ESD taking $267 weekly from my UI benefits for missed overpayment - destroyed my payment plan over one $50 missed payment

Unfortunately, when you miss a payment on your overpayment plan, ESD automatically reverts to their standard collection method which is 50% of your weekly benefit amount. So if your weekly benefit is around $534, that $267 deduction makes sense mathematically, but it's absolutely brutal financially. You need to submit a new payment plan request ASAP. There's a form on the ESD website under 'Benefit Overpayment' section. Print it out, fill it in proposing the $50/month again (or whatever you can afford), and submit it with documentation of your expenses showing hardship. They usually process these in 10-14 business days, but meanwhile, they'll keep taking the 50%.

the same thing happened 2 me last summer!!! they took like 60% of my benefits for THREE WEEKS straight cause i missed 1 payment. its crazy how they dont even send u a warning or nothing before they start grabbing ur $$$. good luck getting anyone on the phone too lol

This is a common issue with ESD overpayment collections. When you break a payment agreement, you lose the protections it provided, and ESD defaults to their standard collection method which is up to 50% of your weekly benefit amount (WAC 192-230-030). You have three options: 1. Submit a new financial hardship form to request a new payment plan. The form is called "Request for Overpayment Payment Plan" on the ESD website. 2. File an appeal if you think the collection amount is incorrectly calculated or if you never received proper notification (you'd have 30 days from the first deduction). 3. Request a "one-time hardship waiver" if this collection would cause severe financial distress (though these are rarely granted). In the meantime, they'll continue taking the 50% until a new plan is established. The sooner you submit the paperwork, the better.

Have you tried calling the collections department directly instead of the general overpayment line? Sometimes the regular reps don't know or care about the collections policies but the actual collections department might be more helpful!! I had to call like 20 times last year to get someone who knew what they were doing lol

ESD IS LITERALLY THE WORST AT COMMUNICATING THEIR POLICIES!! Why wouldn't they send you a warning letter BEFORE canceling your payment plan?? I work at a nonprofit that helps people with UI issues, and we see this all the time. The law says they can take up to 50% of your weekly benefit when you don't have a payment plan, but they should have told you before doing it. TIP: when you submit your new payment plan request, also submit a letter explaining that you had one missed payment due to holiday expenses after a long history of on-time payments. Ask for retroactive reinstatement of your plan to avoid hardship. Sometimes they'll actually refund the difference if you can prove financial hardship! DOCUMENT EVERYTHING.

The EXACT SAME THING happened to me in October!!! I missed ONE $75 payment because I was in the hospital, and they started taking almost $300 every week! I was FURIOUS. But I submitted a new payment plan request with a letter from my doctor about my hospitalization, and they did eventually approve a new plan. Took them 3 weeks though, and they wouldn't give back what they'd already taken. The whole system is designed to punish people who are already struggling. It's maddening.

OP, did you get that payment plan form submitted yet? One thing to remember is to include ALL your expenses with documentation. Rent/mortgage, utilities, medical costs, car payment, insurance, groceries, childcare, etc. The more thoroughly you document your financial situation, the more likely they'll approve your request quickly. Also, you mentioned this was from an ESD miscalculation originally? Have you previously requested a waiver of the overpayment? If ESD made the error and it wasn't due to any false information from you, you might qualify for an overpayment waiver, especially if collection causes financial hardship.

Another tip for your new payment plan request: mention that you've been consistently making payments for 2 years and this was a one-time issue during the holidays. ESD does sometimes factor in good payment history. Also, while waiting for the new plan to be processed, you might qualify for emergency assistance through DSHS or local community action agencies if the reduced benefits are causing severe hardship. Many counties have rental assistance and utility payment help programs that can bridge the gap while you get this resolved with ESD.