Internal emails reviewed by state officials and outside investigators show Colorado unemployment workers contacted claimants and, in some cases, asked them to cancel appeals of benefits decisions. Hearing officers who saw the messages flagged the outreach as improper, with at least one calling it “a disturbing practice.” The revelations have renewed scrutiny of how the Division of Unemployment Insurance handles overpayments and appeals.
Those messages were described in emails and records obtained by The Denver Post, which reported that appeals-unit hearing officers had raised red flags about minimally trained staff being instructed to dissuade claimants from pursuing appeals. One hearing officer, Ashleigh Hall, wrote that “this is a disturbing practice,” and another staffer warned that using front-line employees in this way raised ethical concerns. The reporting includes a June 12 note from a hearing officer who said a claimant told her the state had phoned and urged cancellation of an appeal.
Why appeals matter
Federal guidance requires states to give claimants a chance to contest overpayment determinations and to explain appeal rights before recovery actions begin, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Colorado’s appeals page explains that claimants may file written appeals and receive hearings before a hearing officer, a process that preserves due process and can pause collection activity while disputes are resolved, per CDLE. That legal framework helps explain why hearing officers say any effort to short-circuit appeals is so alarming.
State response and context
The calls are surfacing as CDLE sends tens of thousands of retroactive overpayment notices tied to pandemic-era aid; the agency says affected claimants have 90 days to respond, as recently reported by Denver7. Division Director Phil Spesshardt has urged recipients who disagree with notices to appeal, calling an appeal “the first step” toward resolution. That combination of mass notices and any pressure to withdraw appeals has advocates and some staff worried that claimants could be pushed out of the formal process.
Whistleblowers raise bigger questions
The Denver Post also reported that the unemployment division has been roiled by internal and external investigations and staff whistleblower complaints in recent years, and that several hearing officers filed grievances that prompted reviews. Those prior probes give added weight to the concerns raised by hearing officers about outreach that might discourage appeals. If the pattern is substantiated, it could prompt lawmakers or federal officials to press for fixes or greater transparency about how overpayments and appeals are handled.
For Coloradans who receive an overpayment notice or a call pressuring them to drop an appeal, the immediate move is to preserve a paper trail: submit a written appeal and keep copies of any communications. The CDLE’s appeals FAQ outlines deadlines, filing options, and contact numbers for the Industrial Claim Appeals Office, including where to send paperwork and how to request a hearing, per the CDLE appeals FAQs. Legal-help organizations such as Colorado Legal Services can assist low-income claimants who need representation or help navigating the appeals process.
