For anyone still struggling to get through to Washington ESD for claim status updates, I can't recommend Claimyr enough. They connect you directly to an agent without the usual runaround. Really wish I had known about it sooner when I was dealing with my claim issues.

I went through this exact same anxiety when I filed my claim a few months ago. The waiting period is definitely the hardest part! In my experience, you'll know your claim is approved when you see three key things in your eServices account: 1) Your weekly benefit amount appears in the Payment Information section, 2) Your benefit year dates show up, and 3) You can access the weekly claim filing option. The determination letter usually arrives within 10-14 business days and will give you all the official details. Try not to stress too much - 10 days is still well within the normal timeframe. Most claims that don't have major issues get approved around the 2-week mark.

Thanks for checking back! Good news - the form finally appeared in my account this morning under 'Additional Information Requested' like someone suggested. I've filled it out and submitted it online. The whole process took like 5 minutes once I actually found it. What a relief!

That's awesome that you found it! I'm dealing with a similar situation right now and this whole thread has been super helpful. It's so typical of ESD to say "you can do this online" but then make it nearly impossible to actually find WHERE online. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - definitely going to check that "Additional Information Requested" section first thing tomorrow morning!

One last tip for anyone reading this later - if you do try for backdating, make your request as soon as possible after filing your initial claim. The longer you wait, the harder it gets to justify.

This is such valuable information! I'm actually going through something similar right now - filed about 2 weeks late because I was dealing with my mom being in the hospital and honestly just didn't know the process. Reading through everyone's experiences here, it sounds like medical emergencies might count as good cause? Has anyone had success with family medical situations as justification for backdating delays?

I'm on week 6 of pending status and feeling completely defeated. Reading through everyone's experiences here has given me some hope though - knowing that people are eventually getting through and getting their backpay is keeping me going. I tried the "payment status" option this morning at exactly 8am and actually got into a queue! Unfortunately after waiting 2 hours and 15 minutes, the call just disconnected. I nearly threw my phone across the room. But I also checked my Notices/Letters section after seeing that tip here and found a request for wage verification from 2 weeks ago that I somehow missed. I've uploaded everything they asked for and crossing my fingers this helps move things along. For anyone still fighting this battle - one thing that's helped my sanity is keeping a detailed log of every attempt I make (calls, messages, uploads, etc.) with dates and times. If nothing else, it makes me feel like I'm doing something productive, and I figure it might be useful when I finally do get through to someone. This system is absolutely broken, but seeing everyone here supporting each other and sharing what works gives me hope. We shouldn't have to become experts in gaming a dysfunctional system just to get the benefits we're entitled to, but here we are. Keep fighting everyone!

I'm currently on week 4 of pending status and this thread has been incredibly helpful - thank you all for sharing your experiences and tips! I've been doing the daily 8am call routine with no luck, but after reading through everyone's advice I'm going to try several new approaches: 1. Switching to "payment status" instead of "claim status" when calling 2. Checking my Notices/Letters section thoroughly (haven't looked there in weeks) 3. Reaching out to my state representative 4. Trying the 7:58am call timing trick The most valuable thing I'm taking from this discussion is that I need to be more proactive about checking for missing documentation requests. It seems like a lot of people discover they missed some critical notice that was holding up their entire claim. It's both reassuring and frustrating to see that this is such a widespread problem. We're all just trying to get the benefits we've paid into and are legally entitled to. The fact that we have to become amateur detectives and develop elaborate strategies just to access basic unemployment services is completely ridiculous. For anyone else reading this who's stuck in pending hell - keep filing those weekly claims no matter what, and don't give up. Based on what I'm seeing here, persistence and trying multiple approaches eventually pays off. We'll get through this!

Final update - I ended up using Claimyr and got my PIN reset this morning! The whole process took maybe 25 minutes total and now I can file my weekly claim. Thanks everyone for the help and suggestions. This forum is a lifesaver.

This thread is so helpful! I've been dealing with the same PIN issue for the past week. Just tried the Claimyr service that multiple people mentioned and it actually worked - got connected to a Washington ESD agent in about 15 minutes and they reset my PIN on the spot. Definitely worth trying if you're stuck in phone hell like I was. The demo video someone linked really helped me understand how it works too.