Received ESD overpayment notice 8 months after last UI payment - timeline experiences?

ESD has up to 3 years to issue an overpayment notice, so 8 months is actually pretty typical. I received mine about 11 months after my final benefit payment. The important thing now is to read the notice carefully to understand why they think you were overpaid. Look for specific weeks they're disputing and what income they claim you didn't report. You have the right to appeal within 30 days, and I'd recommend doing so even if you're not 100% sure. The appeal process puts everything on hold while they review your case.

Overpayment notices are ESD's favorite holiday gift I swear! I got mine 5 months after my last payment. If you're going to appeal (which you should!), gather EVERYTHING - all your weekly certification screenshots, pay stubs that show what you reported, any emails from ESD, etc. When you file the appeal, you can request a payment plan while it's being reviewed. Also, even if you lose the appeal, you can apply for a waiver if repayment would cause financial hardship. Don't panic yet - many overpayment issues get resolved during appeal.

I HATE THE ESD SYSTEM SO MUCH!!! They sent me an overpayment notice 14 MONTHS after my last payment claiming I owed $12k!!! How are regular people supposed to just have that kind of money sitting around?? The worst part was they didn't even tell me WHICH weeks were wrong or WHY. I had to call them like 50 times before someone finally explained it was because my employer reported different hours than I did. The entire system is designed to confuse people and then PUNISH them for being confused!!

I work with ESD claims regularly, and here's what you need to know: Most overpayments result from either employer wage reporting (which happens quarterly and can take time to process) or from post-payment verification reviews. The 8-month timeline is actually quite common. Review your overpayment notice carefully - it should specify exactly which weeks are in question and why they believe you were overpaid. For income reporting issues, gather your pay stubs and weekly claim confirmations showing you reported correctly. File your appeal within 30 days, and request a payment plan or waiver application in the meantime. During the appeal process, you won't have to make payments until a decision is reached.

one time i got a letter saying i owed like $2300 but i called and it was actually just that they needed more info from me about some weeks. after i sent them my pay stubs they canceled the whole thing. maybe yours is something simple like that?

After dealing with the nightmare of calling ESD about my overpayment notice (got mine 4 months after my last payment), I finally used Claimyr to get through to an actual person. Saved me hours of redial hell. Their site at claimyr.com basically holds your place in line and calls you when an agent is available. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3. The agent I spoke with actually helped me understand exactly why I got the notice and what documentation I needed for my appeal. Just having someone explain the exact issue made a huge difference.

My friend just went thru this last month and they told her that with overpayment notices you don't have to start paying until after the appeal decision. But you MUST file the appeal within 30 days or you automatically lose your right to dispute it. Make sure you look at the date on the letter not the date you received it!

Another important thing to check: make sure the overpayment is for regular UI benefits and not for some special program. Different programs have different appeal processes. If your letter mentions PNC or Potential New Claim, that's different from a regular overpayment. Also, when you file your appeal, you can request a copy of your entire file from ESD so you can see exactly what information they're using to make their determination. This is called a "discovery request" and is really valuable for preparing your case.

I got my overpayment notice like a year and a half after my last payment! It was for $4,800 and I thought I was gonna have a heart attack. I called ESD like 20 times and couldn't get through. Then I went to WorkSource in person and they helped me figure out that it was because my employer reported that I quit instead of being laid off. I had documentation proving I was laid off, filed an appeal, and eventually won. The whole process took almost 5 months though. Definitely appeal within the 30 days - that's super important!

After trying to use Claimyr as someone suggested above, I got through to ESD in about 45 minutes instead of the days I was spending redialing. The agent explained they can set up payment plans for as little as $25 a month if needed! But definitely appeal first if you think there's an error.