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To lose your job and have to depend on unemployment benefits to make ends meet is bad enough. Finding out you were actually overpaid and now owe a fat check to the unemployment insurance agency, is just adding insult to injury. This has been a problem for thousands of Washington unemployed workers. In fact, according to statistics published by the Department of Labor, over 14 percent of all unemployment insurance payments were improper and were therefore an overpayment.
If you find yourself in this situation, you likely have many questions on your mind. For instance, you may be wondering what an overpayment really means? How can you repay the Employment Security Department for an overpayment? Or, what should you do if you cannot afford the minimum payment set by the Employment Security Department? This post will deal with these questions and provide practical advice on what to do if you have received unemployment insurance overpayments.
What is an overpayment?
Overpayments include any payment issued by the Employment Security Department which is later denied because the recipient was not entitled to the benefits. There are many ways you could end up with your application denied, such as failing to file your work search documents correctly, or not providing evidence that you were able and available to work during any given period. Notice how it is not only the unemployment benefits you must repay if the Employment Security Department decides they have overpaid you. For instance, if your benefits included a deduction to your IRS taxes or a child support deduction and your entitlement to these benefits is denied, you must also repay these benefits in addition to your insurance payments.
How To Pay?
You may repay the Employment Security Department by mail or electronically. Click here to repay electronically or send your payment to the Employment Security Department’s Benefit Payment Control unit’s P.O. Box 24928, Seattle, Washington, 98124-0928. If you decide to mail your repayment make sure you include your full name, identification number or social security number. Notice that you may not repay overpayments at the local offices of the Employment Security Department.
Overpayment Calculation
The Employment Security Department calculates your overpayment amount using different formulas depending on the reason for the overpayment. If you were overpaid due to fraud or misrepresentation on your part, you must repay every week the weekly amount your received or 3 percent of the total balance, whichever is the largest amount.
However, if you were overpaid for reasons other than fraud, you must repay weekly a third of your weekly benefit, 3 percent of the total balance or $25, whichever is the largest sum.
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