ESD claims I'm overpaid because of intermittent job offer - still waiting for actual work to begin

yea this happened to me last yr... totally BS! when u accept ANY job ESD considers u "employed" even if u dont work any hrs. they dont care that ur not making money, just that ur technically hired somewhere. i had to appeal and it was a huge hassle

This is a common misunderstanding. When you accept ANY job offer (full-time, part-time, or intermittent), you're required to report this to ESD. However, you're correct that you can still receive benefits if you're not actually working hours yet. The key is how you reported it on your weekly claims. There's a specific way to report that you've accepted a job but haven't started working yet. Did you perhaps mark yourself as "employed" rather than indicating you have a job offer pending actual start date? The distinction matters for ESD's systems. You'll need to talk with an ESD representative to explain your situation and possibly file an appeal.

This is EXACTLY what happened to me in 2023! ESD is so messed up. They expect us to be mind readers about how to fill out their confusing forms. I got hit with a $4,300 overpayment for almost the same situation - accepted a job but didn't start for 2 months. Had to fight for MONTHS to get it fixed.

I work with unemployment cases regularly, and this is a situation that requires clarification from ESD directly. The issue hinges on how you answered your weekly claim questions. For intermittent work, you should have: 1. Reported that you accepted a job offer 2. Indicated it was intermittent with no hours currently assigned 3. Continued reporting your job search activities (3 per week) 4. Reported that you're available for full-time work If you didn't clearly indicate the intermittent nature of the position, ESD's system may have automatically flagged you as employed full-time. You'll need to speak directly with an ESD claims specialist to get this sorted out. They can review exactly how the job was reported and possibly adjust your claim without requiring repayment.

Have you tried calling ESD? I had a similar issue and once I FINALLY got through to a real person, they fixed everything in like 10 minutes. The frustrating part is actually reaching someone - took me 3 days of constant redialing.

This is a classic ESD misunderstanding. Here's what you need to do: 1. File an appeal immediately - you only have 30 days from the overpayment notice date 2. Gather documentation from your employer stating that you were hired but not scheduled for work during those weeks 3. Print out all your weekly claims showing you reported the job but had zero earnings 4. Write a clear explanation of your situation emphasizing you were still available for and seeking full-time work In my experience working with claimants, this type of situation can be resolved with the right documentation. The key is proving you were still eligible during those weeks despite having accepted the intermittent position. Don't wait to file that appeal!

not sure if this helps but my cousin works intermitent at amazon warehouse and he just doesnt claim benefits on weeks they schedule him but does claim on weeks they dont give him any hours. maybe thats how ur supposed to do it?

UPDATE: After reviewing the ESD handbook more carefully, I can confirm that accepting an intermittent job without actual work hours does NOT automatically disqualify you from benefits. The key factors are: 1. You must remain able and available for full-time work 2. You must continue conducting job searches (3 per week) 3. You must accurately report your employment status The issue is likely in how the employment status was reported. In the weekly claim questions, there's a distinction between "Do you have a job?" (Yes) and "Did you work during this week?" (No). This nuance matters significantly for intermittent positions. When you appeal, emphasize that you remained available for full-time work, continued job searching, and had no actual work or earnings from the intermittent position during the weeks in question.

after dealing with my appeal i learned that ESD's definition of "available for work" is super specific. they wanna know if having this intermittent job would prevent u from accepting full-time work elsewhere. if u said u were committed to this intermittent job even if it meant turning down full-time work elsewhere, that might be why they're saying ur not eligible.