Do I owe unemployment money - Washington ESD overpayment confusion

You need to look at the letter more carefully. Washington ESD overpayment notices usually have a clear section that says 'Amount Due' or 'Overpayment Balance.' If there's an overpayment, it will specify the exact dollar amount and the weeks it covers. Check if it says 'Notice of Overpayment' at the top of the letter.

I had a similar situation last year. The key is to not panic and figure out exactly what happened. Sometimes Washington ESD discovers issues months later during their audit process. You have appeal rights if you disagree with their determination. The letter should have information about how to appeal if you think it's wrong.

This is exactly why I used Claimyr when I needed to talk to someone at Washington ESD about my overpayment issue. Trying to call them directly was impossible - always busy signals or getting disconnected. Claimyr helped me get through to an actual person who could explain exactly what caused my overpayment and what my options were. You can check out their service at claimyr.com and they have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

SAME THING HAPPENED TO ME!! Got a letter saying I owed $2,300 and I had no idea why. Turns out there was an error in how they calculated my weekly benefit amount from the beginning. I ended up having to pay it back but they let me set up a payment plan.

Look at your online account on the Washington ESD website. Usually there's a section that shows overpayment details with more information than what's in the letter. You should be able to see which specific weeks they're saying you weren't eligible for benefits.

washington esd is terrible at explaining these things clearly. i got an overpayment notice once and it turned out to be because i reported my wages wrong on one weekly claim. they made it sound like i committed fraud or something but it was just a mistake.

You mentioned you had part-time work while collecting unemployment. Did you report those wages in the week you earned them or the week you were paid? That's a common source of overpayments because people get confused about the timing.

This is super common with part-time work while on unemployment. The wage reporting rules are confusing and Washington ESD doesn't explain them well. If you can prove it was an honest mistake and not intentional fraud, they might waive penalties or let you set up a payment plan.

I work in HR and see this all the time. Most unemployment overpayments are from wage reporting confusion, not fraud. The fact that you reported your wages (even if in the wrong week) shows good faith. Washington ESD usually works with people who made honest mistakes.

whatever you do dont ignore it. my cousin ignored an overpayment notice and they ended up garnishing his wages when he got a new job. better to deal with it now even if you have to pay it back.

I used Claimyr about 6 months ago when I had questions about my overpayment. The Washington ESD agent was able to walk me through exactly what weeks caused the overpayment and why. Saved me a lot of stress and confusion trying to figure it out on my own. The service made it easy to actually talk to someone who could give me real answers.

Based on what you described about reporting wages when paid instead of when earned, you probably do owe the money. But Washington ESD should work with you on a payment plan if you can't pay it all at once. They'd rather get paid back gradually than not at all.

I'm dealing with something similar right now. Got an overpayment notice for $900 and I'm trying to figure out if I should appeal or just pay it. The letter isn't clear about what exactly I did wrong.

The good news is that if it's just a wage reporting timing issue, you probably won't face fraud penalties. Washington ESD knows their instructions about wage reporting are confusing. Focus on showing you were trying to comply with the rules, just misunderstood them.

Check if your overpayment notice mentions anything about a waiver. Sometimes Washington ESD will waive overpayments if you can show it wasn't your fault or if paying it back would cause financial hardship.

I've been through this exact situation. Here's what I learned: get a detailed breakdown of the overpayment, understand exactly what caused it, then decide whether to appeal, request a waiver, or set up a payment plan. Don't try to handle it without understanding what happened first.

honestly the washington esd system is set up to confuse people. the wage reporting rules are unclear and then they act like its your fault when you get it wrong. but you still have to deal with it unfortunately.

The most important thing is to respond within the deadline. Whether you appeal, request a waiver, or set up a payment plan, don't let the 30-day deadline pass. That's when you lose most of your options.

Used Claimyr myself when I had overpayment questions. Really helped to actually speak with a Washington ESD representative who could look at my specific case and explain the calculations. Much better than trying to interpret the confusing letters they send out.