ESD took almost my entire final benefit payment for overpayment - left with just $3.23!

Yep they do this ALL THE TIME. happened to me last yr too. they take whtever they want whenever they want. ESD doesn't care if u can't feed ur kids or keep ur lights on. system is broken af

Unfortunately, ESD is legally allowed to recover overpayments through benefit offsets without additional notice beyond the original overpayment determination letter. This is according to RCW 50.20.190. However, they typically should only take up to 50% of your weekly benefit amount unless you're at the end of your benefit year or exhausting your claim. Was this your very last payment available on your claim? In that case, they sometimes take the full amount minus a small processing remainder (which explains the odd $3.23). You should have received an overpayment notice letter explaining the reason for the overpayment before they started collection. Did you receive this? If not, or if you disagree with the overpayment determination, you can file an appeal within 30 days of the determination notice date.

Hi there, I've worked through this exact situation with several clients. When it's your final payment, ESD's automated system often takes the entire remaining balance minus a small processing amount (hence the strange $3.23). You have a few options: 1. Call ESD directly to explain your hardship and request a repayment plan for the overpayment instead of the offset they already took. Sometimes they can reverse the offset if you set up an alternative payment arrangement. 2. File a hardship waiver request if the overpayment wasn't due to fraud and repayment would cause significant financial hardship (form is on the ESD website under "forms and publications") 3. Request an appeal if you believe the overpayment determination was incorrect (must be within 30 days of the determination date) The most immediate solution is getting through to an ESD agent who can help reverse the offset. The standard phone lines are usually backlogged though.

I went through something similar in January. Spent THREE DAYS trying to get through on the phone. Eventually I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an ESD agent in about 45 minutes. There's a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 The ESD agent was actually really helpful once I explained my situation. They couldn't give me back the money they'd already taken, but they did help me file for hardship consideration and connected me with resources for emergency rent assistance through my local WorkSource office. Definitely worth getting through to a human rather than dealing with the automated system.

This happened to me too, but I was able to get part of the money back. Here's what worked: I filed a hardship waiver request form (available on ESD website under Forms & Publications). I included copies of my overdue bills and bank statement showing negative balance. I specifically mentioned that I wasn't disputing that I owed the money, but that I needed a payment plan instead of them taking it all at once. They processed my request in about 10 days and refunded about half of what they took, then put me on a $25/month repayment plan for the rest. Worth a try in your situation! The form number is ESD 640-001 if that helps.

eSD is the WORST!!! u should contact ur state representative office too. thats what i did when they messed up my claim. they have special liaisons who can cut through the red tape. google ur district rep + constituent services.

I want to clarify something important: If this was your last payable week on your claim, ESD's system is programmed to recover as much of the overpayment as possible from that final payment. This is because once your claim is exhausted, their ability to recover funds through offsets ends. For future reference (or for others reading this thread), if you receive an overpayment notice while still having multiple weeks left on your claim, you can contact ESD proactively and request a repayment plan to avoid having large chunks taken from your weekly benefits. They can often set it up to take smaller amounts over time. I hope you're able to get some emergency assistance for your immediate needs. Working with your utility company for an extension might help with the electricity bill. Many have hardship programs, especially if you've generally paid on time before.