did your husband recently change his name or anything? my cousin had something similar happen after she got married and changed her last name. ESD had her old and new name as different people somehow and it was a total mess!

After reading through this thread, I want to clarify something important: This is almost certainly a database association error, not identity theft. ESD's wage record system occasionally creates erroneous employer associations when processing quarterly wage reports, especially with similar SSNs or data entry errors. The good news is that once your husband speaks with a claims specialist, the resolution process is straightforward. The specialist will verify his identity, confirm which employers are legitimate, then remove the incorrect associations manually in the system. After that, the claim will be released from adjudication and processed normally. To expedite this, have the following ready when he calls: 1. His ID and SSN card 2. W-2s from his legitimate employer 3. A list of the incorrect employers shown on his claim 4. The approximate date when this issue occurred previously And as others have mentioned, he absolutely must continue filing weekly claims during this process.

Update: I had my hearing yesterday and my employer didn't show up! The judge was really thorough though and asked me a ton of questions about the circumstances of my termination. They had the written statement from my employer claiming I ignored safety protocols, but I was able to explain that I'd actually requested additional training on the new procedures multiple times (and had emails to prove it). The judge seemed pretty receptive, but said I'll get the decision in 7-10 days. Fingers crossed!

Final update: I WON MY APPEAL!!! The decision came in the mail today - the judge ruled that my employer failed to establish that my actions constituted misconduct as defined under Washington unemployment law. I'll be getting backpay for all 10 weeks I've been waiting (about $6,240). Thank you all so much for your advice and support. For anyone else going through this, definitely bring all documentation and be prepared to clearly explain your side even if the employer doesn't show up.

After seeing all these replies, I wanted to share what finally worked for me. I used Claimyr to get through to ESD after wasting days trying to call myself. It costs money but was worth it - I got through in like 30 minutes instead of days of calling. Once I finally talked to an actual person at ESD, they cleared the fraud hold in minutes. Still took about 5 days for the payment to process though.

UPDATE: I wanted to share what's working for me so far. I followed the security escalation advice with SAW and they put a special block on my account. Then I used Claimyr this morning to get through to ESD (it actually worked!) and got connected with an agent who specializes in fraud cases. She verified my identity over the phone and is expediting my case. Said payments should resume in 3-5 business days if everything checks out. THANK YOU everyone for your help - this community literally saved me from eviction!

We were in adjudication for FIVE MONTHS last year for a "able and available" issue because my wife had surgery right before our seasonal layoff. had to sell our second car just to make it thru. finally got all backpay but the stress nearly killed us my best advice: document EVERYTHING. dates times names of who u talk to. and keep filing weekly claims even while in adjudication. if u miss even 1 weekly claim during adjudication it can reset the whole thing ask me how i know lol

Based on all the comments and your situation, here's a summary action plan that might help: 1. Keep filing weekly claims without fail 2. Ask your employer to contact ESD to verify your employment status 3. Reference your previous claim/verification in secure messages 4. Consider the Claimyr service others mentioned to get through to an agent 5. Request hardship acceleration if you're 2-3 weeks in with no progress 6. Double-check that your ID documents are perfectly clear and complete 7. Look into emergency rental assistance programs as a backup plan Most importantly, the 10-week timeframe you experienced last year isn't the norm now. The system has improved significantly for identity verification cases. The current 3-4 week average should give you some hope.

did u make sure ur doing all ur job search requirements? my buddy got denied 4 weeks straight bc he wasnt logging his job searches right

UPDATE: I got through!!! Used Claimyr and was connected to an ESD agent in about 25 minutes. Turns out there was a weird flag on my account because my previous claim from 2023 hadn't been properly closed in their system. The agent was able to fix it right away and process all my denied weeks. She said the payments should hit my account in 48-72 hours. So relieved! Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions.