Claimant Handbook

If you are paid benefits to which you are not entitled, an overpayment is created. If you are overpaid, you will receive a notice with repayment and appeal instructions. Your notice will contain an administrative decision, the reason for overpayment and what this means for your claim. There are many reasons why a claim can become overpaid.

Some overpayment causes include:

• Incorrectly reported earnings on a weekly claim
  
• Unreported or incorrectly reported retirement pay
• Administrative, or higher level decisions reversed on appeal
• Payment made before we learn about an issue with your claim
• Misrepresentation or withholding information in order to receive benefits if you were not eligible for (See Fraud)
• Your benefit amount is changed due to a correction in base year wages (if your weekly benefit amount goes down, you will be overpaid)
• Employment Department administrative error

If your administrative decision indicates you were overpaid, you must pay back the full amount. Please don't delay repayment. We use all legal collection methods including wage garnishment, property liens, interception of state and federal income tax refunds, and prosecution to recover the money.

Don't stop filing for weekly benefits just because you receive an overpayment notice. We can use your benefits to pay back the money you owe.

You are underpaid on your claim if your weekly benefit amount is less than the amount you should receive. This could happen if your employer paid you less than the amount you reported when you claimed a week. If you discover you earned less than what you reported, call the UI Center. We may be able to adjust your payment.

If you are underpaid for other reasons (for example: discovering additional base year wages that increase your weekly benefit amount), we will adjust your benefits and pay the additional amount.