UPDATE: I got through the line! Turns out I had an old claim from 2022 that was marked Ineligible because they never verified my ID back then. I've now submitted my ID verification and once that gets cleared, they said they'll re-evaluate the disqualified weekly claims. The agent was actually super helpful once I finally reached someone. Fingers crossed this doesn't take too long to resolve. Thanks everyone for your suggestions!

To answer those asking how I got through: I tried that Claimyr service that someone mentioned above. Honestly, after weeks of frustration, it was worth it to finally talk to someone who could help. The ESD agent told me it could take 5-7 business days for the ID verification to process, then another few days for them to review my disqualified weeks. At least now I know what's going on!

The overpayment waiver process has specific timelines that ESD is supposed to follow. According to WAC 192-220-030, they should make a determination within a reasonable time. Ten months is definitely excessive and indicates your claim may have fallen through the cracks. I'd recommend three things: 1. Call ESD directly and request a status update. Ask for your case to be escalated due to the extended wait time. 2. If calling doesn't work, submit a formal written inquiry through your eServices message center. This creates a paper trail. 3. If all else fails, contact your state representative's office. They often have constituent services that can help with ESD issues. Also, make sure to continue filing your current unemployment claims properly while this older issue is being resolved. The two matters are technically separate in ESD's systems.

UPDATE: I finally got through to ESD this morning after trying since 8am! The agent found my file and said there's actually a SYSTEM GLITCH that's been affecting some waiver requests where they get stuck in the system without being assigned to a claims specialist for review. She's escalated my case and said I should hear something within 5-7 business days. She also added a note that it's been pending an excessive amount of time. For anyone else dealing with this - CALL THEM! Don't just wait like I was doing!

Just wanted to follow up - did your payment arrive? I'm in a similar situation and trying to gauge timing.

Yes! It came through exactly 42 hours after the status changed to paid. It was one lump sum for all 9 weeks minus taxes. Such a relief! If yours shows paid, it should be very soon!

Wait i'm confused... if you're not looking for work right now why even worry about the appeal? You said you stopped filing claims because you're not job hunting anymore, so you wouldn't be eligible for benefits anyway at this point, right? Or are you hoping to get retroactive payments for those 8 weeks you claimed after quitting?

One last thing to consider: if your appeal is successful and you get benefits for those 8 weeks, that could trigger an overpayment notice for any benefits you received after your contract job ended, if those were calculated on a new claim. ESD might determine you were double-dipping (using the same employment hours for two different benefit periods). This is why understanding if your contract job created a new benefit year is so important.

Just to clarify something important - when you complete your weekly claim, there's a question that asks if you were able and available for work each day. The correct approach for your situation would be to answer 'Yes' to this question IF you were genuinely able to accept work (meaning you could return from your trip if offered a job) and were checking for employment communications. Don't overthink what 'able and available' means - it's about your willingness and capability to accept suitable employment if offered, not about your physical location at every moment.

so how did it go? did u get ur car and was ur claim ok?