EDD claiming overpayment but no letter received and phone reps giving contradicting info

The main EDD customer service number (1-800-300-5616) is practically useless unless you call at exactly 8:00 AM when they open. I was dealing with a similar overpayment issue where they claimed I owed $2,800 but couldn't explain why. What finally worked for me was using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to a rep. They have a service that basically gets you in the call queue without you having to keep redialing. I watched their demo video first (https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km) to see how it worked. Within 30 minutes I was talking to someone who could actually see my account details and explain the overpayment calculation.

omg THIS IS LITERALLY HAPPENING TO ME RIGHT NOW!!!! no letter, no notice, just random deductions from my weekly benefit amount. so frustrating!!!

EDD is NOTORIOUS for this type of nonsense!!! I had something similar happen last year and it turned out they were taking money for an overpayment from 2023 that they NEVER NOTIFIED ME ABOUT!!!! You have to specifically ask them about "offset collections" - that's what they call it when they take money from current benefits to pay for supposed past overpayments. The system is DESIGNED to confuse people!!

This sounds like a situation where they're applying what's called a "benefit offset" where they recoup overpayments by reducing your current benefits rather than sending a formal overpayment notice requiring immediate repayment. However, they are still required to send you documentation about this. A few suggestions: 1. Check your UI Online account and look specifically in the "Notices" section. Sometimes these documents are only sent electronically and not by mail. 2. Request a formal overpayment determination in writing. Send a letter to EDD via certified mail requesting documentation of any overpayment being applied to your claim. 3. If they are reducing your benefits without proper notice, you have the right to appeal this action. You can file an appeal even without the formal notice - just explain in your appeal that you were never notified of the overpayment determination. 4. As for reaching a representative, try calling the main number (1-800-300-5616) at 8:01 am precisely. If that doesn't work after several attempts, the Appeals office number (1-800-300-5616) sometimes has shorter wait times.

My neighbor just went through someting like this. The EDD was taking money from her benefits and she couldnt figure out why. Turns out they thought she reported her work hours wrong last summer but never told her about it? She finally got through on the phone and they fixed it. she said it took like 2 weeks of calling every morning

To answer your earlier question - yes, the rep I got through to with Claimyr did resolve my issue. They explained exactly where the overpayment calculation came from (in my case, they had incorrectly calculated my earnings for one quarter). The rep sent me the missing documentation and helped me file an appeal since it was their mistake. Without talking to an actual person who could see my full account, I would have been completely stuck.

@profile5 It worked for me twice, both times I got through within 30-45 minutes. Much better than the 200+ redials I was doing before. It's not instant, you still have to wait in the queue once they get you in, but at least you know you're actually in line instead of getting that frustrating "we're too busy" message.

When you do finally get through to someone, make sure to ask these specific questions: 1. When was the overpayment established (exact date) 2. What weeks are affected by the overpayment 3. What is the total overpayment amount 4. Why was the overpayment created 5. Request they send you an official overpayment notice if you never received one 6. Ask about your appeal rights (there should be a deadline, usually 30 days from notice) Documenting everything is critical. Get the representative's ID number and write down everything they tell you. If they say something that contradicts what another rep told you, politely point this out and ask them to verify in their system. Also, check if the overpayment is being classified as "fraud" or "non-fraud" - this makes a huge difference in penalties and repayment options.

I had a similar issue back in October where EDD was taking money but I didn't know why. I finally found out they were taking it because I supposedly didn't report some income from 2023, which was completely false! I had all my pay stubs to prove it. The annoying thing was I had to get through to someone on the phone to even start fixing it. Just wanted to add that sometimes they're just flat out wrong in their calculations. Don't assume you actually made a mistake just because they say you did. Get all your income documentation together before you call so you can discuss it properly with them.

One additional important point: if they are indeed recouping an overpayment through benefit offsets, they are only supposed to deduct up to 50% of your weekly benefit amount (unless the overpayment involves fraud). If they're taking more than 50%, that's something you should specifically mention when you reach a representative.

Yes, you can request a lower offset percentage based on financial hardship. When you get through to a representative, explain your financial situation and ask if they can reduce the offset amount. They may ask you to complete a financial statement form to document your hardship. In some cases, they can lower the recovery rate to as little as 10% of your weekly benefit amount. Alternatively, you can request a payment plan for after your claim ends, which might be a better option if you need your full benefit amount now.

I went through this exact same nightmare last year! EDD was deducting money from my benefits for months without any explanation. Here's what I learned that might help: 1. The deductions often show up in your payment history as "benefit reduction" or something vague like that - check your UI Online payment detail section, not just the main balance. 2. There's actually a separate overpayment unit you can try calling: 1-866-401-2849. The wait times are still brutal, but sometimes shorter than the main customer service line. 3. If you're getting partial benefits due to work, double-check that you reported your earnings correctly on ALL your past certifications. Sometimes they do "audits" months later and if there's any discrepancy (even their mistake), they'll create an overpayment and start taking money immediately. 4. You can also try contacting your state assemblyperson's office - they have EDD liaisons who can sometimes get answers faster than going through normal channels. The fact that different reps are giving you conflicting information is unfortunately typical. Keep detailed notes of every conversation including dates and rep names. This documentation will be crucial if you need to appeal. Don't give up - you have rights even if EDD makes it nearly impossible to exercise them!

I'm dealing with something very similar right now! EDD has been reducing my weekly benefits by about $180 for the past month, but when I log into UI Online there's absolutely no explanation anywhere. No notices, no letters, nothing in my inbox - just mysteriously smaller payments. What's really frustrating is that I called three different times and got three completely different explanations from reps. One said it was a "system adjustment," another claimed there was an overpayment from last year that I was never notified about, and the third rep said my account looked fine and she couldn't see any reason for the reduction! I've been keeping detailed records of all my work and earnings, so I'm confident I didn't make any reporting errors. But without any documentation from EDD explaining what they think happened, it's impossible to even know what to dispute. Has anyone had success getting EDD to actually send you the missing overpayment determination paperwork? I feel like I'm stuck in this endless loop where they're taking my money but won't tell me why, and I can't appeal something I was never officially notified about. The stress of not knowing how much my next payment will be is really affecting my ability to budget for basic expenses. This whole system feels designed to wear people down until they just give up fighting.

I'm going through the exact same nightmare right now! EDD has been deducting about $200 from my weekly benefits for over a month with zero explanation. Like you, I've never received any letter or notice about an overpayment, and my UI Online account shows absolutely nothing about it. The most infuriating part is getting different stories from every rep I manage to reach. One told me it was for "unreported income" from months ago (which is false - I have all my documentation), another said there was a "system error" being corrected, and a third claimed she couldn't see any overpayment on my account at all! I've been unemployed for 6 months and these unexpected deductions are destroying my budget. I can't plan for rent or groceries when I don't know if I'm getting my full benefit amount or some random reduced amount each week. What's really messed up is that they can just start taking your money without any due process or proper notification, but if WE make a mistake on our certification, they threaten us with fraud penalties. The system is completely one-sided. I'm going to try some of the suggestions from other commenters here, especially sending that certified letter demanding documentation. We shouldn't have to become legal experts just to get basic information about our own benefits, but here we are. Hang in there - you're definitely not alone in this fight!

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now and it's absolutely maddening! EDD has been deducting around $150 from my weekly benefits for the past 6 weeks with zero explanation. No letter, no notice in UI Online, nothing. Just smaller payments that are making it impossible to cover my basic expenses. What's really frustrating is that I've called probably 50+ times over the past month and when I finally get through to someone, they either can't see any overpayment on my account or they give me some vague explanation about "earnings discrepancies" from months ago that they can't specify. The worst part is not knowing if this will continue indefinitely or if there's an end date. I've been unemployed for 4 months and was counting on my full benefit amount to get by until I find work. Now I'm constantly stressed about whether I can afford rent next month. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and advice in this thread. I'm going to try calling that overpayment unit number that @Isaiah Sanders mentioned, and I'm definitely sending a certified letter demanding documentation. It's ridiculous that we have to become investigators just to understand our own benefits, but at least I feel less alone knowing so many others are fighting the same battle. Has anyone had success getting their assemblyperson's office involved? That seems like it might be worth trying if the normal channels keep failing.

I'm going through the EXACT same thing right now and it's driving me absolutely insane! EDD has been taking about $120 from my weekly benefits for the past 3 weeks with literally zero explanation. No letter, no notice online, nothing. Just randomly smaller payments that are completely screwing up my budget. The most frustrating part is that every time I finally get through to someone on the phone (which takes HOURS of calling), they give me a completely different story. First rep said it was a "computer error" that would be fixed. Second one claimed there was an overpayment from last summer that I supposedly never reported income for (totally false - I have all my pay stubs). Third rep yesterday said she couldn't see ANY overpayment or deduction on my account at all! Like seriously?? How can they just start taking my money without any documentation or due process? But if WE mess up even the smallest thing on our certification, they threaten us with fraud charges. The double standard is ridiculous. I'm definitely going to try some of these suggestions, especially that overpayment unit number and contacting my assemblyperson's office. At this point I'm willing to try anything because the regular customer service line is completely useless. Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences - at least I know I'm not crazy and this is happening to tons of people. The whole system is broken but we shouldn't have to suffer in silence!

I'm dealing with this exact same situation and it's been a complete nightmare! EDD started deducting about $180 from my weekly benefits two months ago with absolutely NO explanation or documentation. Like everyone else here, I never received any letter, there's nothing in my UI Online notices, and every rep gives me different contradictory information. What finally helped me make some progress was doing a few things simultaneously: 1) I sent a certified mail letter to EDD demanding all documentation related to any overpayment determination (keep copies of everything), 2) I tried that overpayment unit number @Isaiah Sanders mentioned - it took several attempts but the wait was shorter than the main line, and 3) I contacted my assemblyperson's office through their website. The assemblyperson route was actually the most effective! Their EDD liaison contacted me within 3 days and was able to get specific information about my account that the regular reps couldn't or wouldn't provide. Turns out they were claiming I had "unreported income" from a period where I actually HAD reported everything correctly - it was their system error. I'm still fighting to get the money they already took returned, but at least now I understand what happened and have an actual case worker assigned to resolve it. Don't give up - document everything and try multiple channels at once. The system is absolutely broken but we have to keep pushing back against their incompetence!