My neighbor had the same problem when she moved to Japan with her husband (navy). She said the key is to keep filing every week even with no money coming. When she finally got through after 2 months they paid everything at once. But she had to use her parent's address in Washington because technically you have to be available for work in WA state. Are you using a WA address on your claim? That might be causing problems if not.

Update: I managed to get through to ESD! I used a combination of a VPN, Google Voice, and had my claim escalated to a specialist who understood the military spouse rules. They said my claim was held up because the 401k withdrawal triggered an automated review, plus they needed verification of my military spouse status. The agent cleared both issues and said I should see all backpay within 48 hours. THANK YOU everyone for your help!! For others in my situation - definitely keep filing weekly claims even with no payment. And definitely be persistent about reaching someone who understands military spouse provisions.

dont they have a phone number specifically for overpayments? might be easier to get through on that line than the main number

i honestly gave up on ever getting through to esd and just went to my local worksource office in person. took about an hour waiting but they were able to check on my claim status and confirm they received my payment. didn't speed anything up but at least i knew they had the money and it was being processed. my benefits started again about 2 weeks after payment.

That adjudication wait is exactly why I ended up using Claimyr to reach an agent when my claim got stuck. Sometimes they can push it through faster if you can actually talk to someone and explain the situation. Good luck!!

Thanks for the suggestion! If it goes beyond two weeks without movement, we might try that service. Our rent is due at the beginning of next month, so we're hoping it gets resolved before then.

By the way, make sure you're documenting EVERYTHING. When you called, who you talked to (if you get through), what they told you, etc. If your claim gets denied because of the adjudication, you might need to appeal, and having detailed records will help tremendously. I learned this the hard way.

UPDATE: I finally got through! Used the 7:59am trick AND I called on Thursday which seems to be less busy than Monday/Tuesday. The agent cleared up my adjudication issue in about 10 minutes - it was just a verification problem they needed to fix on their end. My standby status was also extended for another 4 weeks. Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions!

for non-tech savvy people - they can also request it by phone. my dad had to do this. just need ssn and some personal info to verify identity

One more thing to add - if your friend received unemployment in 2024, they'll need the 1099-G for filing their 2024 taxes (which would be due April 2025). The 1099-G forms for 2024 should be available by January 31, 2025. If they're looking for 2023 benefits for filing their 2023 taxes, those forms should already be available in their account.

did u check if ur employer is contesting ur claim? that makes adjudication take way longer

Good news is that once adjudication is complete, you'll receive all back payments for eligible weeks at once. I know that doesn't help with immediate bills, but at least you'll eventually receive what you're entitled to. If your situation becomes dire while waiting, call 211 for referrals to emergency assistance programs in your area.

The ESD system is so annoying. I'm still fighting with them over an overpayment notice from a job I had 6 months ago! They claim I didn't report income correctly but I absolutely did. Now they want $2,400 back! I've been trying to appeal but good luck getting anyone on the phone. The whole system is designed to be frustrating.

To summarize what everyone's said: 1. Wait until your last day of work to file 2. File immediately after your last day (don't wait for final paycheck) 3. Report your final paycheck during weekly claims for the week you receive it 4. Prepare to do and document 3 job search activities every week 5. File weekly claims consistently, even during adjudication 6. Keep records of everything Good luck with your claim and job search!

My sister works for DOR (not in the tax credit department tho). She says they got WAY more applications than they expected for the Working Family Tax Credit this year and are super backlogged. If it's been less than 90 days, they probably won't have any updates for you yet. Just FYI.

Thanks everyone for the helpful information! I'll stop worrying about these programs being connected and focus on following up with each department separately. Going to call the DOR hotline tomorrow about the tax credit and keep working with ESD on my unemployment claim. Really appreciate all the advice!

hey just wondering did you try the live chat on the esd website? sometimes thats faster than calling but u gotta catch it when its available

One thing to be aware of - make sure you're using the correct portal for PFML. ESD handles both regular unemployment and Paid Family Medical Leave, but they're completely different systems with different websites and logins. For PFML, you should be using: paidleave.wa.gov/login Not the regular unemployment SecureAccess Washington portal. I made this mistake initially and was looking for claim options in the wrong system altogether.

if ULP doesnt work out dont give up... my moms friend represented herself and won her case! she just prepared really well and had all her evidence organized. but ya try ULP first for sure

One last recommendation - regardless of whether you get ULP help or not, be very careful about how you phrase things in your appeal and hearing. Never say you "quit" - always say your employer gave you an impossible choice that effectively terminated your employment. And focus on the medical condition as the primary reason you couldn't meet their new demands. This framing makes a big difference in how judges interpret your case.