ESD garnished my wages for overpayment but I paid & appealed - will they garnish again this week?

same happened 2 me, they kept garnishing even after i paid cuz the system is slow to update. took like 10 days for payments to show in their system. really annoying

The appeal won't immediately stop the garnishments - that's a common misconception. Even though your payment is processing and the overpayment notification disappeared, their collection system often operates on a different timeline than their notification system. Here's what you need to do: 1. Call ESD directly and let them know you've both made a payment AND filed an appeal. Request that they place a temporary hold on collections. 2. Send documentation of your payment (receipt/confirmation number) via their secure message portal along with your appeal confirmation number. 3. Follow up on your appeal status weekly - appeals can take 3-8 weeks to process currently. In my experience helping claimants with these issues, most people will see at least one more garnishment before the system recognizes your payment and/or processes your appeal request. Keep documentation of everything.

Yes, they will issue a refund if your appeal is successful, but it can take 6-10 weeks after the appeal decision. I've helped several friends navigate this exact situation. One important thing to note: appeals and payments are processed by completely different departments at ESD. Your payment won't affect your appeal, and your appeal won't stop garnishments until it's decided in your favor. If you need to reach an actual ESD agent about stopping the garnishment immediately (which is sometimes possible), I recently discovered Claimyr (claimyr.com). They helped me get through to ESD after weeks of trying. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3. Much better than waiting on hold for hours only to get disconnected!

THE SYSTEM IS RIGGED!!! I had the EXACT same thing happen last year but with $2300!! They garnished EVERY CHECK for 6 WEEKS even after I appealed AND made payments!!! When I finally got someone on the phone they said "oh we see your payments now" but REFUSED to refund the extra they took!!! Had to wait for the appeal which I eventually won but they made me SUFFER for MONTHS!!! They do this ON PURPOSE to discourage appeals!!!

Yes but it took FOREVER! Almost 3 months AFTER I won the appeal!!! The system is deliberately slow when GIVING money but LIGHTNING FAST when TAKING IT!!!

my cousin works for esd (not in claims tho) and she says the payment & collections systems don't talk to each other that well. so even tho you paid it might take 7-10 business days to stop the garnishment. she says always make payments at least 2 weeks before ur next payment if u can to avoid this

I went through something similar last year with a $675 overpayment. What worked for me was calling the collections department directly rather than the main ESD line. Their number is different and usually has shorter wait times. Call 360-902-9540 and select the collections option. They can see your payment in real-time even before it clears and can sometimes place a hold on future garnishments while your appeal processes. Also, make sure your appeal includes all relevant documentation. I won my appeal because I included screenshots of my original claim showing I had reported everything correctly. They reversed the overpayment entirely and refunded what they'd taken.

You can upload documents directly to your appeal through the appeals portal on the ESD website. Just log in, go to your appeal case, and there should be an option to attach documents. Much easier than faxing!

Quick update on this topic based on recent changes: As of 2025, ESD is required to pause garnishments once they receive proof of both payment AND appeal filing. The key is getting that proof to the right department. Use the secure message portal and specifically state "REQUEST TO PAUSE GARNISHMENT PENDING APPEAL" in the subject line. Reference both your payment confirmation and appeal number in the message. This new process was implemented after a class action lawsuit last year forced ESD to improve their procedures.

hey just wondering did it work? did they garnish u again or did u get them to stop it?