How long do you have to pay back unemployment overpayment in Washington ESD?

Thank you! The notice is dated from 12 days ago so I need to act fast. Do you know if there's a minimum monthly payment amount they require?

It varies based on your income, but I've seen payment plans as low as $25/month for people with financial hardship. You'll need to provide income documentation though.

How did you manage to get through to someone? I've been trying to call for days and either get busy signals or disconnected after hours of waiting.

Honestly I got lucky and called right when they opened at 8am. But even then it took 45 minutes on hold.

Never heard of this service before. Does it actually work or is it just another scam?

It's legit. I was skeptical too but it actually connected me to an ESD agent in about 20 minutes instead of the usual 2+ hour wait. Worth it when you're dealing with time-sensitive stuff like overpayment notices.

How much does something like that cost though? If I'm already dealing with an overpayment I don't want to spend more money unnecessarily.

Oh no, that's exactly what I was worried about. How long did it take before they started garnishing your wages?

About 3 months after the initial notice. They sent a couple more warnings but I was going through a rough patch and just couldn't deal with it. Don't make my mistake - contact them now.

I did look at the breakdown and I think it might be related to some part-time work I had while collecting benefits. I reported all my hours though, so I'm not sure why there's an overpayment.

That's definitely worth appealing then. Sometimes there are calculation errors or they don't properly account for the work search exemptions. Get copies of all your weekly claim forms and work records.

Wait, you can set up payments through their website? I didn't see that option when I logged into my account.

yeah if you go to the overpayment section there should be a link for payment arrangements. might take a day or two to show up after you get the notice though

That's terrifying. So even if I can't pay it all now, they can come after me years later?

Unfortunately yes, but they're usually reasonable about payment plans if you communicate with them. The key is not to ignore it and to stick to whatever arrangement you make.

Good point. Should I follow up with an email or letter after I talk to them?

Yes, always get it in writing. They should send you a payment agreement form, but if they don't, send them an email confirming the details of what you discussed.

That's reassuring to hear it worked for someone else. I think I'm going to try that service since I'm running out of time to respond to this notice.

I'm curious about this Claimyr thing too. My sister has been trying to reach ESD for weeks about her claim status.

I didn't know that was an option. Where do I find information about financial hardship programs?

When you talk to them about setting up a payment plan, ask specifically about hardship considerations. They don't always volunteer this information but it's available if you ask.

Thanks for the encouragement. I'm going to try calling first thing tomorrow morning, and if that doesn't work I'll look into that Claimyr service people mentioned.

Yikes, I do have direct deposit with them. Can they just take money without permission?

Not without due process, but if you agree to automatic payments as part of your payment plan, make sure you can afford the amount they'll be withdrawing each month.

How long did the dispute process take? I'm worried about interest or penalties adding up while it's being reviewed.

About 6 weeks total, but collection activities were paused during the review. If you file an appeal within 30 days, they can't garnish wages or tax refunds while it's pending.

That's exactly what I'm afraid of. Better to start with a lower amount I can actually stick to?

definitely. they can always increase it later if your situation improves but defaulting on a payment plan makes everything worse

Good to know there's still hope if I'm a few days late. I've been so stressed about this deadline.

Thank you for all the practical advice everyone. I feel much more prepared to handle this now. Going to gather my documents and try to get through to them tomorrow.

Good luck! And seriously consider that Claimyr service if you can't get through the regular way. Time is important with these overpayment notices.

That's really smart advice about documenting your attempts to respond within the deadline! I hadn't thought about sending an email as a backup while trying to get through by phone. Do you remember what email address you used for the overpayment department? And $40/month sounds much more manageable than what I was imagining they'd require.

I found their overpayment email through the Washington ESD website - it was something like overpayments@esd.wa.gov but double-check their site to make sure you have the current address. The $40/month worked for me because I was only working part-time at the time. They base it on your actual income and expenses, so be honest about what you can realistically afford. It's better to start low and increase later than to agree to something you can't maintain. Also keep copies of everything you send them!