EDD SDI overpayment recovery rate - sent hardship paperwork 3 weeks ago but still nothing?

yeahhh i had to do this last year. took like a month for them to even acknowledge they got my paperwork. the lady on the phone told me it can take up to 6 weeks for it to get entered in there system bc they have a huge backlog. dont resend yet or itll just confuse things more

A MONTH?? Ugh, that's ridiculous. Did they actually approve your 50-50 request in the end? I'm so worried they're going to deny it and take my whole benefit.

I went through this exact process in early 2025 after they determined I was overpaid by $3,800. The hardship request for the 50% reduction in recovery rate requires: \n\n1. Form DE 1446HF filled out completely\n2. Documentation of all your expenses\n3. Proof of any other household income\n\nThe process took exactly 4.5 weeks for me, and there was a period where the system showed no record of my paperwork. This is normal because there's a gap between when mail is received and when it's scanned into their system. If you sent it certified mail and have tracking confirmation it was delivered, I wouldn't worry yet. Wait until the full 4-5 week mark before resending anything.

Thank you so much for the detailed response! Yes, I sent the DE 1446HF with all my rent receipts, utility bills, and bank statements showing my expenses. And I have the USPS tracking showing it was delivered to their office. I guess I'll try to be patient for another week or two before panicking.

The EDD system is COMPLETELY BROKEN!!!! I waited 8 weeks for them to process my overpayment paperwork and then they DENIED it claiming I didn't send enough proof. Then they took 100% of my benefits for 3 weeks before I could get it fixed!!! You better call them EVERY DAY until they find your paperwork!!

This happened to my cousin too! They claimed they never got her paperwork even though she had delivery confirmation. The whole department is a mess right now. Keep calling until someone helps you.

Have you tried checking your online account through SDI Online? Sometimes there are updates there that the phone reps don't see right away. Also, did you include your claim number on EVERY page of documentation you sent? That's a common reason paperwork gets \

I did check my SDI Online account but it doesn't show anything about the overpayment paperwork - just the initial notice that I owe money. I definitely put my claim number on everything, but you're right that it could have gotten separated. I like your idea about the second submission with the red text. I'll prepare that to send next week if I don't hear anything. And I didn't know about going through my assembly member - I'll look into that too!

i just went thru this nightmare!!!! why is it so hard to get anyone on the phone at EDD?? i spent 4 days calling nonstop and always got hung up on after waiting for hours. finally i found this service called Claimyr that got me through to a rep in like 20 minutes! it saved my sanity. they connected me to an actual EDD agent who found my paperwork that was

Omg thank you for this! I'm going to check it out right now. I'm desperate to talk to someone who can actually look for my paperwork in their system.

Is this legit? I'm always suspicious of services that claim to get you through to EDD faster. Has anyone else used this?

Just to clarify on the overpayment recovery process - whether you've submitted the hardship paperwork or not, EDD legally cannot start any collection until 30 days after the overpayment notice was issued. After that, if you have a new claim, they'll automatically take 100% of benefits unless your hardship request has been approved.\n\nBased on recent processing times, you should give them at least 4-6 weeks to process the paperwork. If you're approaching the end of that window, I recommend calling again and asking specifically for the \

Thank you for the additional info. My notice was issued about 5 weeks ago, so they could start collection any time. My surgery is scheduled for June 15th, so I'll need to file a new claim right after that. I'm worried the timing won't work out and they'll take my whole benefit when I need it most. I'll ask specifically for that unit when I call next.

My husband had an overpayment situation last year and we sent in the hardship paperwork too. What worked for us was faxing it directly to their overpayment department instead of mailing it. The fax number should be on your overpayment notice. They processed it within 2 weeks after we faxed it, even though our mailed copy was apparently sitting in a pile somewhere. Worth a try if you're still waiting!

That's a good idea! I do have access to a fax machine at work. I'll try faxing a copy tomorrow with a cover sheet explaining that this is a duplicate of what I already mailed. Thanks for the suggestion!

BTW did you know you can appeal the overpayment completely if you think it was their mistake? You don't HAVE to agree to repay it at all if it wasn't your fault. I wish someone had told me that before I started the 50-50 process which basically admits you owe them. Just saying you might have other options!!!!

I did look into that, but in my case, I actually do owe the money. I went back to work part-time during my disability period last year but didn't report all my hours correctly. It was my mistake so I need to repay it, I just can't afford to do it all at once or have them take my full benefit amount.

One additional tip that might help: When you call EDD again, have all of this information ready before the call:\n\n1. Your EDD Customer Account Number (from your award letter)\n2. Exact date you mailed the hardship paperwork (with tracking number)\n3. Date of your overpayment notice\n4. Amount of overpayment\n5. Last 4 digits of your Social Security Number\n\nSpecifically request that they check both the imaging system (where scanned documents go) AND the physical mail processing department. Sometimes paperwork gets backlogged in one system but not the other.\n\nIf your new claim will be starting soon, you can also request a \

This is extremely helpful! I didn't know about the temporary hold option - that would be perfect since I just need them to pause until they process my paperwork. I'll definitely use your checklist when I call them tomorrow. Thank you!

I'm going through something similar right now! Filed my hardship paperwork about 6 weeks ago and just got word last week that it was approved for the 50% recovery rate. The waiting is absolutely torture, especially when you're dealing with medical stuff and need those benefits. One thing that helped me was keeping a detailed log of every call I made - date, time, rep name if they gave it, and what they told me. When I finally got through to someone who could actually help, having all those details made it easier to explain the situation. Also, if you haven't already, try calling right when they open at 8 AM - I had much better luck getting through then versus calling later in the day. Hang in there! The system is definitely broken but most people do eventually get their paperwork processed. Just keep advocating for yourself and don't give up!