Washington ESD unemployment audit - what is this and should I be worried?

That's somewhat reassuring. Do you know what happens if they find issues during the audit?

If they find problems, they might create an overpayment that you'd have to pay back, or they could disqualify you from future benefits. But if you've been honest and following the rules, you should be fine.

How did you finally get through? I've been trying to call but keep getting busy signals or getting hung up on.

Honestly I ended up using this service called Claimyr that helps you get through to Washington ESD agents. Found it at claimyr.com and they have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ. It was a lifesaver because I really needed to talk to someone about the specific documents they were requesting.

Never heard of that before but might be worth looking into if you're stuck trying to reach them.

I've been keeping track of my job searches in the WorkSourceWA system like they require. Should that be enough documentation?

That's a good start, but I'd also keep your own records. Sometimes the system doesn't capture everything or there might be technical issues. Save emails from employers, keep notes about phone calls, print out job postings you applied to.

It's really not as scary as an IRS audit. Washington ESD is mostly just verifying that you followed their rules. If you've been honest and doing what you're supposed to do, it's more of an inconvenience than anything else.

ok that makes me feel a little better but I'm still going to have anxiety about this for weeks now lol

6-8 weeks seems like forever when you're worried about it. Do they stop your benefits while the audit is happening?

In my case they didn't stop my benefits during the audit, but I think it depends on what they're investigating. You should continue filing your weekly claims unless they specifically tell you to stop.

I did some gig work through an app a few weeks ago. I reported the earnings but I'm not sure I did it correctly. Should I be worried about that?

As long as you reported something, that shows good faith. If there's an error in the amount, that's usually easier to fix than not reporting it at all. Keep records of all your gig work payments.

This is so true. The whole system seems designed to make you feel guilty even when you haven't done anything wrong.

Yeah but to be fair, there's a lot of fraud in unemployment so they have to check. It's annoying but I get why they do it.

$2,800?! That's terrifying. How long did he have to pay that back?

I think he worked out like a $100/month payment plan. It took a while but at least they didn't demand it all at once. Could have been worse if he'd been dishonest about it.

That's good advice. I'm going to start gathering everything this weekend. Better to be over-prepared than under-prepared.

Exactly. And don't panic if you can't find everything - just provide what you have and explain any gaps. They're usually reasonable if you're trying to cooperate.

I think they do more audits when unemployment rates are high or after they've had issues with fraud. Could also be related to federal funding requirements.

Makes sense. Probably trying to crack down after all the pandemic fraud issues.

That's the second mention of Claimyr in this thread. Is it legit? I'm desperate to talk to someone at Washington ESD about my audit.

Yeah it's real. They basically help you get through the phone system to reach an actual agent. Way better than spending hours trying to call on your own.

Easy for you to say! When you're already stressed about money and job hunting, getting an audit letter feels like the end of the world.

I get that, but panicking doesn't help. Better to focus on gathering your documentation and responding properly.

Thanks, that actually does make me feel better. I've been pretty careful about following all the requirements so hopefully I'll be fine.

Just remember to keep doing your weekly claims during the audit unless they tell you otherwise. Don't let the audit process mess up your regular routine.

Wait, they care about what jobs you apply for? I thought as long as you met the minimum number of searches it was fine.

They want to see good faith efforts to find work. If all your applications are for jobs that obviously won't lead to employment, that can be a problem.

3 months of anxiety sounds awful. At least it worked out okay in the end though.

Yeah, and I kept doing my weekly claims the whole time so my benefits weren't interrupted. Just had to live with the uncertainty.

I'm definitely going to check that out. Been trying to call for days with no luck.

Third person mentioning this service - must actually work. Might be worth the cost if it saves you weeks of frustration.

Thanks for the detailed breakdown. Did you have to provide anything beyond what you normally keep track of?

Not really, just had to organize it better and provide more detail than usual. The WorkSourceWA records helped a lot as backup documentation.

Thanks everyone for all the advice and reassurance. Feeling much more prepared to handle this now. Going to spend this weekend getting all my documentation together.

Good plan. And remember, if you need to talk to Washington ESD about any part of the process, don't waste weeks trying to call on your own. There are better ways to reach them now.