Some finding out NC wants unemployment money back, say it’s hard to get a real person

NORTH CAROLINA — Kimberle James says North Carolina says it overpaid her $600.

“Oh, it was a big shock,” she told Action 9′s Jason Stoogenke. “And they want it back.” She says she doesn’t have that money available.

Another viewer emailed Stoogenke, claiming the state says it overpaid her, too, and much more than $600: $10,000.

North Carolina unemployment officials told Stoogenke all about “overpayment.” They say the goal is to get that money back to prevent fraud and wasting taxpayer money. They say the latest numbers -- from April 1 through June 30 -- show the state overpaid about $14.7 million in unemployment. It believes $1.4 million was fraud and the rest -- $13.3 million -- was not. For example, if someone accidentally gave the agency wrong information or that person’s eligibility changed.

Many told Stoogenke they tried calling the state -- to find out more information or fight it -- but had trouble getting through. “One day I called at -- it was almost 3:30[pm]. I was on the phone until almost 5:30[pm] and it hung up on me,” James said. “That’s a kick in the face. It’s not fair to me or anyone else that’s going through this."

Another viewer sent Stoogenke a screenshot. It says she was on the line for eight hours. Stoogenke told unemployment officials about her. They acknowledged the long wait times, got back to her, and sorted it out. “Thank you so much someone just contacted me,” that viewer emailed Stoogenke shortly after.

So what can you do if the state wants the money back?

• If you can’t afford it, the state has payment plans.
• In some very specific cases, it may even let you off the hook.
• You can file an appeal. Just remember, you only have 30 days from the date the state determines it overpaid you. That’s when the clock starts ticking.

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