when i had my appeal last year the judge let me submit new evidence at the hearing that i didnt include with my original appeal letter. so if you remember anything else helpful later you can still use it. also keep applying for jobs and document all that cuz they might ask about your job search during appeal too

One more thing I forgot to mention - if your appeal is denied, you can appeal AGAIN to the Commissioner's Review Office. I had to do this because I lost my first appeal, but won on the second level review. So even if the first appeal goes against you, don't give up! The higher level review often reverses decisions.

Update to my earlier comment - one specific thing that helped me with my TB approval was getting a letter from my community college's worker retraining office. They helped document that my field was declining and that my new training path had strong employment prospects. Most community colleges and technical schools have these offices specifically to help with ESD training programs. They know exactly what ESD is looking for in the applications.

That's a great idea! I'll reach out to Bellevue College's worker retraining office tomorrow and see if they can help with documentation. I didn't even think about that resource.

I used to work for ESD before switching careers, and here's what I can tell you: The phone system is programmed to automatically disconnect when the queue reaches capacity (usually around 200-250 callers). This is frustrating but actually more efficient than leaving people on hold for 5+ hours. For your specific availability issue, here's what you should do: 1. Call exactly at 7:58am when the phone lines open 2. When prompted, press 1 for claims, 3 for agent 3. If disconnected, immediately try again 4. Keep detailed notes of each call attempt (time, date, result) If you still can't get through after 3 days of attempts, document this thoroughly and include it with your appeal if you get disqualified. The OAH (Office of Administrative Hearings) judges will often consider your good-faith efforts to resolve issues when making determinations. Also, send a detailed message through eServices with all relevant information about your availability issue. Specifically request adjudication of this issue. Print a copy of this message for your records.

UPDATE: I tried the Claimyr service that someone mentioned above, and I ACTUALLY got through to a real person at ESD after weeks of trying! The representative was able to see that my adjudication was for my availability statement, and she updated my file with the correct information. She said the adjudicator should review it within 3-5 business days. Such a relief! Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions!

this happened to me to. i just started applying for jobs in portland even tho i live in vancouver. never would have taken them but who cares ESD just wants to see the numbers

Just to clarify some of the advice here: while expanding your search area is reasonable, be careful about applying for jobs you have absolutely no intention of accepting. If you're offered a position and refuse it without good cause, ESD can disqualify you for benefits. "Good cause" typically means the job is unsuitable for your skills/experience, pays substantially less than your previous work, or would require an unreasonable commute. What constitutes an "unreasonable commute" varies, but generally anything over 1 hour each way might qualify - though ESD evaluates this case-by-case. If you're applying for remote positions or jobs in other cities with the genuine willingness to relocate if offered, that's completely legitimate. I'd suggest focusing on quality rather than quantity in your job search activities. Three meaningful activities each week that actually advance your employment prospects are better than scrambling to hit the number with activities that won't lead anywhere.

i waited 2.5 weeks for my first payment but then all the other weeks came right away after that! hang in there

Just following up - any update on your claim? Did your payment go through?