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OMG the same thing happened to my cousin last month! ESD is such a disaster. They made her pay back $3000 even though she had proof she wasn't working! The whole system is designed to confuse people and take back money even when they don't owe it. You should file a complaint with the state ombudsman and maybe even contact your state representative. My cousin just gave up and is making payments on money she shouldn't even owe because fighting the system is so exhausting.
This is not accurate advice. ESD does not arbitrarily make people repay benefits they were entitled to. If your cousin had proper documentation showing she wasn't working during the weeks she claimed, she should have appealed the overpayment determination. There's a formal appeals process specifically for these situations. To the original poster: Don't panic based on anecdotal stories. Follow the proper channels to resolve this. Document everything, communicate clearly with ESD, and if you do receive an actual overpayment notice (which hasn't happened yet), you have appeal rights.
UPDATE: I finally got through to ESD this morning! Here's what happened: Apparently when my employer responded to the verification request, they entered my start date incorrectly (off by one week). This made the system think I was working full-time during a week I had claimed benefits. The agent fixed the date in their system and removed the adjudication hold on my previous weeks. The agent also formally closed my claim since I'm fully employed now. She said I should receive confirmation in my eServices account within 48 hours, and the employer notices were automatically generated but will be updated. Such a relief! Thanks everyone for your help and advice during this stressful situation.
Great news! I'm glad you got it resolved. This is exactly why speaking directly with an agent is so important - they can see the specific issue and fix it immediately. For future reference (or for others reading this thread), whenever your claim status changes (you start working, even part-time), it's always best to speak with ESD directly to ensure everything is properly documented in their system. Glad it worked out for you!
Just curious, did you get an email or letter specifically saying you were denied standby? Sometimes people assume they're denied standby when actually their whole claim is just in adjudication. It's important to know which issue you're dealing with since they require different approaches.
Since you only have one more week before returning to work, you might want to try calling right when ESD opens at 8:00 AM. I've heard people have better luck getting through in the first 15 minutes. If that doesn't work, seriously consider a service like Claimyr that I mentioned - the cost is worth it when you're waiting on potentially thousands in benefits.
I've tried the early morning calls a few times with no luck, but maybe I'll try right at 8:00 sharp tomorrow. If that doesn't work, I might look into Claimyr - at this point I'm willing to try almost anything to get this resolved before I return to work.
Just wanted to add that I spoke with an ESD representative last week about a different issue, and they mentioned this appeal form problem is happening because they're in the middle of a system update. Apparently it's affecting about 15% of users trying to file appeals online. They're aware of it but don't have an estimated fix date yet. They recommended either calling in or using the paper form as others have suggested here.
Jamal Edwards
btw don't forget to keep doing your job search activities even while your claims are being denied!! my cousin didn't do this and when he finally got his appeal approved they wouldn't pay him for the weeks he didn't log his activities
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Carmen Sanchez
•Yes, I've been religiously logging my 3 job search activities every week. I have a spreadsheet to keep track of everything - company names, positions, application dates, contact info. I'm applying to WAY more than 3 jobs weekly anyway since I really need work.
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ThunderBolt7
One more thing - when you do connect with an ESD agent, ask them about possibly being placed on standby status while your appeal is processing. If you're expecting to be recalled by your former employer or have a definite job starting within 4 weeks, you may qualify. This would temporarily exempt you from job search requirements. Also, after you've filed your appeal, you should receive information about your hearing date within about 2-3 weeks. The hearings are currently being conducted by phone due to the backlog. Make absolutely sure you're available for that call - missing it almost always results in losing your appeal.
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Carmen Sanchez
•I don't think I'll qualify for standby since I'm not expecting to be recalled, but that's good to know for others reading this thread. Thanks for the heads up about the hearing process - I'll make sure to keep my phone with me at all times once I get a date. I really appreciate all the help everyone has offered here. Feeling much more informed about my next steps now!
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