Surprise ESD overpayment voucher arrived with no explanation letter - what now?

omg the EXACT same thing happened to me last month!! got the voucher thing but no letter saying why. turns out they decided i wasnt eligible for 2 weeks during my claim period but didnt bother to tell me until months later 🙄 you definitely need to call them ASAP because there's a time limit to file an appeal if you think its wrong!!

Don't panic, but don't ignore it either. This is actually a common issue with ESD's communication system. What you received is likely the monthly statement from their collections department, but the determination letter explaining the overpayment was probably sent separately (and sometimes gets lost or delayed). You have 30 days from the date of the determination letter (not the statement you received) to file an appeal. I'd recommend: 1. Log into your eServices account and check your correspondence folder - the determination letter might be there electronically 2. Call ESD to get clarification on why the overpayment was assessed 3. Request a copy of the determination letter if you never received it 4. Ask about payment plan options if the overpayment is legitimate You don't have to start paying immediately if you're going to appeal, but interest does accrue on legitimate overpayments.

This happened to me in January. What I discovered is that ESD now sends overpayment notices and the actual statements in separate mailings, which makes no sense. In my case, the explanation letter arrived 4 days AFTER the payment voucher. Here's what you need to know about ESD overpayments: 1. They can be caused by unreported earnings, eligibility issues, or just ESD errors 2. You have 30 days to appeal from when you receive the determination letter (not the statement) 3. If you miss the appeal deadline, you can request a waiver based on financial hardship 4. Payment plans are available if the overpayment is valid 5. If you ignore it completely, they can garnish wages, take tax refunds, or send to collections Check your eServices account right away - the determination letter with appeal instructions is probably in your online correspondence folder even if the paper copy never arrived.

The WA unemployment system is RIGGED against regular people! They purposely don't send the explanation letters so you miss the appeal deadline then they can just take your money!! happened to my brother and 2 of my coworkers. They'll say they sent it but they never did!! DOCUMENT EVERYTHING and take screenshots of your eServices account showing you never got any notices!!

i got one of those last year when i went back to work. turns out i accidentally claimed benefits for one week AFTER i started my new job (totally my mistake). even though it was just $430 they made me pay it all back. try checking your payment history in eservices and see if there's any weeks that overlap with when you were working maybe?

UPDATE: I just got off the phone with ESD (finally!!) and they explained that they think I worked during two weeks in February when I was still claiming benefits. The problem is I didn't start my new job until March 2nd, and I definitely reported that correctly on my weekly claims. The agent I spoke with said I need to gather pay stubs, my official hire letter, and anything else showing my actual start date, then file an appeal ASAP since I only have about 2 weeks left in my appeal window. Wish me luck!

anyone know if they can take the money from your bank account directly??? i just got a overpayment letter too (for $1890) and im worried they'll just take it from my checking account which would literally overdraft me by like $1500 😱