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Hitting week 6 of adjudication - called Governor's office and got surprising ESD insights
So I'm sitting at week 6 of my unemployment claim being stuck in adjudication and I'm honestly at my wit's end. Filed on January 12, 2025 and it went into adjudication status around January 28th. I've tried calling ESD countless times but keep getting the dreaded 'high call volume' message before getting disconnected. Out of pure desperation yesterday, I called the Governor's office (didn't even know this was an option until I read about it on Reddit). Spoke with an incredibly helpful woman who shared some interesting info I thought might help others here: 1. She said they can now expedite claims after you've completed four weekly certifications 2. When the Governor's office puts in an expedite request, most claims get reviewed within 5-7 days 3. Get this - almost EVERY claim is going to adjudication now regardless of circumstances because of some data breach that happened back in 2023 4. Current wait times are running way beyond the 'standard' 6 weeks because they're severely understaffed The Governor's office rep actually told me way more than I ever got from calling ESD directly. She submitted my expedite request and told me to call back if I don't hear anything by next Friday. I'll update this thread when I get results. This forum has been a lifesaver for me the past month so wanted to share something potentially helpful!
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ESD denied my claim because of my 401(k) - is this legal?
I'm completely frustrated with ESD right now. I've been dealing with a severe medical condition that has left me bedridden for the past few months. My employer of 3 years informed me they were eliminating my position last month (convenient timing, right?). I immediately filed for unemployment since I'm still able to work remotely - I've been interviewing virtually for several remote positions within my field and am willing to shift roles if necessary. Here's the problem: ESD just disqualified me saying I have a retirement account with money in it. What?! It's MY personal 401(k) that I've been contributing to for years! How can they deny benefits because I was responsible enough to save for retirement? I've already filed an appeal but haven't heard anything back yet. I've also applied for Social Security Disability and Paid Family Medical Leave while I sort this out. I've worked enough qualifying hours across multiple employers to be eligible for UI benefits. Has anyone else had ESD deny them because of a retirement account? Is this even legal? What should I expect with the appeal process?
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Quick question - are you also applying for disability benefits while seeking unemployment? That might be another complication since unemployment requires you to be able and available for full-time work, while disability is for those who cannot work. Just something to consider if you're pursuing both simultaneously.
Yes, I am pursuing both, which might seem contradictory. My condition is complex - I'm currently bedridden but can still work remotely at my profession (I'm in digital marketing). My doctor supports this - I can work from home but cannot physically commute or sit in an office environment. I've been clear with ESD that I'm seeking remote work only. I have a consultation with a disability attorney after the holidays to better understand my options. It's definitely a complicated situation!
Based on your latest comment, I want to add something important: Make sure ESD understands your work limitations clearly. Being on standby for your previous employer might have been an option, but since your position was eliminated, you need to be specific about being able and available for suitable work that accommodates your medical condition. For your appeal, include a doctor's note that specifically states you can perform remote work in your field despite your medical condition. This helps address the "able and available" requirement while supporting your job search for remote-only positions. Regarding pursuing both unemployment and disability simultaneously - be very careful with this. If approved for SSDI, it could potentially create an overpayment situation with unemployment since the programs have conflicting requirements. Your disability attorney will help navigate this, but it's something to be aware of.
This is excellent advice. I'll get an updated note from my doctor specifically stating I can perform remote work despite my current limitations. I had no idea about the potential overpayment issue between SSDI and unemployment - I'll definitely discuss this with my disability attorney. I just want to make sure I have some income while I search for appropriate remote work. Thank you for the warning!
ESD claim stuck in processing for weeks - desperate for funds before job interview
I filed my unemployment claim with ESD over 3 weeks ago and it's STILL showing as 'processing' with no updates! Starting to panic because I have a job interview next Tuesday (which is great) but I literally have zero money for gas to get there after paying April rent. Beginning to think I made a huge mistake filing online instead of calling. The eServices dashboard just says 'processing' with no explanation of what's happening or timeline. Has anyone else been stuck in this limbo recently? Any tips to speed things up? I'm checking my account multiple times daily but nothing changes. 😔
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Just wanted to follow up - definitely contact the employer and explain your transportation situation. Many companies understand financial challenges during unemployment and might offer options like: 1. Virtual first interview 2. Interview location closer to public transportation 3. Some larger employers even have programs to help candidates with transportation costs It shows initiative on your part to problem-solve, which can actually make a positive impression. Don't let this opportunity slip away!
This is really smart advice, thank you! I hadn't even considered asking about a virtual interview. I'm going to email the hiring manager today and see if that's an option. Maybe they'd be open to a Zoom call for the first round at least. Thank you!
Just checking in - did u end up getting ur claim processed or finding a way to the interview? Hope things worked out ok
Small update: The company agreed to do a virtual first interview tomorrow! Still no movement on my claim but at least I won't miss this opportunity. If I get to the second round, I'll have to figure out transportation then, but this buys me some time. Thanks everyone for the advice and support!
ESD appeal timeline - what's your experience waiting for an unemployment hearing?
I just filed my appeal with ESD last week after being disqualified for 'voluntary quit' (even though I was basically forced out when they cut my hours to almost nothing). The notice says it could take up to 30 days just to get a hearing date scheduled! I'm seriously stressing about bills piling up during this wait. Has anyone actually gone through the entire appeal process recently? How long did it take from filing the appeal to actually getting a decision? Was your hearing over the phone or in person? Did you use any special documentation that helped your case? I've got text messages from my manager basically admitting they were trying to get me to quit by reducing hours - wondering if this will help. Just trying to figure out what to expect here and how to prepare while I'm in this waiting game nightmare. Any experiences would be super helpful!
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Just a heads up - my appeal hearing got rescheduled TWICE with only 24 hours notice each time. Be prepared for that possibility and keep your schedule flexible around your hearing date if possible.
Same happened to me! So annoying. Had to reschedule time off work twice, and my employer was getting suspicious why I needed random days off.
One more tip from my appeal experience: The judge will likely ask very specific questions about dates, times, and what exactly was said in conversations with your employer. Having a timeline document prepared with all these details organized chronologically made a huge difference in my hearing. I came across as credible because I could quickly reference exact dates and details without hesitation.
That's excellent advice! I'll start putting together a timeline document with all the key events - when my hours were first reduced, conversations with management, when I received the texts, etc. Better to be over-prepared than stumbling over details during the hearing.
Weekly claim confusion with DoorDash as 1099 contractor - dates not working
I'm completely stuck on my weekly claim and don't know how to proceed! I was doing gig work for both Spark and DoorDash as a 1099 contractor while waiting for my UI benefits to start. Now when I'm filing my weekly claim, the ESD system is showing DoorDash as an employer (even though I was never a W2 employee with them). The system is asking for my last day of work with them, which was August 17, 2025 - I stopped because I wasn't getting enough orders to make it worth my time and just focused on Spark until my unemployment got approved. But when I enter this date, the system gives me an error saying the date has to be during the week I'm claiming for. I haven't worked for DoorDash during the claim week at all! How am I supposed to answer this? Has anyone else dealt with 1099 gig work showing up as regular employment in the system?
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Update: I was able to get through to ESD yesterday! The agent explained that this is a common system issue with gig work. They had to manually reclassify DoorDash as self-employment in their system rather than a regular employer. Once they did that, I was able to complete my weekly claim properly without the date error. She also said I should report any future gig work earnings under the self-employment section of the weekly claim, not as regular employer income. Thank you all for your help!
Good to hear you got it fixed! Did they say anything about reviewing your previous weekly claims to make sure they were processed correctly? In my case they had to go back and fix several weeks.
Yes, they did review my previous weeks! The agent said everything looked correct since I hadn't been reporting any DoorDash income during those weeks (since I hadn't worked for them). But she said it's good I got it fixed now before it caused problems down the road. For anyone else dealing with this same issue - definitely call ESD directly and have them fix how your gig work is classified in their system!
Ethan Taylor
i been on unemployment since december and never had adjudication so i gues im lucky? every claim iv'e done just gets aproved automatically maybe bcause i worked at the same company for 7 years?
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Nia Jackson
You are indeed one of the lucky ones! Claims with long-term employment at a single employer with a clear layoff reason tend to have fewer flags in the system. It's claims with multiple employers in the base year, quits, or employer disputes that typically get flagged for adjudication under the new system.
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Luca Romano
I just wanted to thank you for posting this. I called the Governor's office this morning after reading your post (I'm on week 5 of adjudication), and they were super helpful. The person I spoke with took all my info and submitted an expedite request for me. She also explained that my specific issue was related to wage verification because I had worked in both Washington and Oregon during my base year. I've been so stressed about this, and it's the first time I've felt like I've made any progress. I'll update when I hear something. Thanks again!
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StarStrider
AuthorI'm so happy this helped you! The multi-state wage verification can definitely complicate things. When I spoke with the adjudicator, they mentioned those kinds of claims often take longer because they have to coordinate with other states. Fingers crossed you hear something soon!
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