Washington Administrative Code
Title 192 - Employment Security Department
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE
Chapter 192-220 - Overpayment notice, assessment and fraud
Section 192-220-030 - What does equity and good conscience mean in regard to overpayment waiver decisions? - RCW 50.20.190(2)

Universal Citation: WA Admin Code 192-220-030

Current through Register Vol. 24-18, September 15, 2024

(1) "Equity and good conscience" means fairness as applied to a given set of circumstances.

(2) It will be against equity and good conscience to deny waiver when repayment of the overpayment would deprive you of income required to provide for basic necessities including food, shelter, medicine, utilities, and related expenses. Unless there are unusual circumstances which would argue against waiver, the department will presume repayment would leave you unable to provide basic necessities if your total household resources in relation to household size do not exceed seventy percent of the Lower Living Standard Income Level (LLSIL) and circumstances are not expected to change within the next ninety days.

(3) The department may also consider, but is not limited to, the following factors in determining whether waiver should be granted for reasons of equity and good conscience:

(a) Your general health, including disability, competency, and mental or physical impairment;

(b) Your education level, including literacy;

(c) Whether you are currently employed and your history of unemployment;

(d) Your future earnings potential based on your occupation, skills, and the local labor market;

(e) Your marital status and number of dependents, including whether other household members are employed;

(f) Whether an error by department staff contributed to the overpayment;

(g) Whether you refused or were ineligible for other government benefits because you received unemployment benefits; and

(h) Other factors indicating that repayment of the full amount would cause you undue economic, physical, or mental hardship.

(4) When determining whether a waiver of benefit overpayments may be granted based on equity and good conscience, the department must consider whether the employer or employer's agent failed to respond timely or adequately without good cause to the department's written request for claim information. This subsection does not apply to negotiated settlements.

(5) The decision to grant or deny waiver will be based on the totality of circumstances rather than the presence of a single factor listed in subsections (2), (3), and (4).

Statutory Authority: RCW 50.12.010, 51.12.040, and 50.20.010. 08-21-056, § 192-220-030, filed 10/9/08, effective 11/9/08. Statutory Authority: RCW 50.12.010, 50.12.040, 50.12.042. 05-01-076, § 192-220-030, filed 12/9/04, effective 1/9/05.

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