Pandemic-era overpayment waiver requests

Learn how to apply to waive a pandemic-era overpayment. These are overpayments you might have received in 2020 or 2021.


You may have received overpayments during the pandemic from Feb. 2, 2020, to Sept. 4, 2021. Since that time, we have been working to waive repayments for as many customers as possible within established guidelines.

In 2023, we issued waivers for certain overpayments based on federal rules. 

We are now reviewing individual claims for overpayments not included in that process. 

We are reaching out to help customers with waiver applications. If you submit a waiver application, you are more likely to be approved for a waiver. 

If we invite you to apply for a waiver or ask you for more information and you do not respond, we will make a decision based on available information. 

Next, we send a waiver decision notice. If the waiver is approved, you do not have to pay us back. In many cases if you have previously made payments, we will send you a refund. If not approved, you get information about repayment options and the appeal process.

How to fill out an overpayment waiver application

Online:

  1. Log into eServices by visiting secure.esd.wa.gov.
  2. Choose “Apply for unemployment benefits or manage your current and past claims.”
  3. In eServices, find the “I want to” column in the upper right corner.
  4. Choose “Submit pandemic era overpayment waiver request.”
  5. Carefully read each screen and answer the questions in the form.

By phone:

We can help you complete and submit the form by phone. 

  1. Call us toll-free at 800-318-6022, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays.
  2. Follow the prompts for information about overpayments.

How-to video

View this how-to video on YouTube to help you log into your eServices account and fill out an overpayment waiver application. 

If you have any questions, please call us toll-free at 800-318-6022 and follow the prompts for information about overpayments.