How to pay back unemployment overpayment to Washington ESD?

You definitely have options for repayment. Washington ESD usually allows payment plans if you can't pay the full amount immediately. You can call them to set up monthly payments, or there should be information on the notice about how to request a payment plan. Don't ignore it though - they can garnish your wages or take it from future benefits if you don't respond.

same thing happened to me last year, ended up owing $1,900. they let me pay $150 a month which was manageable. just call and explain your situation, they're usually reasonable about payment plans

Before you agree to any payment plan, you should definitely appeal the overpayment determination first. You mentioned you reported your part-time work correctly - if that's true, you might not actually owe anything. The appeal process can take a while but it's worth it if you think the overpayment notice is wrong.

I had to deal with calling Washington ESD constantly about my overpayment issue and it was incredibly frustrating. After weeks of busy signals and getting disconnected, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually gets you through to ESD agents. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. It was a lifesaver for getting my payment plan sorted out.

WASHINGTON ESD IS THE WORST!! They sent me an overpayment notice for $3,200 and when I finally got through to someone they couldn't even explain why I owed it. The whole system is broken and they just randomly send these notices to collect money.

You can also request a waiver of the overpayment if you can prove it wasn't your fault. Like if Washington ESD made an error or gave you wrong information. The waiver form is pretty detailed though and you need good documentation.

whatever you do dont just ignore it like my brother did. they ended up taking his tax refund and garnishing his wages at his new job. cost him way more in the long run

I'm dealing with the same thing right now. Got a notice for $2,100 and I'm trying to figure out if I should appeal or just set up payments. The whole process is so confusing and stressful.

For payment plans, they usually want you to pay it off within 12-24 months depending on the amount. The minimum payment is usually around $25-50 per month. Just make sure you stick to whatever plan you agree to or they'll start collection action.

Check your weekly claim history online to see if you can figure out where the overpayment came from. Sometimes it's obvious like if you reported income wrong or forgot to report something. That can help you decide whether to appeal or not.

I tried using that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier and it actually worked great. Took about 30 minutes to get connected to an agent who helped me understand my overpayment and set up a payment plan. Way better than trying to call on my own.

Make sure you get everything in writing when you set up a payment plan. I had an agreement over the phone but they claimed later they never received it. Had to start the whole process over again.

Has anyone had success with hardship deferrals? I know they sometimes postpone collection if you're in financial hardship. Might be worth asking about if you're really struggling.

UPDATE: I finally got through to Washington ESD using that Claimyr service and got my payment plan set up. $75 a month for 36 months. The agent was actually pretty helpful once I got connected. Thanks everyone for the advice!

dont forget that if you dont pay they can also offset future unemployment benefits if you ever file again. so its not just about current collection, it affects you later too

The interest and penalties can add up too if you don't address it quickly. Washington ESD charges interest on unpaid overpayments, so the longer you wait the more you'll owe.

Thanks for posting this question. I've been avoiding dealing with my own overpayment notice but reading all these responses has motivated me to finally call Washington ESD and work something out.

One more tip - if you do appeal, keep filing your weekly claims during the appeal process if you're still unemployed. Don't let the overpayment issue stop you from getting benefits you're entitled to.

Final thought - keep detailed records of all your interactions with Washington ESD about this overpayment. Dates, times, who you talked to, what was discussed. It can be really helpful if there are any disputes later.

This thread has been super helpful. I had no idea there were so many options for dealing with overpayments. I thought I just had to pay it all back immediately.