Won my ESD overpayment appeal, how long until refund of money I already paid?

congrats on winning ur appeal! that must be such a relief. i don't have any info about the refund timeline, but just wanted to say that's awesome u fought it and won.

Thanks! Yeah it's a huge weight off my shoulders. Just trying to figure out what happens next since the decision letter was super vague about the refund process.

In my experience, ESD doesn't automatically process refunds after appeal decisions. You'll need to contact them directly to request the refund of the $1,800 you paid. The process typically takes 4-6 weeks after you make the request. Make sure to reference your appeal decision number when you call.\n\nKeep in mind that their system treats overpayment collections and refunds as separate processes, so winning the appeal doesn't automatically trigger a refund in their system. You'll need to be proactive about requesting it.

Thank you for the info! That's what I was afraid of - that I'd need to follow up myself. I've been trying to call them all week but can't get through. I'll keep trying.

They took FOREVER to refund my overpayment after I won my appeal last year!!! I had to call like 10 times and even then it took almost 3 months to get my money back. ESD is so frustrating! Make sure you document everything and follow up constantly or they'll just forget about you.

Ugh, that's so frustrating! Did you have to do anything special when you called? Like ask for a specific department or use certain terminology? I want to make sure I'm prepared when I finally get through.

I kept asking to speak to the overpayment department specifically. Don't let them transfer you to general claims. And get the name of every person you talk to!!! I had to reference previous conversations constantly.

I went through this exact situation in January 2025. After winning my appeal, I had to submit an official request for refund through my eServices account. Look under the

This is incredibly helpful, thank you so much! I didn't realize there was a specific document upload option for refund requests. I'll check my eServices account right now. Did you also need to upload a copy of your appeal decision or did they already have that on file?

They should have the decision on file, but I uploaded it anyway just to be safe. Better to provide too much documentation than not enough with ESD. Also make sure to keep checking your eServices messages - they might request additional information there rather than calling you.

My cousin had a similar situation with her overpayment appeal. She won but then ESD claimed they never received her payments in the first place! It was a whole mess because she had paid with money orders (she doesn't trust online payments) and had to find all her receipts. Make sure you have proof of ALL your payments in case they try to claim you never paid anything! The ESD system is so broken.

If you're having trouble reaching ESD by phone to discuss your refund, you might want to try Claimyr (claimyr.com). I was in a similar situation with an appeal decision that required follow-up, and couldn't get through after dozens of attempts. Claimyr connected me to an ESD agent in about 25 minutes instead of spending days redialing. They have a good video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3\n\nAfter actually speaking with someone at ESD, they told me exactly what documents I needed to submit for my refund and gave me a direct number to the overpayment unit for follow-up. Definitely worth it when you need a quick resolution for something like getting your $1,800 back.

I've never heard of this service before. Has anyone else used it? $1,800 is a lot of money for me right now, so I'm definitely motivated to get this resolved quickly, but I'm a little hesitant to use a third-party service.

i used it last month when my claim was stuck in adjudication. it worked but just fyi they just call esd for you they dont actually have any special connection to esd. but it did save me from having to redial for hours so thats something

Good to know - thanks for sharing your experience!

One other thing to be aware of: if your overpayment was for benefits received more than a year ago, ESD might apply additional interest to your refund. This is specified under WAC 192-220-090. Make sure to ask specifically about this when you contact them, as they don't always calculate it automatically.\n\nAlso, when you do get through to ESD, request a formal confirmation in writing of the refund approval and timeline. That way you have documentation if there are further delays.

I didn't even think about potential interest! The benefits were from about 14 months ago, so I'll definitely ask about that. And great tip about getting written confirmation - I'll make sure to request that specifically.

has anyone else noticed how ESD seems to take FOREVER to give u back ur money but if they think u owe them they want it RIGHT AWAY?? the system is totally designed to work against us regular ppl!!

EXACTLY!!! When I had my supposed \

While I understand the frustration, it's worth noting that refunds require additional approval processes because they involve disbursing state funds. The collections process is more automated. It's not ideal, but there are procedural reasons for the difference in timelines.

UPDATE: I finally got through to ESD this morning! The representative confirmed I need to submit a formal refund request through eServices like @profile3 suggested. They said the typical processing time is 4-6 weeks, but could be longer if there are any issues with my documentation.\n\nThe rep also mentioned that I should continue to monitor my eServices account for any messages requesting additional information. She confirmed they will add interest to my refund since the original payments were made more than 12 months ago.\n\nThanks everyone for your help and suggestions!

Great news! Make sure to set a calendar reminder for 5 weeks from now to follow up if you haven't received the refund by then. In my experience, a gentle follow-up call can help move things along if it gets stuck in processing.

nice!! glad u got some answers finally :