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your in adjudiation? that sucks, mine was stuck there 4 ever!! like 3 months!! and nobody told me why. i finally got paid after contacting my state rep AND the govs office. do both. the squeky wheel gets the greese!!!
Important tip based on your adjudication status: If you're able to get through to ESD, ask specifically for an adjudicator or claims specialist. The regular agents are limited in what they can do for adjudication cases. Also, with 8 weeks pending, you likely qualify for a hardship escalation. Make sure to mention the risk of utilities being shut off - that should get you a 72-hour escalation. Document everything - who you spoke with, date, time, what they promised, etc. You might need this information later if there are more delays.
The whole COVID unemployment tax situation was a MESS! Not only did they change rules midway, but then some states followed the federal exemption and others didn't! Washington eventually conformed to the federal exemption for 2020, but I had friends in other states who had to pay state tax even when they got the federal exemption. And don't even get me started on how ESD handled the tax documents - I got THREE different 1099-Gs for 2020 with different amounts!
Here's another important point: if you did have the $10,200 exemption in 2020 but didn't claim it (many people filed before the law passed in March 2021), the IRS was supposed to automatically adjust your return and issue refunds. Many people got these refunds in summer/fall 2021. If you were eligible but never received an adjustment for your 2020 return, you might want to check on that. The IRS had a huge backlog, so some adjustments may have fallen through the cracks.
have u tried the worksource office? sometimes they can help u talk to esd faster then doing it urself
Just checking back - were you able to contact OAH about expediting your hearing? Any progress with rental assistance?
Yes! I finally got through to OAH and submitted my hardship request with copies of the eviction notice. They said they'll try to schedule my hearing within 10 days. I also applied for emergency rental assistance through the county and they're processing my application. My landlord agreed to wait for the assistance determination before moving forward with eviction. It's still incredibly stressful, but at least there's some progress. Thank you all for the advice.
so wait im confused about this base year thing. if my benefit year ends 1/15/26 and i apply for a new claim on 1/16/26, what exactly is my base year? which months? the esd website explanation makes my head hurt
For a claim filed in January 2026, your base year would be October 2024 through September 2025. ESD always looks at the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file. So for your January 2026 application, the last five completed quarters would be: - Q4 2025 (Oct-Dec 2025) - this gets excluded as the most recent quarter - Q3 2025 (Jul-Sep 2025) - Q2 2025 (Apr-Jun 2025) - Q1 2025 (Jan-Mar 2025) - Q4 2024 (Oct-Dec 2024) Those last four quarters become your base year, and you need 680 hours of work within that period to qualify.
So after reading all your responses, I'm going to: 1. Apply for a new claim when my benefit year ends (but not expect much) 2. Contact DSHS about emergency assistance programs 3. Step up my WorkSource participation and ask about retraining options 4. Keep perfect records of my job search activities 5. Make sure my ESD account stays updated This isn't the news I was hoping for, but at least I'm not caught by surprise in December. I appreciate everyone taking the time to explain how this works. The ESD website should really be clearer about this stuff!
Emma Swift
Update: Just checked my account and it's moved from 'processing' to 'pending issue' overnight. Looks like I might be heading to adjudication too. This is so stressful. Does anyone know if I can still get backpay for these weeks if it takes a long time to resolve?
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Jayden Hill
•Yes, if your claim is eventually approved, you'll receive backpay for all eligible weeks (except the waiting week). Keep filing your weekly claims even while your claim is in adjudication or pending status. This is very important - if you stop filing weekly claims, you won't receive payment for those weeks even if your claim is eventually approved. Also check your ESD account alert/message center regularly, as they may request additional information.
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Lucy Lam
KEEP CALLING THEM!! The website updates are meaningless half the time. My claim was "pending" for weeks until I finally got through to someone who fixed it in like 5 minutes. Turns out it was just some stupid verification flag that could have been resolved immediately if they'd bothered to tell me about it. The whole system is designed to make people give up I swear.
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