Unemployment Blerg!

A few months ago, I got a letter from the department of unemployment stating that they overpaid my benefits while I was unemployed.  I looked at the paperwork enclosed and sure enough, they were right.  When you file for unemployment, they ask how much you make each week.  At the time, I had a part time job, so I wrote in the total received from each paycheck...but, as I later found out, they wanted to know how much I made pre-tax.  Grrreeeeat.

So, I basically got a letter from the state saying I owed them X amount plus interest.  What was even weirder was when I called to talk to someone about it.  I asked for an explanation since I wasn't clear on everything.  The woman explained it to me and I said I had never filed for unemployment before and just didn't understand the paperwork.  She said I could not pay the fine and set a court date if I wanted to file a claim for it, and I said I would rather not.  She then said I could deal (in part) with the matter over the phone but she would have to record our conversation as evidence.  I said 'okay' because I really just wanted this over with and she came back and was like, "So, you're entering a plea of guilty?"

Whoa, lady!  Guilty?!  What am I being charged with?  I kind of skirted the issue and admitted that I was overpaid, but it was not intentional on my part.  I guess she was okay with that because she didn't bring it up further

Honestly, lady, what am I going to do with the extra $7.50 a week you overpaid me for four months?  Run away to Cabo San Lucas and retire?!

Ugh.  I totally hated that phone call because it just brought up the misery I went through of being unemployed and going through the process of unemployment benefits.  I know the system is there to help those in need, and it certainly helped me out (a little) but the whole process is so daunting, it almost seems not worth it.  As the great Liz Lemon would say, "Blerg!"