Wash. Admin. Code § 192-650-010 - Can overpayments be offset against future benefit payments?

(1) An overpayment may be offset on a valid claim year at the department's discretion when:

(a) An employee requests to repay an overpayment;

(b) An employee does not repay an overpayment in full; or

(c) An employee misses a portion of two or more arranged payments.

(2) If the new available claim amount for the current claim year is greater than the balance of the overpayment, the employee can request an amount of benefits to be offset from each payment, subject to approval by the department. However, if the new available claim amount for the current claim year is equal to or less than the balance of an overpayment on that claim year, the offset will be done at the rate of one hundred percent.

(3) An employee may request to repay overpayments owing on prior claim years by offset.

(4) For subsection (1)(b) and (c) of this section, the overpayment will be offset as follows:

(a) If the overpayment was caused by a denial for fraud the amount deducted will be one hundred percent of the benefits payable for each week the employee claims benefits. These overpayments will be collected first.

(b) For all other overpayments, the amount deducted will be fifty percent of the benefits payable for each week claimed by the employee, or such other percentage approved under subsection (2) of this section, up to one hundred percent of benefits payable. The percent deducted is based on the total weekly benefit amount, before deductions for such items as pensions, child support, income taxes.

(c) Interest, penalties, surcharges, court costs, and charges for dishonored payments will not be deducted from benefit payments; they must be repaid.

(5) During any valid claim year, the total amount of benefits paid to the employee plus offset credits granted will not exceed the maximum benefits payable on the claim.

(6) If offset of an overpayment is granted against weeks that are later found to have been paid in error or as a result of fraud, the offset for those weeks will be canceled and the amount will be restored to the employee's overpayment balance.

Notes

Wash. Admin. Code § 192-650-010

Adopted by WSR 19-16-081, Filed 7/31/2019, effective 8/31/2019