


Ask the community...
Just to follow up on my earlier comment - definitely do both the email AND the secure message like others suggested. Belt and suspenders approach is best with ESD. And make sure to check your spam folder for responses too. Their emails sometimes end up there.
Update: I sent both an email to the recovery address AND a secure message through eServices yesterday morning. Just got a response to my email confirming they've received my withdrawal request and will process it within 5-7 business days! Thanks everyone for your help with this. Such a relief to have it in progress!
Great to hear! Make sure to keep an eye on your online account over the next few weeks to confirm the status reverts back properly. Sometimes there can be system delays in updating the portal even after they've processed your request internally.
Based on my experience with ESD overpayments, here's what I'd recommend:\n\n1. Contact your state representative immediately (as others suggested)\n2. Set up a minimal payment plan to unfreeze your pending claims (even $10/month is enough)\n3. Request a formal overpayment itemization in writing\n4. File a complaint with the Washington State Office of the Attorney General (they have an online form)\n5. Keep filing your weekly claims even while this is being resolved\n\nESD's overpayment system is deeply flawed, but I've seen people successfully get these reversed with persistence and the right pressure points. Don't give up!
I'm an unemployment advocate, and I've seen this exact issue many times. The problem is that the ESD computer system sometimes incorrectly applies a disqualification from one employer to the entire claim. This is especially true when both separations happened close together. Two important points: 1. You are absolutely entitled to benefits based on your eligible employment (the marketing job). 2. This is 100% a technical issue that requires a claims specialist to manually review and correct in the system. The fastest resolution would be speaking directly with a claims specialist who can see both determinations and fix the payment status. Once corrected, your back payments should be processed within 48-72 hours typically. If you can't get through on the phone, try the Technical Support line (different from the regular claims line) early in the morning (right when they open). They often have shorter wait times and can transfer you to a claims specialist.
Thank you for confirming this! It's reassuring to know I'm not misunderstanding my eligibility. I'll try the Technical Support line first thing tomorrow morning. If that doesn't work, I might try the Claimyr service someone mentioned above - at this point I'm desperate enough to try anything that might work.
UPDATE: I finally got through to ESD this morning using the Claimyr service someone recommended here. The claims specialist confirmed exactly what you all suspected - the system incorrectly applied the disqualification from my art studio job to my entire claim! The specialist was able to fix it right on the call and said my back payments should process within 3-5 business days. She also said I should see the status change from "disqualified" to "paid" in eServices within 24 hours. Thank you all SO MUCH for your help and advice. This has been such a stressful two months, and I'm incredibly relieved to know I'll finally be receiving the benefits I'm entitled to.
Since you were laid off and have documentation, I suspect this might be a verification or technical issue rather than a substantive problem with your claim. A few more suggestions:\n\n1. Check if the wages reported in your claim match what you actually earned - discrepancies can trigger reviews\n2. Make sure your identity verification (ID.me) is complete\n3. Double-check that your contact information is correct in the system\n4. Look for any correspondence in your eServices message center\n\nIf you get through to a representative, ask specifically if your claim is in adjudication and if so, what issue is being adjudicated. Also ask if there's anything you can do to expedite the process given your financial hardship.\n\nHang in there - the system is frustrating but persistence usually pays off eventually.
Thanks for the detailed checklist. I've confirmed all of these items seem to be in order. I completed ID.me verification right away, my wages match my W-2s, contact info is correct, and there are no messages in my inbox. That's what makes this so frustrating - there's no indication of any problem! I'm going to try calling first thing tomorrow and if that fails, I'll reach out to my state representative. I really appreciate everyone's help and suggestions.
Keith Davidson
i forgot to say my friend missed a week once and she called ESD right away and they let her backfile for the missed week. BUT she had to call within like 3 days of missing it and had a good excuse (she was in the hospital). so if he does miss a week don't give up, call them asap!!
0 coins
Jay Lincoln
I had the same issue last summer when I filed. The weekly claim button didn't show up until about 10 days after my initial application. Something about how their system processes new claims. But heres the weird thing - when it finally appeared, I was able to backfile for the week I thought I missed! So don't panic yet, just keep checking every day. The ESD systems are really outdated lol.
0 coins
Taylor Chen
•This is correct - there's often a processing period after the initial application before weekly claims become available. The system should allow backfiling for those initial weeks once the claim is fully processed. However, after that initial period, weekly claims must be filed on time every week.
0 coins