employer. They don't get to "say" definitively if you will be approved or denied just because they're employers.

If you are determined to be out of work through no fault of your own, you are eligible for it, regardless of whether your employer wants you to have it, whether you need it or what your income is. If you elected to quit the job, did not make a reasonable effort to keep the employer informed of why you were unable to work, you are going to be found ineligible for benefits, regardless of your desperate situation and your need. But don't panic like this, don't whine, and don't just give up and fail to respond to the appeal. You can do this. Good luck to you.