ESD overpayment waiver pending 11 months - no response & can't get through on phones
I'm at my wit's end with this overpayment situation! I submitted my waiver request back in May 2025 (11 months ago) for a pandemic benefit overpayment they claim I owe. Not ONE person has reviewed it according to my eServices account. Every single time I call ESD, the automated system says "we can't take your call at this time" and literally hangs up on me. Meanwhile, I've talked to two people who submitted their waivers AFTER me who already got their overpayments completely reversed! I'm starting to think my application is just sitting in digital limbo somewhere. Has anyone tried contacting the Governor's office for help with ESD issues? Is there ANYTHING I can do at this point? I'm considering filing a complaint but don't know where to start. This $7,800 overpayment is hanging over my head and I can't afford to pay it back for benefits I legitimately qualified for!
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Aisha Patel
First, don't panic. Your waiver request isn't expired - there's no statute of limitations on these reviews. The ESD backlog is definitely still a mess for overpayment waivers. A few things you can try: 1) Submit a message through your eServices account specifically asking for status update on your waiver 2) Try calling right when they open at 8:00am - that's when you have the best chance of getting through 3) Contact your state representative's office - they often have dedicated staff who can inquire with ESD on your behalf 4) The Governor's office can help, but they'll usually just refer you to your state rep first The good news is that if you legitimately qualified for the benefits, you have a strong case for getting the overpayment waived. Just keep documentation of all your attempts to resolve this.
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Klaus Schmidt
•Thank you for the detailed response! I'll try calling right at 8am tomorrow. I've sent at least 8 messages through eServices over the past 11 months but never got any response other than the automated "we received your message" emails. I didn't think about contacting my state rep - that's a great idea. Do you know if I should just call their office directly or is there a specific process for ESD issues?
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LilMama23
I HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM!!! Submitted my waiver in March 2025 and nothing for 9 months! Couldn't get through on phones EVER. I finally found a service called Claimyr that got me connected to an actual ESD agent in about 20 minutes. The agent was able to find my waiver application and manually move it to an adjudicator's queue. Got approved 2 weeks later! Seriously, check out their demo video: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 or go to claimyr.com. It was the only thing that worked after months of frustration.
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Dmitri Volkov
•does this claimyr thing actually work? sounds too good to be true tbh. i've been calling esd about my adjudication for like 2 months and gave up
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LilMama23
•It definitely worked for me! The service basically keeps dialing ESD for you using their system until it connects, then calls you and connects you with the agent. I was skeptical too, but after 9 months of getting nowhere, I was desperate enough to try it. The agent I spoke with told me that waiver requests aren't reviewed in exact chronological order - they're assigned to different teams based on various factors, which explains why some people who filed after you might get processed first.
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Gabrielle Dubois
ESD is a complete joke. I had an overpayment from 2024 for $4300 and they started GARNISHING MY WAGES without even reviewing my waiver request!!! Had to hire a lawyer to get them to stop. The system is DESIGNED to frustrate people until they give up and just pay. Keep calling and document EVERYTHING. Eventually someone will help just to get you to stop calling.
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Klaus Schmidt
•Oh no, I'm sorry that happened to you! I'm definitely worried about garnishment. How long did they take to start that process after issuing the overpayment notice? I'm at 11 months since I submitted the waiver and about 14 months since they first sent the notice.
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Gabrielle Dubois
•They started garnishment about 15 months after the initial notice in my case. But I think it varies. The most annoying thing is that there's a REAL PERSON who has to initiate the garnishment process, but somehow they couldn't find a real person to REVIEW MY WAIVER first! Makes my blood boil just thinking about it.
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Tyrone Johnson
I work for a non-profit that helps people with ESD issues. Here's what you need to know: 1. Pandemic benefit overpayment waivers are being processed very slowly due to ongoing staffing issues at ESD. 2. Contact your state representative - they can send an inquiry to ESD's legislative liaison team, which often gets faster results than you can get on your own. Find your rep at leg.wa.gov 3. The Governor's office generally refers these matters back to ESD or to your state rep, so start with your rep first. 4. When you finally do connect with someone, ask them to check if your waiver is actually in the correct review queue. Sometimes applications get miscategorized in their system. 5. If you start receiving collections notices, immediately request a payment plan (even if you plan to appeal) to prevent collections actions.
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Klaus Schmidt
•Thank you so much for this detailed information! I just looked up my state rep and will contact their office tomorrow. I'm really concerned my waiver isn't even in the right queue after all this time. I haven't received any collections notices yet, but I'll keep an eye out and request a payment plan if needed. Is there any specific information I should have ready when I talk to my state rep's office?
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Tyrone Johnson
•Yes, have the following information ready when you contact your state rep: - Your ESD claim ID number - The date you submitted your waiver request - The overpayment amount - A brief summary of your attempts to contact ESD - Your current contact information Most legislative offices have a staff member who regularly handles constituent services like this. They'll likely have you fill out a privacy release form that allows them to inquire about your case with ESD. The process usually takes 2-3 weeks, but it's much more reliable than trying to get through on the phones.
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Ingrid Larsson
i had something similar happen but mine was only pending for like 4 months before they approved it. have you tried going to a WorkSource office in person? sometimes they can help or at least give you a direct number to call. the one in tacoma helped my cousin with his claim last month
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Klaus Schmidt
•I didn't realize WorkSource could help with this! There's one about 20 minutes from me, so I might try going there in person. Did your cousin just walk in or did he make an appointment first?
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Ingrid Larsson
•he just walked in but had to wait like an hour. they couldnt fix everything but gave him a special number to call that actually got answered. worth a try i think
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Carlos Mendoza
Ugh, the waiting game with ESD is the WORST. I've been there. Have you tried contacting the Office of the Unemployment Insurance Ombuds? They're supposed to help resolve issues when normal channels aren't working. Here's their website: https://ombuds.wa.gov/unemployment They helped my sister get her appeal unstuck after it was ignored for months. It's an independent office created specifically to help people who are stuck in ESD limbo.
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Klaus Schmidt
•I hadn't heard of the Ombuds office! Just looked them up and this seems like exactly what I need. I'm going to try my state rep first as others suggested, but will definitely contact the Ombuds if that doesn't get results quickly. Thank you for this tip!
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Dmitri Volkov
my waiver took 13 months to get approved so hang in there! esd is super backlogged with these. make sure ur mailing address is updated in the system bc when they finally did process mine they sent important papers to my old address even tho id updated it online
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Klaus Schmidt
•Oh that's good to hear that yours eventually got approved even after that long! I'll double-check my address is current in the system. Did you do anything special to finally get them to process it, or did it just eventually happen on its own?
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Dmitri Volkov
•honestly it just happened randomly. got a letter in the mail one day saying it was approved and the debt was gone. never talked to anyone on the phone or anything. but this was before i knew about the ombuds thing someone else mentioned. probably would have tried that if i knew about it
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