Washington ESD sent notice of nullification unemployment - what does this mean?

I did report some freelance work I did last month on my weekly claim. Could that have caused this? I thought I was supposed to report all income.

Reporting income is correct, but depending on the amount and timing, it might have affected your initial eligibility determination. The nullification could be their way of recalculating your claim from the beginning.

How long did you have to respond? The letter mentions 30 days but I'm not sure if that's to appeal or just to provide more info.

It's usually 30 days to appeal if you disagree with their decision. But if they're asking for documentation, respond as soon as possible.

I've been trying to call for two days but keep getting the busy signal. I'll check out that Claimyr thing - thanks for the tip!

How much does Claimyr cost? I'm already stressed about potentially having to pay back benefits, don't want to spend more money on getting through to them.

I think it's pretty reasonable considering how much time it saves, but I'd focus on getting your issue resolved first. The longer you wait, the more complicated it could get.

Oh no, that sounds really bad. Does this mean I'll have to pay back everything I've received so far?

Not necessarily. It depends on the reason for nullification and your specific circumstances. Sometimes it's just a procedural issue that can be resolved without repayment.

This is exactly why the unemployment system is so broken. They approve people then months later decide to take it all back. It's ridiculous.

That gives me some hope. How long did it take for your cousin to get it resolved?

about 6 weeks i think but she had to stay on top of them the whole time

The letter mentions something about 'wage discrepancy' but doesn't go into detail. Could this be related to the freelance work I reported?

Possibly. If the freelance work was during your base period or if there was confusion about when you actually became unemployed, that could trigger a wage discrepancy review.

I had a wage discrepancy issue too. Turned out my employer reported my wages incorrectly to Washington ESD. Once we got that sorted out, the nullification was reversed.

The best prevention is accurate reporting from the start and keeping detailed records. But sometimes these notices happen due to employer disputes or system errors that are beyond your control.

Should I be keeping copies of all my weekly claim submissions? I've just been doing them online and not saving anything.

Yes, definitely keep records. Screenshot your weekly claims, save emails, keep track of your job search activities. You never know when you might need to prove something.

I'm definitely going to try Claimyr tomorrow. I can't keep wasting entire days trying to get through on the phone.

Is Claimyr legit though? I'm always skeptical of services that claim they can get you through to government agencies.

I was skeptical too, but it actually worked. They don't ask for your personal info or anything sketchy. Just helps you get connected when there's high call volume.

How would I find out if my employer disputed it? Would that be mentioned in the notice?

It should be mentioned in the notice if that's the case. You can also check your SecureAccess Washington account to see if there are any employer protests listed.

I logged into my SAW account but don't see anything about employer protests. Maybe it's something else then.

Thank you for the reassurance. I'm trying not to panic but it's hard when your income is at stake.

I totally understand. Just take it one step at a time and focus on gathering the information they're asking for.

This is good advice. I was in a similar situation and the anxiety was the worst part. Once I actually dealt with it, it wasn't as bad as I thought.

That's kind of what I'm hoping for - just a simple mistake that can be easily fixed.

yeah exactly. dont let the legal language freak you out too much

I was laid off due to company downsizing. Pretty straightforward situation, so I'm not sure why there would be a mismatch.

Even with layoffs, sometimes there are discrepancies in dates or the specific reason code used. It's worth double-checking with your former employer if possible.

Good point about the reason codes. I've seen cases where HR departments use the wrong code and it causes problems later.

8 weeks?! That's terrible. Are you still getting benefits while waiting for the appeal decision?

No, benefits stopped as soon as the nullification went into effect. It's been really tough financially.

This is exactly why I'm so paranoid about making any mistakes on my weekly claims. The consequences are too severe.

I used it for a different issue but the agent I talked to was able to look up my case details and explain what was happening. They should be able to help with nullification questions too.

Thanks, I'll give it a try. At this point I'm willing to try anything to get some answers.

Let me know how it goes! I'm planning to try it myself tomorrow morning.

The notice says I have 30 days to appeal, but I'm not sure if I should appeal or just try to provide more information first.

If you disagree with their decision, you should appeal. If you think it's a misunderstanding that can be cleared up with documentation, try calling first.

I would appeal AND try to call. That way you're covered if the phone call doesn't resolve it.

I definitely will. Planning to call first thing tomorrow morning and see what I can find out.

Good luck! Hopefully it's just a simple misunderstanding that can be cleared up quickly.

Yes please update! I'm always worried about getting one of these notices myself.