ESD still charging interest after OAH judge ruled in my favor - tax refund interception risk?

This kind of administrative disconnect happens ALL THE TIME with ESD. The system that generates the billing notices doesn't automatically update when an OAH judge rules in your favor. What you need to do is fax (yes, fax!) a copy of your OAH decision to the ESD Collections department at 800-301-1796 with a cover letter clearly stating: 1) Your full name, 2) Your ESD claim ID, 3) The OAH docket number, and 4) A request to immediately stop collection activity based on the judge's decision. Also call the ESD Collections unit directly at 866-697-4831 - they're a different department than the regular claims agents. Don't delay filing your taxes, but do include Form 8379 (Injured Spouse Allocation) as a protective measure if you're filing jointly. The OAH decision is legally binding, so you WILL get this resolved, but you need to be proactive about pushing it through the bureaucracy.

omg i went thru the EXACT same thing last year!!! judge ruled in my favor in october but i kept getting the stupid bills til march!!! ESD is so broken its not even funny. i called like 20 times and nobody could help. finally i just went IN PERSON to the worksource center and showed them my judge paperwork and the lady there was super nice and called somebody internal who finally fixed it. took like 2 hours of sitting there but it worked. def dont wait on this bc they CAN take ur tax refund even if ur not supposed to owe them anything!! happened to my cousin and it took her 6 months to get her money back!

I had a similar situation with ESD overcollection last year, and after weeks of trying to call with no success, I finally used Claimyr.com to get through to an actual ESD agent. It costs a bit, but they got me connected to a live person in under 10 minutes when I had been trying for days on my own. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 that shows how it works. Once I got through to a real person who could see my account notes and the OAH decision, they were able to put a hold on collections while the decision was processed. Much easier than driving to an office or waiting for faxes to be processed.

This is unfortunately a common issue with ESD's systems not communicating properly with OAH decisions. Here's what's happening: Even though you won your appeal, there are TWO separate processes that need to be closed: 1) The appeal decision must be properly processed in ESD's benefit system, and 2) The collections activity needs to be separately halted. Technically, you shouldn't need to take additional steps since ESD should implement the judge's decision automatically. However, in reality, many claimants experience exactly what you're describing. The fastest solution is to do ALL of the following: 1. Call the ESD Collections unit directly (866-697-4831) 2. Submit your OAH decision to ESD via their secure message portal (upload as PDF) 3. Also mail a physical copy to: Employment Security Department, Benefit Payment Control, PO Box 9046, Olympia, WA 98507-9046 Regarding your tax refund concerns - yes, ESD can and does certify debts to the Treasury Offset Program which would intercept your federal tax refund. However, you can request a 60-day hold on collection activities while your case is being reviewed. Make this request specifically when you contact collections. Don't delay filing taxes, but if you're worried, you can file IRS Form 8379 as a protective measure. You are legally entitled to have this fixed based on the OAH decision.

ESD IS A COMPLETE DISASTER!!!! I won my appeal in 2023 and they STILL garnished my wages for THREE MONTHS after the judge ruled in my favor!!!! I had to hire an attorney who threatened to sue them for violating the Administrative Procedure Act before they finally fixed it and refunded all the money they wrongfully took. They are DELIBERATELY slow-walking these corrections because they want to keep collecting money even when they're legally not supposed to. The whole system is corrupt and they know exactly what they're doing. DOCUMENT EVERYTHING and if they intercept your tax refund, immediately file a formal complaint with the state Ombudsman's office AND contact your state representative. That's what finally worked for me.

Update: After reading all your advice, I tried calling the Collections number, but after 45 minutes on hold, I got disconnected. So I decided to try the WorkSource office route this morning. I arrived right when they opened, and though they initially said they couldn't help with ESD collection issues, when I showed them the OAH decision, one of the staff members was kind enough to make an internal call. She spoke to someone for about 10 minutes, and then told me they've put a 60-day hold on any collection activity while they process the OAH decision! She also gave me a direct email address for the collections department where I could send my OAH paperwork. I'm feeling much more hopeful now! I'll still include Form 8379 with my taxes just to be safe, but at least there's some movement. Thank you all for your help!

So glad you got some movement on this! The 60-day hold is a huge relief - that should definitely protect your tax refund while they sort everything out. I went through something similar last year and the WorkSource route was the only thing that actually worked for me too. Those front-line staff members often have better internal contacts than the general ESD phone lines. One thing I'd add - when you email that collections address with your OAH paperwork, make sure to also include your claim ID number and explicitly request written confirmation that the overpayment has been reversed and removed from your account. Sometimes they'll process the hold but forget to actually update the underlying debt record. Getting that confirmation in writing will save you headaches down the road if any other collection notices slip through. You're doing everything right by still including Form 8379 with your taxes as a backup. Better safe than sorry, especially with kids depending on that refund! Keep us posted on how it goes - your experience might help other parents dealing with the same bureaucratic nightmare.