Unexpected $700 ESD deposit after old overpayment waiver - what's going on?
I'm completely confused right now. About 14 months ago, I applied for an overpayment waiver because ESD claimed I owed them around $2,400. Never heard anything back about the waiver decision, and I've been getting collection notices this whole time. Yesterday I checked my bank account and saw a random deposit from ESD for $736.42! No explanation whatsoever. When I try to log into my ESD account to figure out what's happening, I keep getting an error message saying "service temporarily unavailable." Does anyone know what this deposit might be? Is it related to my waiver? Has this happened to anyone else? Should I be worried they'll realize it was a mistake and try to take it back? UPDATE: Finally got into my account after trying a different browser! There's a letter in my inbox saying my overpayment has been completely waived and I don't owe them anything 🎉 But still nothing explaining why they sent me money. Is this some kind of interest payment or partial refund of what I already paid back?
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Nia Watson
Congratulations on getting your waiver approved! The deposit is most likely a refund of money you already paid toward that overpayment. When ESD approves a waiver, they're supposed to refund any amounts you've already paid back on that overpayment. Did you make any payments on that $2,400 before you applied for the waiver?
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Micah Trail
•Oh wow, that makes sense! They were taking about $184 out of my weekly benefits for 4 weeks before I applied for the waiver. I didn't think I'd ever see that money again. Should I call ESD to confirm that's what the deposit is for?
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Alberto Souchard
saem thing happend to me last summer!! got a $500ish deposit after my waiver went thru. didn't question it lol just considered it my lucky day. but ya i think its refunding u what they already took
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Micah Trail
•Thanks! That's such a relief. I was worried they'd realize it was a mistake and take it back!
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Katherine Shultz
This is actually standard procedure. When an overpayment is waived, ESD is required by WAC 192-220-040 to refund any money you've already repaid on that debt, plus they sometimes include interest depending on how long they took to process the waiver. The fact that it took them over a year to process your waiver is unfortunately not unusual, especially since their staffing was reduced in 2024. You should receive a detailed breakdown letter within 2-3 weeks explaining the refund calculation. If you don't, I'd recommend requesting one through your eServices account.
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Micah Trail
•Thank you for this detailed explanation! Is there a way to check if the refund amount is correct? I'm not 100% sure exactly how much they took before I applied for the waiver.
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Katherine Shultz
•You can check your payment history in eServices under the "UI Payment History" section. It should show all benefit payments and any deductions that were taken for overpayment recovery. Compare those amounts with your refund to make sure it matches up. If the numbers don't add up or you need clarification, you'll need to speak with an ESD agent directly.
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Marcus Marsh
WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T SPEND THAT MONEY YET!!! ESD makes mistakes ALL THE TIME and they WILL demand it back if they realize it was an error. I got a "refund" last year that turned out to be a system error and they hit me with a NEW overpayment notice 3 months later!!! Their system is completely BROKEN.
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Micah Trail
•Oh no, that's scary! It seems like it might be legitimate based on other comments, but maybe I should just hold onto it for a bit to be safe...
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Nia Watson
•This is actually incorrect advice. If ESD approved your waiver (which you confirmed they did via the letter in your account), and you previously made payments toward that overpayment, the refund is legally yours. The situation described by this commenter was likely very different from yours. If you have documentation showing your waiver was approved, you don't need to worry about them asking for this money back.
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Hailey O'Leary
I had something similar happen back in January. For me, the deposit was exactly what I had paid toward the overpayment before my waiver was approved, plus a little extra (I assume interest). It took over a year for my waiver to process too, but eventually got the same result - waiver approved and money returned. Just curious, was your overpayment from 2023 or earlier? I've heard they're still working through a backlog of waiver requests.
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Micah Trail
•Mine was from December 2023 - I miscalculated some part-time hours while on standby status and they said I wasn't eligible for those weeks. Glad to hear your experience was similar! Makes me feel better about this not being a mistake.
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Cedric Chung
im confused...what is a waiver? i got an overpayment notice for $1200 last month. can i just apply for a waiver instead of paying it?
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Nia Watson
•Yes, you can apply for an overpayment waiver if you believe the overpayment wasn't your fault OR if paying it back would cause financial hardship. Go to your eServices account, look for the "Submit Overpayment Waiver Request" option. You'll need to explain why you're requesting the waiver and possibly provide financial information. But be prepared to wait - as you can see from this thread, ESD can take a very long time to process these requests.
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Alberto Souchard
wait guys i have a question - i got a waiver approved but never got any money back.... did i miss something???
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Katherine Shultz
•If you never made any payments toward the overpayment before your waiver was approved, there wouldn't be anything to refund. But if you did make payments (either directly or through benefit reductions), you should have received a refund. Check your eServices account for any notices about the waiver decision, and look for information about refund eligibility. If you believe you should have received a refund but didn't, you'll need to contact ESD directly to inquire about it.
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