Can I file new Washington ESD claim if I still owe unemployment overpayment?

Yes, you can absolutely file a new unemployment claim even with an outstanding overpayment debt. Washington ESD doesn't reject new claims just because you owe money from a previous claim. However, they will likely offset your weekly benefit payments to collect on the debt - meaning they'll deduct a portion of each payment until it's paid off.

I was in the exact same situation last year. Filed my claim online and it went through fine, but yeah they definitely took money out of each payment. Better than nothing though - I still got about half my weekly amount.

File immediately - don't wait! You need to get your claim started as soon as possible since there's a waiting week anyway. The overpayment situation won't prevent you from getting approved, it just affects how much you receive. If you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD to ask questions about the offset amount, I recently discovered this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually gets you connected to agents without the usual runaround. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works.

WAIT - make sure you understand what type of overpayment you have first. If it was fraud-related they might handle it differently than if it was just a regular overpayment from reporting errors or something.

Don't let that debt stop you from filing! The worst thing you can do is not file and miss out on benefits you're entitled to. Washington ESD will work with you on payment arrangements.

I owed them like $1,200 and they took $45 out of my $180 weekly payment. Wasn't too bad honestly, still left me with enough to get by until I found work.

Just make sure when you file your weekly claims that you're completely accurate about any work or income. You don't want to create another overpayment situation on top of the existing one.

The system is so messed up, they make it nearly impossible to reach anyone when you have questions but then penalize you for mistakes. At least you can still file though.

File online through SecureAccess Washington - it's way easier than calling anyway. Your overpayment debt should show up in your account dashboard once your new claim is active.

One thing to watch out for - sometimes they'll put your claim in adjudication if there are any questions about your past overpayment or current eligibility. Don't panic if that happens, it's just them reviewing everything.

I had an overpayment from 2019 that I never fully paid off and filed successfully in 2023. They just automatically deducted from my payments. No big deal.

Make sure you keep making those small payments on the old debt even after you file the new claim. Shows good faith and they might be more flexible with the offset amount.

Bottom line - file immediately. The debt doesn't disqualify you from benefits, it just reduces the amount you receive. You're still entitled to unemployment if you're eligible based on your work history and reason for separation.