Washington Unemployment
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ESD appeals - need governor's office contact info for claim stuck in limbo
I've been fighting with ESD for over 2 months about my denied benefits, and I'm at my wit's end. My adjudicator clearly made a mistake (said I quit when I was actually laid off), and my appeal hearing isn't scheduled for ANOTHER 6 weeks! I can't wait that long - bills are piling up and I've heard that contacting the governor's office can sometimes help speed things along or at least get someone at ESD to actually look at your case. Someone at WorkSource mentioned this worked for them, but they didn't give me the specific number or who to ask for. Has anyone successfully done this? What number did you call and which department/person should I ask to speak with? Any help would be seriously appreciated!
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ESD success story: Unemployment approved after 7 weeks of adjudication!
Just wanted to share a small victory here! After 7 long weeks of stressing out about bills and being stuck in adjudication, my unemployment claim was FINALLY approved yesterday! The ESD representative told me my back pay (about $4,850) should hit my account by next Wednesday. For those still waiting - don't give up! I almost did. My claim was held up because my former employer (construction company) contested my hours and said I was terminated for misconduct (completely false - they had a slowdown and laid off 3 of us). I submitted every email, text and performance review I had to prove my case. Anyone else had success with getting through adjudication recently? The waiting game was absolutely brutal, but the relief now is unreal!
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my brother in law waited 12 weeks last year and then got denied anyway so consider yourself lucky! the whole system is designed to make people give up i swear.
Quick update on my similar situation - I actually just got my approval today! Only took 4 weeks total in adjudication. I think what helped was I called and spoke with an ESD rep last week who noticed my employer hadn't responded to their inquiry yet, so they pushed it through without waiting any longer. For anyone stuck in adjudication, it might be worth calling to check if they're still waiting on something that could be expedited.
That's awesome news! Congrats! And great tip about calling to check on the status - I wish I had done that earlier in the process.
ESD eServices keeps locking me out every Sunday - will this affect my weekly claim?
Is anyone else constantly getting locked out of their ESD account? This is the third time in a month I've been locked out while trying to file my weekly claim. Now I can't log in AT ALL and it says I need to call the 800 number... which of course isn't open on Sundays! I need to file my claim for last week but I'm worried the system won't let me do it tomorrow if I can't get my account unlocked. Has anyone dealt with this before? Will I lose my benefits if I can't file until Tuesday? I'm really stressing about this because I can't afford to miss a payment right now.
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this happens to me ALL THE TIME and ive learned a trick! try using incognito mode on yr browser, sometimes its just weird cookie issues. also make sure ur using the right login page - theres like 3 different ESD pages and only one works right. heres what i do: 1) clear browser 2) use incognito 3) go directly to secure.esd.wa.gov not the main esd page 4) use the SAW login not eservices directly sometims the system is just down on sundays for maintenance tho
Thank you! I'm going to try the incognito mode thing right now. I didn't realize there were different login pages - that might be part of my problem. I've probably been going to the wrong one!
lemme know if it works! also write down yr username somewhere safe cuz i swear they make it confusing on purpose lol. my claim examiner told me they do system updates on weekends sometimes which is WHY ARE THEY DOING UPDATES WHEN PEOPLE NEED TO FILE CLAIMS?? makes no sense
UPDATE: I tried the incognito mode suggestion and it didn't work, but I called right at 8:00 AM and actually got through after only waiting 25 minutes! The agent said my account had a security flag because I was switching between my phone and public library computer. She removed the lock and walked me through the correct way to log in. Just filed my claim successfully! Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions.
Week 5 of ESD adjudication with no answer - when will I get a decision or payment?
I'm completely lost in this unemployment process. I applied for UI benefits 5 weeks ago and I'm still stuck in the adjudication phase with absolutely no updates. I've submitted my weekly claims religiously every week, completed all the required 3 job search activities, and documented everything perfectly. It's been complete radio silence from ESD - I sent them a message through eServices over 2 weeks ago and haven't heard anything back. My savings are almost gone and I'm starting to panic about bills. Is this normal??? How long does adjudication typically take before they make a decision? Is there any way to actually get in touch with a real human at ESD who can tell me what's happening with my claim? I've never been on unemployment before so I have no idea if I'm doing something wrong or if this is just how the system works.
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To follow up on my earlier comment - yes, when I finally got through to an agent, they resolved my issue immediately. The agent told me they had been waiting for verification from my previous employer, but they never received it. The agent was able to make some calls and verify my employment details right then, and my claim was approved the next day. Payments for all back weeks showed up in my account about 3 days later. Seriously though, the key is getting through to an actual person at ESD who can look at your specific claim details and take action.
That's really encouraging to hear! I'll definitely try to get through to someone. It's crazy that they can just leave people hanging for weeks with no information or income.
Has anyone used Unemployment Law Project for ESD appeal? Need advice ASAP!
I just got my disqualification letter from ESD saying I was terminated for misconduct, which is completely FALSE. My manager had it out for me from day one and made up reasons to fire me after I reported unsafe working conditions at the warehouse. I have my appeal hearing with OAH scheduled in 11 days and I'm completely freaking out. I've never done anything like this before. Has anyone used the Unemployment Law Project for representation? Are they worth contacting? I'm afraid I'll mess everything up if I try to represent myself, but I can't afford a regular attorney. My savings are almost gone after 6 weeks without benefits. Any advice would be really appreciated!
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Has anyone else noticed that ESD seems to be automatically denying more claims lately?? My sister and two friends all got disqualified for ridiculous reasons in the past few months. One of them used ULP and won her appeal, the other is still waiting. Seems like they're trying to save money by hoping people don't appeal disqualifications!! Anyway good luck with your case OP!
This is actually a common misconception. ESD adjudicators don't have denial quotas or incentives to deny claims. What's happened is that with the new ESD computer system implemented in late 2024, there are more automated flags that trigger investigations, which can lead to more initial denials. However, the appeal success rate has remained fairly consistent at around 30-35% over the past several years.
UPDATE: I just got off the phone with ULP and they're going to represent me! Even though my hearing is soon, they said they could help. They're sending me a questionnaire to fill out and then will prep with me before the hearing. I'm so relieved! Thank you all for your advice and encouragement (except for the doom and gloom lol). I'll update again after my hearing.
Great news! Make sure to follow their advice exactly and gather all the documents they request. Good luck!
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Felicity Bud
NOT THE GOVERNORS OFFICE!!!! Call your state rep instead!!! I waited 2 weeks for gov office to do nothing, then called my state rep and had help in 3 days!!!!!
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Max Reyes
This is good advice. Both can help, but in my experience, state representatives often have dedicated staff who work specifically on unemployment issues and may have established relationships with ESD contacts. The governor's office tends to handle a much broader range of issues and may not be as specialized with ESD problems.
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Felix Grigori
Just an update since I replied earlier - when I called the governor's office, I made sure to emphasize that I had already tried all normal channels and was facing financial hardship due to the wait. That seemed to help get their attention. Also, follow up with an email summarizing your situation after the call. Documentation of your attempts to resolve this will help your case.
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Savannah Glover
AuthorThanks for the follow-up! That's really helpful to know. I'll definitely send an email after calling. I'm concerned they'll just tell me to wait for my appeal hearing, but emphasizing the financial hardship is smart - I literally can't pay my mortgage next month if this doesn't get resolved.
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