Why do I owe unemployment money to Washington ESD - confused about overpayment notice

This is actually pretty common with Washington ESD. Sometimes their system doesn't properly match up the wage information they get from employers with what you reported on your weekly claims. Did you keep copies of your weekly claim submissions? You'll want to gather all your documentation before you do anything else.

Same thing happened to my brother last year. Turned out his employer reported his wages late to the state and it looked like he hadn't reported them on his claims. He had to appeal it and eventually got it sorted out.

You need to act fast on this. Washington ESD overpayment notices usually give you 30 days to request an appeal. Don't wait - even if you're not sure you want to appeal, at least call them to understand exactly what they think you did wrong. I tried calling the regular number but couldn't get through after hours of trying. Someone on here mentioned claimyr.com which actually got me connected to an agent who could explain my situation. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

WASHINGTON ESD IS THE WORST. They send these overpayment notices like candy and half the time they're wrong. I got one for $1,500 that took me 6 months to fight. The system is completely broken and they know people will just pay rather than deal with the bureaucracy.

Check the specific weeks they're claiming you were overpaid. Sometimes it's just a few weeks where there was a discrepancy, not your entire claim period. That might help you narrow down what happened.

Also make sure you understand the difference between gross and net pay. Some people report their take-home pay instead of gross earnings and that can cause problems with Washington ESD calculations.

Whatever you do, don't ignore the notice. Even if you can't pay it back right away, you need to respond. Washington ESD can take your tax refunds and garnish wages if you just let it slide.

Just want to follow up - I used claimyr to get through to Washington ESD about my overpayment issue and the agent was actually really helpful. She walked me through exactly what triggered the overpayment and helped me understand what documentation I needed for my appeal. Way better than trying to figure it out on my own.

You might also want to check if your employer reported your wages correctly to Washington ESD. Sometimes employers mess up the timing or amounts and it creates these discrepancies.

been there, the overpayment thing is scary but usually there's a logical explanation. take your time going through everything before you panic

One more thing - if you do decide to appeal, make sure you understand what type of appeal you're filing. There are different procedures for different types of overpayments. A Washington ESD agent can help you figure out which form you need.

If it makes you feel better, I successfully appealed an overpayment notice last year. The key is having good documentation and being able to explain your side clearly. Don't let them bully you into paying if you honestly believe you followed the rules.

I hate to say it but Washington ESD makes a lot of mistakes with these overpayment determinations. They're dealing with so much volume that errors are pretty common. Don't assume they're right just because they sent you an official-looking letter.

Just make sure you respond within the deadline even if you're still gathering information. You can always submit additional documentation later but you can't get back appeal rights if you miss the initial deadline.

Another person recommending claimyr here - I was in a similar situation with an overpayment notice and couldn't get through to Washington ESD on my own. The service got me connected to someone who could actually look at my account and explain what happened. Turns out my employer had reported some wages under the wrong quarter which made it look like I hadn't reported them.

The whole overpayment system is designed to be confusing and scary so people will just pay up without questioning it. Don't let them intimidate you if you genuinely believe you reported everything correctly.

If you're really sure you reported everything correctly, definitely appeal. I see too many people pay money they don't actually owe because they're afraid to challenge Washington ESD. The worst thing that can happen is they uphold the overpayment and you're back where you started.

Keep us updated OP! I'm curious how this turns out. There are probably other people in similar situations who could benefit from knowing what you learn.