Washington Unemployment
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Need Governor's office contact number for ESD claim stuck in limbo since March
Been trying to get my unemployment claim resolved for over 2 months now. ESD adjudication has me completely stuck - they keep saying they need to 'verify my work history' even though I've uploaded EVERYTHING twice already. I'm down to my last $230 and about to miss rent. Someone at WorkSource mentioned calling the Governor's office as a last resort? Does anyone know the actual number I need to call? Has anyone actually gotten results going this route? I'm desperate at this point.
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ESD Paid Family Leave nightmare - 7 weeks with no income after childbirth
I'm literally at my breaking point with the ESD Paid Family Medical Leave program. After waiting FOREVER to get approved for pregnancy/medical leave (which I only got 2 weeks of pay for??), I submitted my bonding claim right after my baby was born in early September. Baby is now 3 weeks old, I've been off work for almost 2 months, and still NOTHING from ESD on my bonding claim! I uploaded the birth certificate the day I got it. What more do they want?? I've called ESD over 30 times in the last week - either get disconnected or told the wait is 2+ hours. My savings is completely gone, can't pay October rent, and I'm panicking about how to buy diapers and formula. My job is holding my position but I can't go back for another month (c-section recovery). Wasn't PFML supposed to help parents, not destroy them financially?? What's the point of a program that takes so long to pay that you're facing eviction before getting a penny? Anyone else dealing with this nightmare or found ANY way to speed up the process?
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One other thing to know - once your bonding claim is approved, you'll need to file weekly claims just like with unemployment. Many people miss this step and wonder why their payments stopped. The system doesn't make this clear at all, but you need to log in each week to certify you're still on leave. The website to file weekly claims is different from where you submitted your initial application.
Wait really?? I didn't know this. Where do you go to file the weekly claims? Is it through the SecureAccess Washington portal or somewhere else?
Yes, you log into your PFML account through SecureAccess Washington, then look for the section that says "File a weekly claim." You'll need to do this every week during your approved leave period. You'll answer questions confirming you were on leave that week and not working. If you miss a week, you can file for past weeks, but it's easier to just stay on top of it once your claim is approved.
OK GREAT NEWS! I just checked my account and they expedited my claim! It shows as approved now with payment scheduled for tomorrow. HUGE relief. Thanks everyone for the help and support through this nightmare process!
ESD approved my overpayment waiver - will I get back the $4,000 I already repaid?
After an 8-month battle with ESD over what they called an 'overpayment,' I finally received notice yesterday that my waiver request was approved! Such a relief to have this resolved. Here's my situation though - I've already repaid about $4,000 toward this overpayment before the waiver was approved. Does anyone know if ESD automatically refunds money you've already paid once they approve a waiver? Or am I just supposed to be grateful they aren't collecting the remaining balance and move on? \n\nI did notice a random $83 deposit from Washington UI hit my account yesterday, but that's nowhere near the $4,000 I've paid. Has anyone been through this process and actually received back money they'd already paid after a waiver approval? Thanks for any insight!
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Just a quick update - I checked with a colleague who specializes in overpayment issues, and she confirmed that ESD is currently taking about 3-4 weeks to process refunds after waiver approvals. The small $83 deposit is likely what they call a \
ESD taking forever on pandemic overpayment refund - already 6 months pending!
I'm at my wit's end with ESD overpayment drama! In 2021, I had to repay about $5,800 in benefits because ESD claimed I never submitted my documentation (even though I sent it MULTIPLE times and even had a hearing with an OAH judge). I paid everything back just to be done with it, despite being legitimately unemployed during that period. Fast forward to 2025 - I started claiming unemployment again 6 months ago, and ESD said they would dismiss my previous case and refund the money I wrongfully paid back during the pandemic. Well, it's been SIX MONTHS with my refund claim still showing as "pending review" with zero updates! Has anyone dealt with these ridiculous overpayment refund timelines? I desperately need this money back - I just started a new job but I'm so far behind on bills after my UI benefits stopped. Rent is due next week and I'm seriously struggling. Why does ESD take forever on everything?! 😵💫
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btw when i finally got my refund they included interest!!! not much like $180 on my $7k but better than nothing i guess. just thought ud want to know
Well that's something at least! Though at this point I'd gladly give up any interest just to get the principal back ASAP. Thanks for letting me know though.
UPDATE: I wanted to let everyone know I finally made progress! I used Claimyr this morning and actually got through to a real person at ESD in about 15 minutes. The claims specialist confirmed my refund was still just sitting in the review queue with no action. She flagged it for hardship review after I explained my situation with rent and submitted the hardship form. She said I should hear something within 2-3 weeks now instead of months. HUGE relief! Will update again when/if I actually get the money. Thank you all for the advice!
That's excellent news! The hardship review process definitely helps speed things up. Just make sure to check your eServices account daily for any requests for additional information - they sometimes need more documentation during the expedited review, and missing those requests can delay things further. Fingers crossed you get your money soon!
ESD overpayment includes taxes I already paid - double taxation issue?
I'm dealing with a frustrating tax issue on my ESD overpayment and wondering if anyone else has experienced this. When I originally received unemployment benefits, I chose to have taxes withheld upfront (the 10% federal withholding option). Now ESD says I was overpaid about $2,750 and wants the entire amount back including the portion that was already sent to the IRS as tax withholding! This feels like I'm being taxed twice - once when they withheld from my original payments, and now again because the repayment amount includes those withheld taxes. Shouldn't the overpayment amount be reduced by the taxes they already took out? I've tried calling ESD 4 times this week but keep getting disconnected. Has anyone dealt with this tax withholding issue on overpayments and found a solution?
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guys my overpayment is like $6700 and im FREAKING OUT... does anyone know if they'll do a payment plan or am i just screwed???
Yes, ESD will definitely work with you on a payment plan. When you call about your overpayment, ask about their repayment options. They can usually set up monthly payments based on what you can afford. They can also potentially waive some or all of the overpayment if it would cause you financial hardship - you'd need to request a hardship waiver form.
Update: I FINALLY got through to someone at ESD yesterday after trying for over a week. The regular agent didn't understand the tax withholding issue at all and kept saying I had to pay the full amount. But I asked to speak with someone in the "Benefits Accuracy and Integrity" unit like @UnemploymentExpert suggested, and they transferred me. The specialist immediately knew what I was talking about! She said it's a common problem with their system and reduced my overpayment amount by the tax withholding portion (about $275). She's sending me updated paperwork showing the correct amount. Thank you all for your help - especially the specific terminology to use. Made all the difference!
Miguel Silva
I wanted to follow up on my earlier comment about WorkSource escalation. When you go to WorkSource, you need to specifically ask for an "UI Liaison" or "ESD Specialist" - not all WorkSource staff have the same level of access to ESD systems. These specialists have direct channels to the adjudication teams. Make sure to bring all your claim information, including your claim ID number and a list of all documents you've already submitted. This approach helped me get my claim unstuck after weeks of frustration.
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StarSailor
AuthorThis is incredibly helpful - thank you! I'm going to my local WorkSource tomorrow and will specifically ask for the UI Liaison. I'll update here if I get any results.
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Dmitry Ivanov
Any update on your situation? Did you try any of these approaches yet? I'm curious which route worked for you since I know several people in similar situations right now.
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StarSailor
AuthorSo I've tried a few things from the advice here. I went to WorkSource and asked for the UI Liaison like someone suggested. They actually had me talk to someone who seemed more knowledgeable. They submitted some kind of internal ticket for me. I also emailed my state rep yesterday but haven't heard back yet. I'm going to try Claimyr tomorrow if I still don't get anywhere. Will definitely update once something works!
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