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Make sure you call in EARLY for your hearing!!!! I was literally 2 minutes late calling in and the judge marked me as a no-show. Had to appeal AGAIN and wait another month. The system is totally against us.
this happened to my roommate too! he dialed in at exactly the hearing time but there was a queue or something and he was considered late. definitely call in at least 10 min early to be safe
I went through this exact same process about 6 months ago and won my appeal! A few additional tips that really helped me: 1. Have water nearby - phone hearings can be long and your mouth gets dry 2. Find a quiet space where you won't be interrupted (I used my car in a parking lot) 3. Test your phone connection beforehand - bad reception can hurt your case 4. Write down the main points you want to make and check them off as you cover them The fact that you have documented communication with your boss about each incident is HUGE in your favor. Most people don't have that evidence. You're actually in a really strong position here. One more thing - if your former manager tries to say you were chronically late or had other issues, stick to the facts about just these three documented incidents. Don't let them expand the scope beyond what you were actually fired for. You've got this! The preparation you're doing shows you're taking it seriously, which the judge will notice.
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As someone completely new to this community and the ESD system, this thread has been an absolute lifesaver! @Angelina Farar, your persistence through that 7-week approved-but-pending nightmare is truly heroic - I can't even imagine the stress of having an approval letter but still no income for almost 2 months. The fact that it was an identity verification issue they never bothered to tell you about is just peak ESD dysfunction. What absolutely blows my mind is how this thread evolved from a desperate plea for help into the most comprehensive ESD troubleshooting guide on the entire internet. The collective wisdom here - calling at exactly 8:00am, contacting state representatives, proactive document uploads, using Claimyr, documenting every interaction - these are the battle-tested strategies that actually work but are completely absent from any official ESD resources. It's both infuriating and incredible that we have to reverse-engineer solutions just to access benefits we've already been approved for. The identity verification black hole seems to be trapping so many people based on all the stories shared here - this is clearly a massive systemic issue that ESD desperately needs to address. I'm bookmarking this entire thread because the step-by-step roadmap documented here is pure gold for anyone facing ESD's bureaucratic maze. Your 23-call persistence that morning shows what real determination looks like, and your success story gives genuine hope to everyone else stuck in pending limbo. Thank you for sharing your complete journey and proving that persistence really does pay off when you know the right approaches! This community support is exactly what people need when government systems fail us.
Welcome to the community, @Zoe Papadakis! You've perfectly captured what makes this thread so extraordinary - it really has become the definitive ESD survival guide that should be required reading for anyone dealing with their broken system. @Angelina Farar s'journey from 7 weeks of approved-but-pending hell to finally getting backpay is both a testament to her incredible persistence and a damning indictment of ESD s'communication failures. The identity verification black hole affecting so many people here shows this is clearly a widespread systemic issue, not just isolated cases. What I love most about this community is how everyone rallied together to share practical solutions that actually work - from that precise 8:00am calling strategy to state rep contacts to proactive document uploads. It s'absolutely ridiculous that we have to crowdsource basic information about accessing our own approved benefits, but threads like this prove how powerful collective knowledge can be when institutions fail us. The fact that 23 phone calls were needed just to discover an issue they should have flagged weeks earlier is mind-blowing, but @Angelina Farar s determination'and this community s support'created a roadmap that will help countless others facing the same nightmare. This is exactly what community support should look like!
This thread is absolutely incredible and should be required reading for anyone dealing with ESD! As someone brand new to this community, I'm genuinely blown away by @Angelina Farar's persistence through that 7-week nightmare and how everyone came together to create what's essentially the most comprehensive ESD troubleshooting guide I've ever seen. The identity verification issue that they never bothered to communicate about perfectly shows everything wrong with their system - it's infuriating that people get approved but then sit in limbo for months without any explanation! The collective wisdom shared here about calling at exactly 8:00am, contacting state reps, uploading documents proactively, and services like Claimyr - these are the real-world solutions that actually work but you'd never find through official channels. It's ridiculous that we have to reverse-engineer solutions just to access benefits we've already been approved for, but this community support is exactly what people need when government systems fail us. Your 23-call persistence that morning shows incredible determination, and seeing you finally get those 7 weeks of backpay was such a relief! This thread is going to help so many others stuck in pending hell - thank you for documenting every step and proving that persistence really does pay off!
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I'm going through this exact same nightmare! Filed about 2 weeks ago, claim shows "active" but no payments yet. The "submitted" vs "processed" distinction everyone mentioned is huge - just checked and all mine say "submitted" too! After reading everyone's experiences, I'm realizing how broken the communication is in this system. We shouldn't have to become detectives to figure out why our benefits aren't coming through when we're already stressed about finances. Definitely going to try the secure messaging approach through eServices that @Mateo Gonzalez mentioned - I've been calling for days with zero luck. Also calling my former employer tomorrow to see if they're sitting on some ESD verification request. This thread has been more helpful than ESD's entire website! The community knowledge-sharing here is incredible. I'll report back on what works - hopefully we can all get unstuck soon. The waiting is brutal when bills are due! 🤞
@Charlie Yang - You re'absolutely right about having to become detectives for our own claims! I m'in a very similar situation filed (about 2.5 weeks ago and) this thread has been a game-changer for understanding what s'actually happening behind the scenes. The secure messaging route really does seem to be the way to go - multiple people here have had success with it when phone calls failed completely. When you message them, definitely ask specifically about why your weekly claims are stuck on submitted "instead" of moving to processed. "That" seems to be the key question that gets helpful responses. Also, when you call your former employer, don t'just ask if they got anything from ESD - ask specifically about wage verification requests or employment confirmation requests. From what I ve'learned here, HR departments often don t'realize how time-sensitive these are for people waiting on benefits. The stress of not knowing what s'happening is honestly almost worse than the financial pressure itself. But seeing how many people in this thread eventually got their issues resolved after tracking down the specific holdup is really encouraging. Most seem to get full backpay once things start moving too. Definitely keep us posted on what you discover! This thread has become such a valuable resource for people dealing with these delays. We re'all rooting for each other to get through this! 💪
I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! Filed my claim about 2.5 weeks ago, shows "active" status, but haven't received any payments yet. Like everyone else here, my weekly claims all show "submitted" instead of "processed" - I had no idea that distinction even existed until reading this thread! The lack of transparency in the ESD system is honestly maddening when you're already stressed about money. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been both reassuring (knowing I'm not alone) and frustrating (realizing how common this problem is). I'm definitely going to try the secure messaging approach through eServices that @Mateo Gonzalez mentioned - I've been banging my head against the wall trying to call with zero success. Also planning to contact my former employer tomorrow to see if they're sitting on some verification request from ESD. @Keisha Jackson - thank you so much for starting this thread! The collective wisdom here has been more helpful than anything on ESD's official website. It's incredible how we all have to figure this out together when the system should just work properly in the first place. I'll definitely report back on what I discover. Fingers crossed we all get our claims moving soon - the financial stress is real but at least now I have actual steps to take instead of just waiting helplessly! 🙏
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The bottom line is that every situation is different. What worked for someone else might not apply to your specific circumstances. The only way to know for sure is to file and let Washington ESD review your case. Don't assume you're not eligible without trying.
That's the right attitude. You might be surprised by the outcome. Good luck!
Hope it works out for you. Keep us posted on what happens!
As someone who's been through this process, I want to add that timing really matters when you file. Washington ESD uses a "base period" that looks at wages from 12-18 months ago, not your most recent work. So even if you've been contracting for years, if you had W-2 wages during the right timeframe, you could still qualify. I'd recommend gathering all your wage statements from the past 2 years before you apply - you might be surprised what qualifies. Also, if you do get approved, remember that you'll need to report any contract income you earn while collecting benefits. It doesn't necessarily disqualify you, but it will reduce your weekly benefit amount.
This is super helpful - I wish I had known about the base period timing earlier! I'm the original poster and I'm definitely going to file now after reading all these responses. That part-time job I had 18 months ago for $8,000 might actually help me qualify. One question though - when you say I need to report contract income while collecting benefits, does that mean if I pick up a small freelance project I have to report it even if it's just a few hundred dollars? And do you know if there's a limit to how much contract work I can do before it affects my benefits?
Yes, you need to report ALL income while collecting benefits, even small amounts. Washington ESD requires you to report any earnings during your weekly certification, regardless of the amount. For contract work, they typically use a formula where your benefits are reduced dollar-for-dollar after you earn more than your weekly benefit amount. So if your weekly benefit is $400 and you earn $200 from a freelance project, you'd still get $400. But if you earn $500, your benefit would be reduced to $300 that week. The key is being completely transparent about all income - they cross-reference with tax records anyway, so it's not worth trying to hide anything.
Axel Far
I'm on day 6 with 'open' status and this discussion has been such a lifesaver! I was getting really worried that something was wrong with my claim since I haven't heard anything back from Washington ESD. It's incredibly reassuring to see that the 7-14 day processing time is totally normal and that 'open' actually means good news. I've been filing my weekly claims and keeping a log of my job search activities, but the uncertainty was really getting to me. Reading everyone's experiences and timelines gives me so much more confidence that my claim is progressing normally. Thank you all for sharing - it really helps to know that this anxiety-inducing wait is just part of the process and that we're all going through it together!
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Nia Wilson
•I'm right there with you at day 4 with 'open' status! This thread has been such a relief to find - I was starting to think I was the only one going crazy checking my account every few hours. It's amazing how much stress this waiting period causes when you're depending on these benefits. Reading everyone's experiences really helps normalize what we're going through. I've also been staying on top of my weekly claims and job search documentation, but like you said, the uncertainty is the worst part. It's so good to know that 'open' status is actually a positive milestone and that we're all in this together during the wait. Hopefully we'll all start seeing those first payments roll in over the next week or so!
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Riya Sharma
I'm on day 3 with 'open' status and finding this thread has been such a huge relief! I was starting to second-guess everything about my application and wondering if I made some mistake. It's incredible how reassuring it is to see that so many people have gone through this exact same experience and that the 1-2 week wait with 'open' status is completely normal. I've been obsessively checking my account and was getting really anxious, but reading everyone's timelines and success stories gives me so much more confidence. I'm keeping up with my weekly claims and started documenting my job searches right away after reading the advice here. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences - knowing that we're all in this together and that 'open' means my claim is actively being processed makes this waiting period so much more bearable!
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Oliver Cheng
•I totally understand that anxiety! I'm actually on day 2 with 'open' status and was already starting to worry something was wrong. This whole thread has been so helpful - it's amazing how much peace of mind comes from knowing that other people are going through the exact same thing. The 1-2 week timeline that everyone's sharing makes me feel so much better about the wait. I've already set up my direct deposit and started keeping a job search log after reading all the great advice here. It's such a relief to know that 'open' status means we're on the right track and that the processing time is just part of how Washington ESD works. Thanks for starting this conversation - it's so valuable to have this community support during such a stressful time!
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