ESD overpayment letter years after pandemic - can't reach anyone by phone

same here!! got hit with a $2800 overpayment from 2023. the ESD website is STILL a mess and nobody answers phones. good luck!

You absolutely need to appeal this within 30 days of the notice date! Don't miss that deadline or you'll lose your right to contest it. The appeal process is actually separate from ESD - you need to request a hearing with the Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH). The instructions should be on your notice. Make sure you gather any documentation you still have from your original claim - approval letters, payment history, and especially any correspondence where they verified your eligibility. They should have records of everything, but having your own copies helps tremendously.

the same thing happened to my cousin he said ESD told him that it was a mistake and they fixed it but it took like 3 months to get it cleared up. you better file that appeal tho just in case!!!

I went through this exact nightmare last year. After 30+ calls to the regular ESD number with no success, I discovered a service called Claimyr that got me through to an ESD agent in about 20 minutes. Their system basically navigates the ESD phone tree and holds your place in line, then calls you when an agent is available. Saved me hours of frustration. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video demo here: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 Once I got through to an actual person, they were able to review my case and found that the overpayment was due to a system error where they had incorrectly flagged my claim. The agent filed an internal correction request and the overpayment was canceled within a few weeks. Definitely worth getting an actual human on the phone instead of fighting with their automated system.

OK I know everyone is saying appeal but FIRST double-check you're not dealing with a scam!!! There are TONS of unemployment scams going around. Real ESD notices have your claim ID number and the last 4 of your SSN. If they're asking you to pay by gift card or wire transfer it's 100% fake. Only use official ESD website links (esd.wa.gov) and phone numbers.

One thing to be aware of with overpayment notices - if you appeal, make sure you understand what type of overpayment they're claiming. If it's a "non-fault" overpayment (meaning they believe you didn't intentionally do anything wrong), you can request a waiver in addition to appealing. But if they're alleging fraud or misrepresentation, that's much more serious, and you might want to consult with an attorney. Even if you can't get through on the phone, you should be able to see some details about the overpayment reason in your online account under the "Notices" section. That might give you some clues about why they're suddenly claiming you were ineligible.

WHATEVER YOU DO DON'T IGNORE IT!!! When I got an overpayment notice in 2022 I thought it was a mistake and didn't respond fast enough. They garnished my wages and took my tax refund without warning. Total nightmare! ESD dont play around with collections!!!

Update on what you shared about "failure to provide adequate work search documentation" - this is actually a common issue with pandemic claims. The work search requirements were waived during certain periods, then reinstated, then modified several times. It's possible ESD is retroactively reviewing claims and finding documentation gaps. When you appeal, focus specifically on: 1) Whether work search was required during your specific claim period, and 2) What documentation you provided at the time. You might also want to request all records ESD has on your claim through a public records request - this can sometimes reveal processing errors on their end.