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btw don't forget to keep doing your job search activities even while your claims are being denied!! my cousin didn't do this and when he finally got his appeal approved they wouldn't pay him for the weeks he didn't log his activities
One more thing - when you do connect with an ESD agent, ask them about possibly being placed on standby status while your appeal is processing. If you're expecting to be recalled by your former employer or have a definite job starting within 4 weeks, you may qualify. This would temporarily exempt you from job search requirements. Also, after you've filed your appeal, you should receive information about your hearing date within about 2-3 weeks. The hearings are currently being conducted by phone due to the backlog. Make absolutely sure you're available for that call - missing it almost always results in losing your appeal.
I don't think I'll qualify for standby since I'm not expecting to be recalled, but that's good to know for others reading this thread. Thanks for the heads up about the hearing process - I'll make sure to keep my phone with me at all times once I get a date. I really appreciate all the help everyone has offered here. Feeling much more informed about my next steps now!
My first ESD claim from January was also stuck in adjudication for several weeks. I finally got through to someone by calling repeatedly at exactly 7:59 AM right before they open. The issue in my case was that my former employer incorrectly reported my final day of work, which triggered an automatic investigation. Once I explained this to the ESD representative, they were able to resolve it and release my payments within 3 days. It might be something similarly minor in your case. If you can't get through by phone, another option is to contact your state representative's office. They often have dedicated staff who can help constituents with ESD issues and can sometimes get answers faster than you can on your own.
@OP any updates? Did you manage to get through to ESD or figure out what was causing the adjudication?
I actually tried the Claimyr service that was mentioned above, and it DID connect me to an ESD agent within about 30 minutes. The agent told me my claim was flagged because I received severance pay but there was confusion about the payment dates. I had to upload additional documentation showing when I received the severance and how much it was. The agent said it should be resolved within 7-10 business days. I'll update again when/if it gets approved! Thanks everyone for the help and suggestions.
Does anyone know if you need to keep filing weekly claims even after benefits are exhausted? I'm confused about whether I should keep doing this or if it's pointless?? The ESD website has conflicting info.
Yes, you should continue filing weekly claims even after exhausting benefits if you're still unemployed. This serves two purposes: 1) It maintains your claim as active in case any extensions become available later, and 2) It provides accurate unemployment data that could potentially trigger extended benefits if enough people are reporting continued unemployment. The system won't pay you during this time, but keeping your claim active is important.
Just out of curiosity have you tried looking at remote work in other states? I know someone who couldn't find anything locally but got hired by a company in Colorado for remote healthcare admin work. Might be worth expanding your search geographically since so many places are remote now?
I totally get where you're at. I was stuck in adjudication for 5 weeks earlier this year (not as long as you, but still stressful). What finally worked for me was emailing my state senator's office. They have staff who deal with ESD issues all the time. I got a call from an ESD supervisor within 2 days after my senator's office contacted them. Not saying it's guaranteed but worth trying!
Just checking back - were you able to get any movement on your claim? One thing I forgot to mention is that if you do get through to someone, be sure to ask them to document in the notes that you're experiencing financial hardship and specifically request they flag your case for expedited review. The exact phrase that seems to work is "Please note severe financial hardship and risk of housing instability in my case notes.
I tried several of the suggestions here! I sent the secure message with the hardship wording, contacted my state rep's office (waiting to hear back), and checked other WorkSource locations for ESD staff days. I also tried the Claimyr service someone mentioned and it actually got me through to a real person yesterday! They said they'd put notes in my file about the hardship and escalate it, but couldn't tell me exactly when I'd be assigned an adjudicator. At least it's some progress. I'll update if anything changes.
Connor Murphy
EVERYONE JUST FILES WHERE THEY MADE THE MOST MONEY!!! This isn't complicated people. I've worked in 3 different states and always file wherever I earned the highest wages. The unemployment office will sort it out if there's an issue.
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Sofia Ramirez
•While that's often a good approach, it's not always that simple. Each state has different eligibility requirements, different base periods for calculating benefits, and different weekly benefit amounts. Sometimes the state where you earned the most might not be the state where you'd get the most beneficial claim. It's worth doing the research for your specific situation.
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StarSeeker
Just wanted to update everyone - I called ESD this morning and finally got through after trying for 2 days. The agent confirmed that I can file in either state, but since most of my wages in the base period were from WA, I'd likely get a better benefit amount filing with them. They're sending me some paperwork to complete for an interstate claim. Thanks everyone for the help!
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Ava Martinez
•Glad you got through! That's impressive - usually it takes much longer to reach someone at ESD. Did they mention anything about how long interstate claims typically take to process? In my experience they can take longer than regular claims.
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StarSeeker
•They said it might take 3-4 weeks to process since they have to verify my wages with both states. Not ideal but at least I know what to expect now!
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