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If I could give 10 stars I would
If I could give 10 stars I would If I could give 10 stars I would Such an amazing service so needed during the times when EDD almost never picks up Claimyr gets me on the phone with EDD every time without fail faster. A much needed service without Claimyr I would have never received the payment I needed to support me during my postpartum recovery. Thank you so much Claimyr!
Really made a difference
Really made a difference, save me time and energy from going to a local office for making the call.
Worth not wasting your time calling for hours.
Was a bit nervous or untrusting at first, but my calls went thru. First time the wait was a bit long but their customer chat line on their page was helpful and put me at ease that I would receive my call. Today my call dropped because of EDD and Claimyr heard my concern on the same chat and another call was made within the hour.
An incredibly helpful service
An incredibly helpful service! Got me connected to a CA EDD agent without major hassle (outside of EDD's agents dropping calls – which Claimyr has free protection for). If you need to file a new claim and can't do it online, pay the $ to Claimyr to get the process started. Absolutely worth it!
Consistent,frustration free, quality Service.
Used this service a couple times now. Before I'd call 200 times in less than a weak frustrated as can be. But using claimyr with a couple hours of waiting i was on the line with an representative or on hold. Dropped a couple times but each reconnected not long after and was mission accomplished, thanks to Claimyr.
IT WORKS!! Not a scam!
I tried for weeks to get thru to EDD PFL program with no luck. I gave this a try thinking it may be a scam. OMG! It worked and They got thru within an hour and my claim is going to finally get paid!! I upgraded to the $60 call. Best $60 spent!
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The exact same thing happened to me!!! My hours got cut to 12 per week back in December and my claim got stuck in adjudication for FIVE WEEKS!! I called ESD like 50 times and either couldn't get through or got hung up on. I finally contacted my state representative's office and they helped push it through. Try that if the governor's office helped last time. So ridiculous we have to involve politicians just to get our legitimate benefits!!!
Five weeks is awful! I'm glad your state rep was able to help. I might try that route again if this drags on too long. It does seem crazy that we need political intervention for what should be a straightforward process.
Just an update - I called ESD this morning using Claimyr and managed to speak with someone who explained what's going on with my husband's claim. They said they're verifying with his employer about the reduction in hours, and once they receive that information, they can complete the adjudication. The agent also expedited our case due to financial hardship. So there's definitely value in being able to actually reach someone!
did they say how long it wuld take after they got the employer info??
They said typically 3-5 business days after receiving employer verification. They've already sent the request to his employer, so now we're just waiting for them to respond.
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My sister works at a WorkSource office (not ESD directly but they work with them) and she says they've been super backed up lately because of some seasonal construction layoffs. She mentioned something about their system doing maintenance overnight too, so maybe filing at midnight actually puts you at the back of the line for the next day's processing?
Of COURSE they don't tell us about system maintenance or slow periods. Just another way they make it harder to get benefits we've EARNED. They should be required to post processing times on the website so people know what to expect!!
UPDATE: My claim finally moved from "processing" to "pending" this morning! So it took about 3 days total. I also got a notice that I need to complete an identity verification interview, which is scheduled for next week. Thanks everyone for the advice and help!
Great news! For the identity verification interview, make sure you have your driver's license/ID, social security card, and at least one recent pay stub ready. They'll likely ask you to confirm details about your previous employers and wages too. If you prepared all this in advance, these interviews usually only take about 15 minutes.
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when i had this happen the esd lady told me they only care about employers in your "base year" which is like the last 5 quarters or something before you filed. so if that old job was before your base year it doesnt even matter. but yeah call and make sure the right info is there about your recent employer thats the important part
That's exactly right. The base year is the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you filed your claim. Only employment during that period affects your claim. If your old employer falls outside that timeframe, they're irrelevant to your current claim.
I had a kinda related issue whre ESD kept sending letters to an employer I worked at for like 3 weeks as a temp job. They were suuuuper confused and kept calling me about it even tho I had a full time job after that for 2 years which was the one that actually laid me off! The system is so weird sometimes lol. But I eventually got it sorted by talking to an agent on the phone who fixed it in their system.
Glad you got it sorted out! I'm going to keep trying to reach someone. I've been trying all week without success but I'll try early Monday morning when they first open. Thanks everyone for the help and advice!
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One more thing to know: when you do get through to ESD, ask about setting up a formal repayment plan instead of having them deduct from your benefits. Sometimes they'll let you make smaller payments after your claim ends, which gives you the full benefit amount now when you need it most. Make sure to get any agreement in writing through your eServices account.
this is good advice! my friend did this and they let her pay just $25 a month after her benefits ended instead of taking half her benefit now
UPDATE: Finally got through to someone at ESD this morning! They agreed to reduce the weekly recovery amount to $75 instead of $227. Not ideal but MUCH better than what I was left with before. They said I should see the change on next week's payment. For anyone else dealing with this, definitely call and explain your financial situation - they can adjust it!
That's great news! Congrats on getting through to someone. ESD can be reasonable sometimes if you actually reach a human.
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My brother had an overpayment from 2023 and his waiver took 9 months to get approved!! By the time they finished he had already paid back half of it because he was scared of the collection threats. Then he had to wait another 2 months to get a refund for what he'd already paid. The whole system is designed to make you give up and just pay even if you qualify for forgiveness.
That's awful about your brother - and exactly what I'm afraid of. They create so much anxiety with their collection threats that people end up paying even when they shouldn't have to. I'm determined to hold out for the waiver decision, but it's stressful not knowing if/when it will ever be resolved.
Update on my earlier comment - I just remembered something important. When I called ESD about my waiver, the agent mentioned they were prioritizing cases where people had submitted a "Financial Hardship Statement" along with their waiver request. It's not officially required, but apparently it helps move your case up in the queue. Basically, write up a 1-page statement explaining: 1. Why you can't afford to repay the amount 2. How the overpayment wasn't your fault 3. How repayment would affect your ability to meet basic needs Submit this through eServices as an additional document for your waiver request. Title it "Financial Hardship Statement - [Your Name] - [Claim ID]"
This is incredibly helpful! I'm going to draft a Financial Hardship Statement tonight and submit it tomorrow. Thank you so much for this specific advice - it gives me something concrete I can do while waiting.
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I wanted to follow up on my earlier comment about WorkSource escalation. When you go to WorkSource, you need to specifically ask for an "UI Liaison" or "ESD Specialist" - not all WorkSource staff have the same level of access to ESD systems. These specialists have direct channels to the adjudication teams. Make sure to bring all your claim information, including your claim ID number and a list of all documents you've already submitted. This approach helped me get my claim unstuck after weeks of frustration.
This is incredibly helpful - thank you! I'm going to my local WorkSource tomorrow and will specifically ask for the UI Liaison. I'll update here if I get any results.
Any update on your situation? Did you try any of these approaches yet? I'm curious which route worked for you since I know several people in similar situations right now.
So I've tried a few things from the advice here. I went to WorkSource and asked for the UI Liaison like someone suggested. They actually had me talk to someone who seemed more knowledgeable. They submitted some kind of internal ticket for me. I also emailed my state rep yesterday but haven't heard back yet. I'm going to try Claimyr tomorrow if I still don't get anywhere. Will definitely update once something works!
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Update on my earlier comment - I checked with a client who was in this exact situation last month. She said after using Claimyr to reach ESD, she discovered her claim was actually complete but stuck in a review queue. The agent was able to move it to the next stage immediately, and she received approval within 3 business days. The agent told her that military spouse claims sometimes get flagged for extra verification if the previous employer is out of state, which can cause these delays. Might be worth checking if this applies to your situation as well.
That definitely applies to me! My previous employer is in California. I think I'm going to try the Claimyr route tomorrow and see if I can finally get some answers. It's so frustrating that these claims get stuck when the documentation is all there. Thank you for this additional information!
Any updates? Did you make any progress with your claim? I'm curious because I have a friend PCSing to JBLM next month and I want to give her realistic expectations.
Yes! Finally got through using Claimyr yesterday. Turns out my claim was actually approved 2 weeks ago but got stuck in their payment processing system because they needed to verify my new Washington address (I still had my California ID when I applied). The agent pushed it through and I should see all my backpay next week. So relieved! Tell your friend to make sure she has a WA ID or at least utility bills in her name at her new address to avoid the same delay.
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One other thing to know - once your bonding claim is approved, you'll need to file weekly claims just like with unemployment. Many people miss this step and wonder why their payments stopped. The system doesn't make this clear at all, but you need to log in each week to certify you're still on leave. The website to file weekly claims is different from where you submitted your initial application.
Wait really?? I didn't know this. Where do you go to file the weekly claims? Is it through the SecureAccess Washington portal or somewhere else?
Yes, you log into your PFML account through SecureAccess Washington, then look for the section that says "File a weekly claim." You'll need to do this every week during your approved leave period. You'll answer questions confirming you were on leave that week and not working. If you miss a week, you can file for past weeks, but it's easier to just stay on top of it once your claim is approved.
OK GREAT NEWS! I just checked my account and they expedited my claim! It shows as approved now with payment scheduled for tomorrow. HUGE relief. Thanks everyone for the help and support through this nightmare process!
James Martinez
mine took 7 weeks back in november and i have a straightford claim!!! it's all about how backed up they are honestly. some weeks they process faster and sometimes slower. just keep filing your weekly claims and eventually it will process. sucks but thats how it is with esd
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Olivia Harris
•yep same exp here! was told 6 wks ended up being almost 9!! the system is totally broken
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Layla Mendes
One additional piece of advice - if you've been in adjudication for more than 6 weeks, you should contact the Office of the Unemployment Insurance Ombuds. They can often help get things moving if your claim has exceeded the standard timeframe. Their contact form is on the ESD website under 'Customer Service'. Also, document every attempt to contact ESD (date, time, who you spoke with if anyone). This can be helpful if you need to escalate your case later.
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Ava Kim
•I hadn't heard about the Ombuds office before. I'll definitely keep them in mind if this stretches beyond 6 weeks. I appreciate all the helpful advice from everyone. It's still frustrating to be looking at such a long wait, but at least I have a better understanding of the process now and some options to try. I'll update this thread if anything changes with my claim status.
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