ESD demanding repayment but impossible to reach anyone by phone - help!
I'm at my wits end with ESD! They're demanding I repay $6,200 in benefits that were originally APPROVED. I've been trying to call them for 3 weeks straight to explain my situation, but every single time I get the same automated message saying 'all agents are busy' and then it disconnects me! No option to wait, no callback, nothing. I absolutely cannot afford this repayment - I used that money for rent and bills when I was laid off from construction work last winter. The determination letter mentions something about 'failure to report earnings' but that's completely wrong - I reported everything exactly as they asked. Has anyone successfully gotten through to a real person at ESD? What time of day should I be calling? Is there some secret number or extension I don't know about? I only have 27 days left to appeal this and I'm panicking.
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Santiago Diaz
same thing happened to me!! been calling since 7am every morning for TWO WEEKS and always get disconnected. The ESD system is a complete joke
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Riya Sharma
•It's beyond frustrating. Did you ever manage to reach someone? I'm trying to decide if I should just file the appeal online without talking to anyone first.
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Millie Long
You need to file your appeal ASAP even if you haven't spoken to anyone. The 30-day deadline is strict, and if you miss it, you'll likely lose your appeal rights regardless of how valid your case is. For the appeal, gather all your payment history, income reports, and any communication from ESD. Make sure you clearly explain why you believe the overpayment determination is incorrect.
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Riya Sharma
•Thank you - I'll start the appeal process today. Do you know if I can still try to talk to someone at ESD after I've filed the appeal? I'm worried about making a mistake on the appeal form.
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KaiEsmeralda
The overpayment notice should list the specific weeks they believe you were overpaid and why. Make sure your appeal addresses each of those weeks individually with documentation. If it's about unreported earnings, pull together all your pay stubs and weekly claim submissions to show you properly reported everything. And yes, you can (and should) still try to talk to someone after filing the appeal - sometimes they can resolve it without a hearing if they see clear evidence.
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Debra Bai
•This happened 2 me last year and I had to wait 4 MONTHS for a hearing. ESD kept saying they'd call me back but never did. waste of time trying to call them
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Gabriel Freeman
When I got an overpayment notice last year I tried calling for weeks with no luck. Finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an ESD agent in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 The agent was able to review my case on the spot and found that their system had incorrectly flagged some of my reported income. She adjusted it right then and reduced my overpayment by almost 80%. Totally worth it for the peace of mind, especially since you're facing such a big repayment amount.
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Riya Sharma
•Thank you so much for this tip! I just watched the video and I'm going to try this tomorrow morning. Even if they can't eliminate the overpayment entirely, maybe they could at least reduce it or set up a manageable payment plan. I'm desperate to talk to an actual human at this point.
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Laura Lopez
THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO MAKE YOU GIVE UP!!! They approve you then months later say "oops we made a mistake, now pay us back thousands you don't have". I got the EXACT same runaround trying to explain that I DID report all my earnings correctly. They don't care. The appeal process is your ONLY hope. Document EVERYTHING and be ready to fight for months. And whatever you do, DON'T MISS THAT APPEAL DEADLINE!!!!
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Victoria Brown
•While I understand your frustration, I don't think the system is deliberately designed to be difficult. ESD is just chronically understaffed and dealing with outdated technology. I've worked with several clients who successfully resolved overpayment issues through appeals. The key is staying organized with documentation and being persistent. OP - one thing to note is that you can request a waiver of the overpayment if repaying would cause significant financial hardship, though these are granted sparingly.
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Debra Bai
i had 2 go to my state rep's office for help. they have special contacts at esd and fixed my problem in a week after i tried for months on my own. look up who ur state representative is and email their office
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Riya Sharma
•That's a great idea! I hadn't thought of contacting my state rep. I'll look them up right now. Did you just email them explaining your situation?
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Debra Bai
yea just sent an email with my claim # and explained i couldnt get thru to esd. they have a form they make u fill out for permission to help with ur case
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Millie Long
Regarding your original question about best times to call - ESD's phone lines open at 8am and your best chance is to call exactly at 8:00:00. Not 8:01, not 7:59 - exactly when they open. Have your claim ID and all information ready. Mondays and Tuesdays are typically the busiest days, so Wednesday through Friday may offer slightly better odds. That said, using the Claimyr service someone mentioned is probably more reliable than hoping to get through on your own.
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Santiago Diaz
•Ive tried calling at exactly 8am for weeks and still get disconnected everytime. its all luck
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Riya Sharma
UPDATE: I used Claimyr this morning and actually got through to an ESD agent! She was really helpful and went through my file with me. Turns out they had mixed up some of my reported earnings with another claimant who has a similar name! She said she's flagging it for correction and will be sending me a revised determination that should reduce my overpayment significantly. She also put notes in my file documenting the error and extended my appeal deadline by 14 days to give time for the correction to process. SUCH a relief - worth every penny to finally talk to someone who could actually help. Thanks everyone for your advice!
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Victoria Brown
•That's fantastic news! Make sure to get the agent's name and ID number for your records, and follow up in a week if you don't see the revised determination in your online account. I'd still recommend submitting a precautionary appeal before the original deadline just to be safe, noting that you've spoken with an agent who's working on correcting the issue.
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