my cousin got laid off in january with severance and she said make sure u file for the correct BENEFIT YEAR too. i dont know exactly what that means but she said its important lol. something about if u worked for multiple employers u need to pick the right timeframe?

Thank you all for the helpful advice! I'm definitely going to file tomorrow (my termination date) and make sure to accurately report my severance. I've got all my documentation ready and will start job search activities right away. Really appreciate everyone's insights - this community is amazing!

One final tip - if you've been waiting more than 2 weeks and still see no movement, reach out to your state representative's office. They often have direct contacts in the ESD office who can expedite these situations. I've seen cases where a simple inquiry from a legislator's office miraculously fixed problems that had been dragging on for months.

Thank you so much everyone for all the help and advice! I'll give it until next Friday, and if nothing's changed by then I'll try calling, using Claimyr if needed, and reaching out to my state rep if all else fails. I'll update here when something happens in case it helps someone else in the future.

One important detail nobody mentioned: when your husband files, make sure he lists his last day of WORK as his last day of employment, NOT the end date of his severance period. This is a common mistake that can cause problems. Also, if you run into issues with his claim (which is common with severance situations), be prepared for long wait times when calling ESD. I waited 3+ hours multiple times trying to resolve my severance-related adjudication.

my brother had similar situation but his severance was actually called "garden leave" where he got paid but wasn't supposed to work anywhere else during that time... ESD counted that as employment and he couldn't get benefits until after... so terminology really matters!

Not the same situation exactly but my roomate had an overpayment they were trying to collect. He requested a waiver because of financial hardship and they approved it pretty fast. Maybe try both approaches - the fraud victim route AND a financial hardship waiver if your son really cant afford to repay?

One more critical piece of advice: When submitting the identity theft documentation to OSI, make absolutely sure your son checks the box to request a "Section 4(c) Waiver" on the fraud documentation form. This specific waiver is for victims of unemployment fraud and can completely remove the overpayment from his record. Also, while this is being resolved, your son should still apply for unemployment if he needs it when his seasonal work ends. During the application, he should disclose the pending fraud case in the comments section. This creates a record that he's being transparent while still asserting his right to legitimate benefits. The waiver has a high approval rate for documented incarceration cases because it's physically impossible for the person to have filed those claims. Make sure to include visitor logs or other documentation that proves he had no access to devices that could have filed claims.

One more thing that might help - request a detailed breakdown of exactly WHICH weeks they're claiming overpayment for. The notice should have this info, but sometimes it's not clear. Once you know the specific weeks, check if you can access your old weekly claim certifications in your ESD account history. The system usually keeps these records, though they might be archived. Also, if you file an appeal, you'll automatically get scheduled for a hearing with the Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH). This is actually good because it gives you a chance to explain your situation to a judge who isn't part of ESD.

One more tip: If your appeal is denied, you can still request a waiver of the overpayment based on financial hardship. There's a specific form for this on the ESD website. They'll look at your current income and expenses to determine if repaying would cause significant hardship. I've seen many pandemic-era overpayments waived this way, especially for people who are still struggling financially.

Don't forget that working part-time might qualify you for partial unemployment too!! I work part time and get a small UI payment each week. It's not much but every bit helps!

Another thing to consider is that sometimes working part-time can help extend your benefit year. Since you won't be drawing your full WBA each week when you have part-time earnings, your total benefit amount will last longer. Just make sure that your part-time work doesn't interfere with your availability for full-time work, as that's a requirement for receiving UI benefits. You need to be able and available for suitable full-time work and actively seeking it.

The entire ESD system is DELIBERATELY DESIGNED to be confusing and trip people up so they can deny benefits!!! I went through this exact situation last year and ended up getting disqualified because I didn't know I still needed to do job searches when filing by phone. No one told me! The automated system doesn't tell you! They sent me a letter MONTHS later saying I owed $4,800 in overpayments because I failed a job search review. The system is RIGGED against claimants. They don't want to pay benefits so they make the process as complicated as possible hoping people will make mistakes.

When I had to file by phone once during a power outage, I actually used my neighbor's internet the next day to log into my eServices account and add my job search activities after I'd already filed by phone. There's a section where you can view and edit your job search activities separate from filing your weekly claim. Not sure if that's still possible in 2025, but might be worth checking once your internet is back!

To clarify for everyone: These refunds are part of ESD's implementation of the blanket waiver program that was authorized during COVID. ESD is still processing these even in 2025 due to the massive backlog. Regarding taxes: 1. If you deducted the original repayment on your taxes as an itemized deduction → You likely need to report the refund as income (tax benefit rule) 2. If you used the standard deduction → You generally DON'T need to report the refund as income 3. If your itemized deductions that year didn't actually reduce your tax liability → You might not need to report it as income ESD should have included Publication 525 information with your refund check. It specifically addresses the tax implications of benefit repayments and subsequent refunds. If you're unsure, consult a tax professional with your specific situation.

wait so are they doing this automatically for everyone or do we need to apply somewhere? i paid back like $5k in 2021 and nobody told me anything about waivers

my neighbors cousins was in adjudiction for 3 months!!! but that was back in 2023 so maybe its faster now. but yeah the systems still a mess from what i can tell

Quick update on timeframes based on recent cases I've seen: Current ESD adjudication is averaging 5-7 weeks for standard issues. Senator intervention is helping, but their offices are getting flooded with requests which is diluting the effectiveness somewhat. One thing to verify: check that your identification verification is complete and shows "verified" in your account. That's often an invisible blocker that keeps claims stuck.

UPDATE: Just got my payment about 10 minutes ago (5:30pm Wednesday)! Seems like Chase just processes these later in the day. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - really helped calm my anxiety. Going to make a note that I should expect late Wednesday deposits from now on so I don't stress about rent timing next month.

Anybody know if the timing is different for people who get their benefits on the ESD debit card instead of direct deposit? I switched to the card last month because my direct deposits were always delayed.