EDD sent overpayment notice demanding $7,200 back - totally freaking out!

Deep breath. This happens more often than you'd think. First, you need to appeal this decision ASAP - you only have 30 days from the notice date. Don't wait! Go to your UI Online account and look for the appeal option, or use the form that should have come with your notice. Make sure to clearly explain why you believe the overpayment is incorrect and include any documentation you have of your income reporting (screenshots of your certifications, pay stubs, etc.). Request a waiver of the overpayment if repaying would cause financial hardship.

omg same thing happened to me!!! they said i owed $4000 from last year, i was like NO WAY. turns out my employer reported different wages than what i reported. check ur pay stubs against what u told edd when u certified

You absolutely need to file an appeal right away. If the overpayment is non-fraud (meaning they don't think you intentionally misreported), you can request a waiver based on financial hardship. If it's determined to be fraud, that's much harder to deal with and can include penalties. The most common causes of overpayment notices are: 1. Employer reporting different wages than you certified 2. Working for multiple employers but not reporting all income 3. EDD determining you weren't eligible for a period you claimed (like if you weren't available for work) 4. System errors on EDD's part You'll need to gather all evidence showing you reported correctly - certification confirmations, pay stubs, bank statements showing deposits, etc.

THIS IS WHY I KEEP TELLING EVERYONE TO SAVE SCREENSHOTS OF EVERY CERTIFICATION!!! EDD's system is a MESS. They'll blame YOU for THEIR mistakes and expect you to have proof from months ago. They did this to my cousin and he ended up having to pay back $2,500 cause he couldn't prove what he reported!!

I went through this nightmare back in January. The key is getting through to an actual EDD representative who can look at your account and explain exactly which weeks they're claiming were overpaid and why. But good luck getting through to anyone - I tried for TWO WEEKS straight calling that 1-800 number. Finally I discovered this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an EDD agent in about 25 minutes when I'd been trying for days on my own. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km Once I actually spoke to someone, they identified that my employer had reported quarterly wages instead of bi-weekly like I was reporting, which made it look like I wasn't reporting all income. The agent helped me understand exactly what documentation I needed for my appeal, and I ended up only having to repay a small portion of what they initially claimed.

I had almost the exact same situation happen to me last year, but my overpayment was for $5,800. I went through the appeal process and actually WON. The trick is being super organized and specific in your appeal. I think what helped me was that I wrote a very detailed timeline showing exactly what I reported each week vs. what my pay stubs showed. I also included a spreadsheet calculating all the numbers. During my appeal hearing (which was over the phone), the judge seemed impressed with how organized my documentation was. It also helped that I could prove I called EDD multiple times asking for clarification on how to report my specific work situation. The whole appeal process took about 10 weeks from start to finish, which was stressful, but worth it in the end!

when i got my overpayment notice i thought it was for my disability claim not unemployment and i ignored it for like 2 weeks lol. make sure you know which program they're talking about in the letter. sometimes the wording is confusing.

Happened to me but it was all my fault. I didn't report some freelance income because I didn't know I had to report income that wasn't from a regular employer. Had to set up a payment plan for $120/month for like 2 years. It sucks but at least they work with you on the repayment.

I'm dealing with an overpayment issue right now too. One thing I learned is that you should request an "Overpayment Interview" in addition to filing an appeal. Sometimes the interview can resolve things faster than waiting for the appeal process. Call and specifically ask for this, and make sure to have your documentation ready to discuss during the interview.

Update us on how your appeal goes! The success rate is actually pretty decent for people who have good documentation and a legitimate case. Don't get discouraged by the formal language in the notices - they make everything sound very final and scary, but the appeal process exists for a reason and is used successfully by many claimants.