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One more thing - if your appeal deadline has already passed, you can request a "good cause" exception for filing a late appeal. The same situation with your wife's hospitalization that prevented you from responding to their documentation request could potentially qualify as good cause for filing a late appeal. Make sure to submit medical documentation and be very specific about how it prevented you from meeting the deadlines.
This is correct. ESD does allow for late appeals in some circumstances. Be aware that the standard is fairly strict - they'll want to see that you were effectively unable to file on time, not just that it was difficult. Hospital documentation showing your wife was in critical condition and you were her primary caretaker would be ideal evidence. The fact that you were dealing with multiple family deaths plus a hospitalization creates a compelling case for extending deadlines.
my cousin works at a call center and says most ppl get denied at first just to see if theyll give up!! its like a test!! dont give up man
This isn't accurate. ESD doesn't deny claims as a "test" - they follow specific legal guidelines. Claims are denied when they don't meet the eligibility requirements based on the information provided. That said, many initial denials are overturned on appeal when additional information is presented or when the claimant clarifies misunderstandings about their situation.
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!
sounds like it went good!! the emails proving u asked for training is HUGE. that shows u were trying to follow the rules not break them. i bet u win!!
This sounds very promising. By providing documentation that contradicts their claim and showing you were proactive about following procedures, you've effectively countered their misconduct argument. The fact they didn't show up to defend their position or cross-examine you is definitely in your favor. Keep us posted on the outcome!
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.
CONGRATS!!! Such a relief, right? Now you can breathe again. Did they say how long until you actually get the backpay? For me it took about 5 business days after the decision.
Carmen Ruiz
I used that Claimyr service someone mentioned above when I was in appeal limbo. Got through to ESD in about 1.5 hours instead of days of redialing. The agent I spoke with actually helped me understand exactly what documentation I needed for my appeal. Totally worth it.
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Yuki Yamamoto
•That's good to hear another positive experience with that service. I think I'll give it a try tomorrow morning. At this point, anything that helps me talk to an actual person at ESD seems worth trying.
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Yuki Yamamoto
UPDATE: I finally got through to ESD this morning! The agent explained that I was disqualified because they needed verification of my work separation. Since I didn't respond to the February letter (which I never saw), they automatically disqualified me. She said I can either appeal OR submit the separation verification now through my eServices account. I'm going to try uploading my documentation today and see if that resolves it without needing a formal appeal. Will update again when I know more. Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions!
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Andre Lefebvre
•That's excellent news! Uploading the documentation is definitely the faster route. Even if you end up needing to appeal later, at least you've started the process of resolving it. Keep us posted!
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