Just a quick update - I checked with a colleague who specializes in overpayment issues, and she confirmed that ESD is currently taking about 3-4 weeks to process refunds after waiver approvals. The small $83 deposit is likely what they call a \

Thanks for checking on this! It's really reassuring to hear that the $83 is normal and the bigger refund should still be coming. I appreciate you following up with more info.

btw when i finally got my refund they included interest!!! not much like $180 on my $7k but better than nothing i guess. just thought ud want to know

UPDATE: I wanted to let everyone know I finally made progress! I used Claimyr this morning and actually got through to a real person at ESD in about 15 minutes. The claims specialist confirmed my refund was still just sitting in the review queue with no action. She flagged it for hardship review after I explained my situation with rent and submitted the hardship form. She said I should hear something within 2-3 weeks now instead of months. HUGE relief! Will update again when/if I actually get the money. Thank you all for the advice!

The pandemic overpayment waiver process is confusing because it's handled differently than regular UI overpayments. Here's what you need to do: 1. Call the ESD Collections Unit at 360-486-5817 (as mentioned above) 2. Ask specifically for the "PUA/PEUC Overpayment Waiver Application" 3. Be prepared to provide your claim ID and the overpayment ID from your notice 4. You'll need to document financial hardship - gather bank statements, bills, etc. 5. Submit everything within 30 days of receiving the form Important: Make sure to check the box that indicates this is for pandemic unemployment assistance specifically. Regular UI overpayments have different waiver criteria than pandemic benefits overpayments.

I wish you luck but I'm on month 3 of waiting for a decision on my pandemic waiver and can't get ANY updates when I call. They'll make you jump through 50 hoops just to apply then let it sit in some digital pile for months. The whole system is a joke. Make sure you keep detailed records of EVERYTHING - dates you called, who you spoke with, copies of everything you submit. ESD is notorious for "losing" documentation.

guys my overpayment is like $6700 and im FREAKING OUT... does anyone know if they'll do a payment plan or am i just screwed???

Update: I FINALLY got through to someone at ESD yesterday after trying for over a week. The regular agent didn't understand the tax withholding issue at all and kept saying I had to pay the full amount. But I asked to speak with someone in the "Benefits Accuracy and Integrity" unit like @UnemploymentExpert suggested, and they transferred me. The specialist immediately knew what I was talking about! She said it's a common problem with their system and reduced my overpayment amount by the tax withholding portion (about $275). She's sending me updated paperwork showing the correct amount. Thank you all for your help - especially the specific terminology to use. Made all the difference!

my cousin works for the state (not ESD) and she says theres a HUGE backlog cuz they fired a bunch of judges or something last year. system is totally broken!!!!

One last suggestion - if you do get your hearing scheduled soon, make sure you're fully prepared. The judge will only consider evidence presented during the hearing. Gather all relevant documents (employment records, communications with your employer, records of job search activities if that's relevant to your case). The preparation you do now can make a big difference in the outcome. Good luck!

I can confirm this afternoon callback strategy works. I spent months trying to get through in the mornings with no luck. Then I tried calling at 3:30pm, got into the callback queue, and received a call back the same day. The representative explained they have staffing dedicated to callbacks in the afternoon. She ended up resolving my adjudication issue on the spot and my payments started processing immediately. One important tip: make sure your phone accepts calls from unknown or blocked numbers. ESD calls often show up as "No Caller ID" and if your phone blocks these, you'll miss their callback.

For anyone still struggling to reach ESD, here's a comprehensive approach that might help: 1. Try the afternoon callback strategy mentioned in this thread (request callback after 3pm) 2. Make sure your phone accepts unknown/blocked numbers 3. Check your eServices account for any alerts requiring action 4. Submit a secure message through the portal (sometimes they respond within 48 hours) 5. Contact your state representative if you've been waiting more than 3 weeks 6. Consider using Claimyr if you're in a desperate situation Also, always keep documenting your weekly claims even if you're waiting for adjudication. Once approved, you'll receive backpay for all properly filed weeks.

my brother went thru something kinda the same with his adhd... he won his appeal but then the employer appealed that decision and it went to commissioner review which took another 2 months... just be prepared this might take awhile... and yeah what everyone else said keep filing weekly claims!!

One more thought - make sure you're super clear in the hearing about the "impossible situation" they created. Write it out very clearly: "If my husband followed the PIP by doing X, he would violate his job description which required Y. If he did Y as required in his job description, he would violate the PIP." Having concrete examples of this contradiction will be crucial. Also, did anyone at his workplace ever acknowledge his bipolar condition or the accommodation requests in writing? Any emails or documents that show they were aware of his condition?

my mom got laid off at 59 and ended up starting her own business with her severance money! now she makes more than she did at her old job lol. maybe instead of looking for someone to hire you, you could be your own boss?

Just an important update regarding what I mentioned earlier - definitely talk to someone at WorkSource about the Commissioner Approved Training/Training Benefits program. If approved, you could get up to 26 ADDITIONAL weeks of benefits while you train for a new occupation, and you wouldn't have to look for work during that period. The Training Benefits program is specifically designed for people in your situation - dislocated workers who need to gain new skills. There are deadlines for applying though, so don't wait too long. You need to submit your application within your current benefit year, ideally well before your regular benefits run out.

That's excellent news! So glad it worked out for you. The hardship statement likely did help - they have specific flags for those in the system. Congratulations and thanks for updating the thread!

Must be nice. Still waiting here after 3+ months with ZERO movement despite uploading MULTIPLE hardship statements. System still completely broken for most of us.

One thing that really helped my appeal was having a clear timeline of events. I'd recommend writing down exactly when these schedule changes happened, how much notice you were given, how it affected you (missed appointments, childcare issues, etc). Having specific examples rather than general complaints makes a huge difference to the judge. Also, if you had any conversations with your supervisor trying to resolve the issue before quitting, document those too.

UPDATE: I got through to ESD finally! The agent confirmed that yes, I can get backpay for the weeks I was waiting in adjudication IF my appeal is successful. She also said I should definitely keep filing weekly claims until the appeal is decided (even after I start working) and just report any new income accurately. She said the appeal is likely to take 6-8 weeks, which isn't great but at least I know now. Thanks everyone for your help!