ESD overpayment amount suddenly doubled after appeal hearing - what's happening?

This sounds like a classic ESD computer glitch to me. Their system has been having major issues since they "upgraded" it last year. Your appeal victory probably triggered some automatic recalculation that went haywire. DON'T PANIC - but document EVERYTHING. Take screenshots of the account showing the $26K debt. Print any emails or letters you've received. Call ESD immediately (yeah I know, good luck with that).

omg this happened to my cousin last month!!! the system went crazy after his appeal too but it was only like 5k extra not 26!! ESD is such a joke these days i swear 🤬

This is absolutely a system error. When an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) rules in your favor, ESD has 30 days to implement the decision, and sometimes their automated system trips up during this process. Here's what you need to do: 1. Contact the Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH) that handled your appeal and let them know ESD hasn't properly implemented the judge's decision 2. File a formal complaint with the ESD Commissioner's Office - they have special escalation paths for issues like this 3. Contact your state representative's office - they often have direct lines to ESD leadership 4. Request a copy of your complete claim file through a public records request 5. If possible, send a secure message through your ESD account specifically citing the OAH docket number and decision date The $26K is almost certainly not legitimate if the ALJ ruled in your favor. Their system is trying to reconcile the original determination with the appeal decision and failing spectacularly.

the ESD computers are garbage fire lol. my claim said i owed like $9000 one day then next day it was gone completely then came back as $2300??? no explanation ever. just kept changing randomly for weeks.

I work at a legal aid clinic that helps with unemployment issues, and I can tell you this type of system error happens frequently after appeals. The problem is that while you wait for ESD to fix their error, they could start collection activities or offset future benefits if your husband ever needs UI again. In addition to the excellent advice above about contacting OAH and filing a complaint, I would suggest you consider getting through to an actual ESD agent who can place a hold on the account while the issue is being resolved. The regular phone lines are nearly impossible, but I've had clients have success with Claimyr (claimyr.com). They have a service that helps you get through to an actual ESD agent much faster than trying on your own. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 that shows how it works. Several clients used it to resolve similar system errors after appeals. Most importantly, get everything in writing and keep detailed records of all communications. The system errors usually get fixed, but it can take time.

Just wanted to say that I'm so sorry this is happening to you. The ESD system has put my family through hell too. It's absolutely ridiculous that they can make errors like this that affect people's ability to pay bills and feed their families. The system is broken.

I had something similar happen (not as extreme though) and what worked for me was contacting my state representative's office. They have staff specifically assigned to help constituents with state agency issues. They contacted ESD on my behalf and got it fixed within a few days when I'd been trying for weeks on my own. Don't give up!

UPDATE: You all were right! It was a system error. After trying everything (calling repeatedly, messaging through the portal, contacting our state rep), we finally got through to someone at ESD by calling the governor's office. They had a liaison who escalated it to someone with higher access at ESD. They reversed the bogus $26K charge completely AND processed the refund for the money they'd been taking from his benefits! The money should be deposited next week. I'm incredibly relieved but also disturbed by how easy it would have been to just give up and accept their mistake. The ESD rep actually told us this has been happening to other people too after appeals - the system incorrectly doubles or triples overpayment amounts instead of removing them. For anyone else facing this nightmare: DOCUMENT EVERYTHING, be persistent, and don't be afraid to go straight to the governor's office if needed. Thank you all for your support and advice!