ESD overpayment notice charging me $1700 for one $1000 commission payment - makes no sense!

This sounds like they're applying what's called a "pattern of earnings" rule. When you earn commission or self-employment income, ESD sometimes spreads that income across multiple weeks based on when they think you performed the work, not just when you got paid. So they might have assumed the $1000 represented work done over 3 weeks. You definitely need to talk to a claims specialist directly. They might have applied the wrong earnings rule to your situation, especially since this was a one-time bonus for a single sale, not ongoing work.

somthing similar happened 2 me. ESD spreads ur earningz over multiple weeks even if u only worked 1 day. its stupid but thats how they do it. u shoulda appealed right away tho, stamps r like wat 60 cents? now ur probly stuck paying the whole thing.

There are actually three possible things happening here: 1. Pattern of earnings rule - as mentioned above, where they distribute commission earnings across multiple weeks 2. Eligibility issue - your work in the commission job might have triggered questions about your availability for regular employment, especially if they classified you as self-employed 3. Different benefit year calculation - if this commission work happened near the end of a quarter, it could have affected your benefit calculation across multiple weeks You need to request a detailed breakdown of the overpayment. ESD is required to explain exactly how they calculated it. Call and specifically ask for an "itemized overpayment calculation statement." This will show which weeks they're charging you for and why.

I've been dealing with ESD for YEARS and let me tell you - their calculation methods are bizarre and rarely explained properly. Had a similar situation where I worked ONE DAY as an extra on a film set, got paid $200, and somehow ended up owing $600 back!!! The system is designed to be confusing so people just give up and pay. DO NOT just keep paying without understanding exactly what you're paying for. You have the right to a detailed breakdown of every penny they say you owe. If you've already missed the formal appeal deadline, you can still request a hardship waiver based on your situation as a single mom. They don't advertise this option but it exists!

I had this EXACT issue!!!! What happened was that they looked at my commission-only job and decided I was "self-employed" even though I wasn't! Then they applied some weird formula where they spread earnings over multiple weeks. It took me FOREVER to get it resolved, and I was paying it back for months before they finally reversed it. Have you tried using Claimyr to reach ESD? That's how I finally got through to a real person who could help. I was skeptical at first but their website at claimyr.com explains everything. There's even a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3. It was the only way I could actually talk to someone who could help fix my overpayment issue.

I'm sorry you're dealing with this frustrating situation. Based on what you've described, it sounds like there might be a misunderstanding about your work situation. When you earned that $1000 commission, did you report it as a one-time payment or did you list yourself as having started a new job? If ESD thought you started regular employment (even commission-based), they might have disqualified you for several weeks, assuming you were continuing to work. Also, was the sales job something you continued doing after that first week? Even if you didn't earn more commissions, if you were still technically employed there, ESD might consider you employed but with variable income. For the increased amount from $1100 to $1700, that could be because interest and penalties continue accruing during the dispute process. Missing the deadline for the appeal unfortunately means those extra charges kept building up.

just wondering did u report the job when u first started or only when u got the commission? cuz if u didnt report starting the job right away that could be why they hit u with more weeks of overpayment

Based on your additional details, I strongly recommend requesting an appeal extension based on financial hardship. Even though you missed the original deadline, ESD can sometimes grant extensions in cases of significant hardship, which being a new single mom certainly qualifies as. Call and specifically ask for a "late appeal request based on financial hardship" and explain your situation as a single parent who couldn't afford postage at the time. Document everything - the name of who you speak with, date, time, and what was discussed. Also, it's very concerning that the amount increased from $1100 to $1700 when you've been making payments. Definitely request that itemized statement. It might also be worth checking if they've applied any penalties for the missed appeal deadline, which could explain some of the increase.