Unreported income during ESD claim approval wait - overpayment consequences?

You definitely need to report this ASAP! The longer you wait, the worse it will look. ESD calls this 'fraud' if they discover it themselves vs you self-reporting. I think there's a difference in penalties.

You're doing the right thing by self-reporting. Here's what will likely happen: ESD will calculate the overpayment amount based on what weeks you earned income. They'll send you a formal notice with the total. You can request a payment plan - they're usually pretty reasonable with the monthly amounts especially with your income level. As for future benefits, this won't permanently disqualify you, but there may be a period (typically 1-2 years) where you're ineligible. The key is being honest now and explaining your hardship situation clearly. Have your income documentation ready when you call.

I went through something similar last year. When I called, I asked for the overpayment department directly. Be prepared to provide exact dates and amounts you worked. They'll want to know which weeks you claimed benefits while working. They gave me a 24-month payment plan with no interest, but I had to fill out a financial statement form. The penalty period for me was 13 weeks where I couldn't claim benefits, but that's because I self-reported. I think it would have been a year if they caught it themselves.

the ESD people r ALWAYS looking for fraud u kno. my cousin didnt report like $800 n they found it n made him pay it all back plus a penalthy. but he still got benefits again later when he got laid off so its not forever

Listen, I've seen the ESD system from both sides. The most important thing right now is DOCUMENT EVERYTHING. Before you call, write down all dates you worked, exactly how much you earned each week, and which benefit weeks you claimed during that time. When you call, get the name of who you speak with and ask for a confirmation number or reference number for your self-disclosure. Follow up with an email through your ESD secure message center summarizing the call. This creates a paper trail proving you self-reported. They do waive penalties sometimes in hardship cases, especially for first-time issues, but you MUST ask specifically about penalty waivers - they won't offer it.

Have you tried calling ESD yet to self-report? I've been trying to reach them for weeks about an issue with my claim and can never get through. Always disconnects after saying they're experiencing high call volume. So frustrating!

One more thing to consider - when you report the overpayment, ask if you qualify for an overpayment waiver. These are sometimes granted in cases of financial hardship where repayment would cause extreme financial difficulty. You'll need to fill out a form detailing all your expenses and income, and they'll make a determination. No guarantee, but worth asking since you mentioned your low income situation.

Also, make sure you understand how ESD calculates deductions for part-time work. Many people don't realize you can work part-time and still get partial benefits. For every $3 you earn, your weekly benefit amount is reduced by about $1 (after the first $50 which doesn't count against you). So you might not owe back the full amount of benefits you received during those weeks. When you talk to ESD, ask them to explain exactly how they're calculating the overpayment amount.

For future reference (for yourself and others reading this thread), here's how income reporting works with ESD: You must report ANY earnings during the week you earned them, not when you get paid. Even if it's just a few hours or a single gig job. Then ESD applies their formula to determine if you still qualify for partial benefits. This is one of the most common mistakes people make with unemployment claims.