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After reading through this thread, I'd recommend a combined approach: 1. Send the certified letter to your employer citing RCW 50.12.070 2. Contact your adjudicator immediately (don't wait) to explain the situation 3. Submit bank statements and any pay documents you do have as temporary proof 4. Use the Claimyr service mentioned above if you're struggling to reach ESD by phone 5. File a wage complaint with L&I if your employer doesn't respond within 10 days The key with ESD is documenting everything. Keep a log of every attempt to contact your employer with dates, times, and who you spoke with. This will strengthen your case.
UPDATE: I took everyone's advice and sent a certified letter yesterday citing the RCW. I also managed to get through to my adjudicator (after a 2 hour wait on hold!) and she was actually really understanding. She put a note in my file and said they can work with bank statements for now while I'm trying to get the official documents. She also mentioned they can request the wage info directly from the employer if necessary. Thanks everyone for the helpful advice! Will update again once I know more.
the esd system is GARBAGE!!!!! i spent 9 weeks with my claim saying disqualified when it was really in adjudication and nobody bothered to explain the difference. they expect us to somehow know their internal processes and terminology. such a broken system that makes people suffer while they take their sweet time reviewing basic claims!!! makes me SO ANGRY how they treat people who just need their benefits.
I understand your frustration, but there is actually a logical reason behind this (though it's still confusing). Claims are technically in a disqualified status until they complete adjudication and make a determination. The system was designed with this default position. I agree they should make this clearer to claimants though.
Update: I took everyone's advice and we kept filing weekly claims. We also managed to reach an ESD agent this morning (after many attempts). They explained that my son's claim is in adjudication because his employer reported the separation as "quit" instead of "laid off" when the project ended. The agent sent a message to the adjudicator to prioritize the case and said we should receive a fact-finding questionnaire within 3-5 business days. Thank you all for your help - at least now we know what's happening!
That explains everything! This is exactly why it's important to contact them. Employer reported separation reason discrepancies are one of the most common causes of adjudication. Make sure your son responds to that questionnaire IMMEDIATELY when it arrives and includes any documentation that proves it was a layoff (text messages, emails, etc). Glad you were able to get through and get some answers!
Just wanted to check in - have you received your decision yet? Mine came exactly on day 14 like I mentioned, but I know others who got theirs sooner.
No decision in the mail yet, but I got an update on my SAW account this morning!! It says "Decision: ALLOWED" and shows my benefit amount! I'm literally crying with relief right now. Thank you everyone for helping me through the wait. Now I just need to figure out how long until the backpay actually hits my account.
Congratulations on your successful appeal! Once the decision shows as "ALLOWED" in your account, ESD typically processes backpay within 3-5 business days. You might receive separate deposits for each week claimed, or a single lump sum payment. Make sure your payment method (direct deposit or debit card) is properly set up in your ESD account to avoid further delays. Also, don't forget to continue filing your weekly claims according to the regular schedule.
Quick update for you - I just checked the ESD website and they posted a notice about payment delays for claims processed between March 1-15, 2025. They're experiencing issues with their payment processing system and some payments are taking longer than usual. They state all back payments should be issued by March 25th. This likely explains your situation.
Thank you so much for checking! That's really helpful information. At least now I know it's a system-wide issue and not just my claim.
Ava Williams
Just want to update everyone - my payment just hit my account about 10 minutes ago (4:45pm Monday). Looks like they're slowly working through the backlog. Check your accounts!
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Dmitri Volkov
•Just checked and mine came through too! Crisis averted lol
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LilMama23
•Thank you for the update! Just checked and mine is still not there, but feeling much better knowing they're actively processing them. Will keep an eye out!
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Gabrielle Dubois
Hey everyone, Tuesday morning update - my payment finally showed up at 6:30am today. Hope everyone else got theirs too!
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LilMama23
•Yes! Mine came through overnight as well. Thanks everyone for the help and support during the mini-panic. Glad it was just a short delay!
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