View all text of Part 320 [§ 320.1 - § 320.49]

§ 320.11 - Request for waiver of recovery.

(a) Time limitation. The claimant shall have 60 days from the date of the notification of the erroneous payment determination in which to file a request for waiver, except that where an erroneous payment is not subject to waiver in accordance with § 340.10(e) of this chapter, waiver may not be requested and recovery will not be stayed. Such requests shall be made in writing and be filed by mail or in person at any Board office. The claimant shall, along with the request, submit any evidence and argument which he or she would like to present in support of his or her case. A request solely for reconsideration of an overpayment shall not be considered a request for waiver under this section but shall be treated as a request for reconsideration under § 320.10 of this part.

(b) Recovery action. Where a claimant has made a timely request for waiver of recovery, no action will be taken to recover the erroneous payment by setoff against current benefits prior to a decision on such request; provided however, That the Board may, prior to a decision, withhold the amount of the erroneous payment from benefit payments under any of the following circumstances:

(1) The claimant admits he or she was at fault in causing the overpayment;

(2) The claimant is found to have committed fraud;

(3) The claimant authorizes recovery by setoff or agrees to repayment; or

(4) The amount of erroneous payment is not subject to waiver or provided for in § 340.10(e) of this chapter.

(c) Review of evidence. Upon request, the claimant shall have an opportunity to review all evidence and documents that pertain to the erroneous payment determination.

(d) Decision. The Debt Recovery Manager shall make a decision on the claimant's request for waiver of recovery and shall notify the claimant accordingly. The decision of the Manager shall include the basis of the decision, setting forth his or her reasons for the decision including the impact, if any, of any evidence submitted by the base-year or last employer. If the Manager decides that waiver of recovery is not appropriate, the adjudicating office shall wait 15 days from the date of the notification of the waiver decision before taking any action to recover the erroneous payment. If the Manager decides that recovery should be waived, any amount of the erroneous payment so waived but previously recovered by setoff shall be refunded to the claimant.

(e) Appeal. If the Debt Recovery Manager decides that waiver of recovery is not appropriate, the claimant shall have the right to appeal such decision as provided under § 320.12 of this part.

(f) Requests made after 60 days. Nothing in this section shall be taken to mean that waiver of recovery will not be considered in those cases where the request for waiver is not filed within 60 days, but action to recover the erroneous payment will not be deferred if such request is not filed within 60 days, and any amount of the erroneous payment recovered prior to the date on which the request is filed shall not be subject to waiver under part 340 of this chapter. Further, it shall not be considered that a claimant prejudices his or her request for waiver by tendering all or a portion of an erroneous payment or by selecting a particular method of repaying the debt. However, no waiver consideration shall be given to a debt which is settled by compromise.

(g) Evidence provided by base-year employer(s) and most recent employer, if different. In making a decision under paragraph (d) of this section, the Debt Recovery Manager shall consider all evidence of record including any evidence submitted by the claimant's base-year employer(s) and the most recent employer, if different. Where a claimant has requested waiver the Manager shall notify his or her base-year employer(s) and the most recent employer, if different, of the right to submit, within 30 days, any information which may be pertinent to the waiver decision.

[56 FR 65680, Dec. 18, 1991, as amended at 67 FR 77156, Dec. 17, 2002]