Washington Unemployment
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ESD claim suddenly pending with zero balance after job search dispute
Has anyone else had their ESD account suddenly flip to 'pending' with a zero balance right after getting paid? I finally received my unemployment payment last week (what a relief!) but this morning got a letter claiming I didn't enter job search activities for last week - even though they're definitely there in my submission history. Now this week's claim is showing as pending with a $0 balance. I'm freaking out because I just paid rent with my previous payment thinking my benefits were working normally. Anyone dealt with this bizarre job search accusation followed by a pending/zero balance issue? Do I need to call them or will it fix itself?
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ESD WorkSource appointment scheduling delays - what's normal in 2025?
I filed for UI benefits last week and got the message saying I need to schedule a WorkSource appointment. The online portal shows I'm required to do this but doesn't give me any timeline! It's been 8 days already and I'm getting nervous about compliance issues. How long should it normally take to get that first WorkSource appointment scheduled? Will I get disqualified if it takes too long? The ESD website is super vague about this and I REALLY can't afford to mess up my claim. Anyone gone through this recently?
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Has anyone done the virtual WorkSource appointments? Are those faster to get scheduled than in-person ones?
Virtual WorkSource appointments are generally scheduled in the same timeframe as in-person ones (2-3 weeks currently). However, they offer more flexibility with scheduling and can sometimes have slightly better availability. The content and requirements are identical to in-person orientations.
UPDATE: I used Claimyr this morning and got through to ESD in about 15 minutes! The agent confirmed my WorkSource appointment was actually scheduled for next Wednesday but the notification email had an error. She resent it right away. Such a relief to have this sorted out! Thanks everyone for your help and advice.
Awesome! Glad you got it figured out! Make sure you're prepared for the appointment - have your resume ready if you have one, and bring your job search log with your activities so far. Makes the whole process go smoother.
Need Governor's office phone number to escalate stuck ESD claim - best time to call?
Hi everyone, I've been dealing with my unemployment claim being stuck in the system for almost 6 weeks now. ESD isn't responding to any of my messages and I can't get through on their phone lines. Someone at WorkSource mentioned I could try escalating my case to the Governor's office as a last resort. Does anyone know what phone number to call for the Governor's office regarding ESD issues? And is there a best time of day to call when I might actually get through to someone who can help? Getting desperate here as my savings are nearly gone. Thanks in advance!
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I waited 9 WEEKS for my claim to move!!! Governor's office was no help at all for me. What finally worked was I sent a message through eServices every single day for a week straight, each time adding "Day X of message attempts" in the subject line. On day 7 someone finally called me. The squeaky wheel gets the grease sometimes!
I've sent 4 messages already over the past 6 weeks with no response. Did you say anything specific in your messages that seemed to finally get their attention?
I kept it simple but I was VERY specific about my hardship situation. I literally wrote about having to choose between medicine and food, and listed exactly what bills I couldn't pay because of their delay. I think the daily messages plus the escalating subject line ("Day 5 of urgent messages - facing eviction") finally got someone's attention. Good luck!
One more thing - when you call the Governor's office, ask them to create a "constituent services case number" for your inquiry. That way you can reference this case number in follow-up calls, which shows you're serious and keeping track. Follow up after 3-5 business days if you don't hear anything from ESD. The system works, but sometimes you need to be persistent and methodical.
Thank you! I'm definitely going to ask for that case number. I'll try calling tomorrow morning and update here if I have any luck getting through.
Will ESD overpayment take my portion of joint tax return? Just filed pandemic waiver
I'm so stressed about our tax situation this year! My husband received an ESD overpayment notice for $8,700 about 8 months ago. We think it's completely unfair - he reported everything correctly during the layoff period, but they're claiming he wasn't eligible for some weeks. We just submitted the pandemic overpayment waiver last week (they said review starts in 3-4 months). The big problem: We know ESD is going to intercept his tax refund through Treasury Offset. But this is our first year filing jointly as a married couple, and I'm expecting about $2,300 back on my portion. Will ESD take MY part of the refund too? Can we still file jointly without me losing my refund? And if the waiver gets approved later, does anyone know if they'll return the intercepted tax refund? We're considering filing separately just to protect my refund, but we'd lose some tax benefits. Any advice from someone who's dealt with this ESD/tax nightmare??
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One important thing to note - if the pandemic waiver is approved, ESD should return any money they've intercepted from tax refunds. But the timeline is unpredictable. I've seen it take anywhere from 2-8 months after waiver approval for refunds to be processed. Make sure you keep documentation of everything, including your tax returns and any communication from ESD about the waiver.
This. Documentation is key. My brother-in-law had his refund taken last year for an ESD overpayment, got the waiver approved in August, but had to call multiple times with proof of the offset before they finally refunded it in December.
Thank you everyone for the advice! We've decided to file separately this year to protect my refund, even though it'll cost us some tax benefits. We'll keep pursuing the pandemic waiver for his overpayment, but at least this way we'll have my refund for our immediate needs. I'm documenting EVERYTHING in case we need to fight for his refund later. This system is so frustrating!
Smart decision! Make sure you both carefully check your filing status on each return - they need to match (both filing as 'married filing separately'). And remember you'll each need to either both itemize deductions or both take the standard deduction when using this filing status.
Thanks for the tip! I didn't realize we both had to make the same choice about itemizing. This whole situation is so much more complicated than it needs to be.
Stuck in ESD adjudication for 8 weeks despite submitting all requested documents - what's next?
I'm absolutely at my wit's end with ESD. My claim has been in adjudication for 8 WEEKS now! I've sent in literally everything they've asked for - employment verification, separation documents, identity proof, the works. The most frustrating part? They even responded to my secure message last week confirming they've received all my documents, but still nothing has happened with my claim!\n\nMy situation is getting desperate. My cell service just got disconnected yesterday because I couldn't pay the bill, and my rent is due in 5 days with absolutely no way to pay it. I've already gone through the governor's office for an expedited request about 10 days ago but that hasn't seemed to help at all.\n\nI worked in healthcare administration for 3 years before being laid off due to department restructuring. Nothing complicated about my case at all. I understand they're dealing with a lot of claims, but when they have ALL the information they requested, how much longer could it possibly take?\n\nHas anyone dealt with this kind of ridiculous delay even AFTER they confirm having all your documents? Is there anything else I can do besides just wait until I'm homeless?
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Quick update - I contacted both my state representatives as suggested, and one of their offices actually called me this morning. They've assigned a caseworker who's going to contact ESD directly about my claim. They said they're seeing a lot of healthcare administration layoff claims stuck in verification right now because ESD is batch-processing them by industry. Apparently there was a large healthcare system that did layoffs, so they're checking all healthcare-related claims extra carefully. Still frustrating, but at least I have some explanation now.
Miranda Singer
Update to my earlier comment: Since you mentioned you're having trouble getting through on the phone, here are some additional tips: 1. Call right when they open at 8:00 AM (be dialing at 7:59) 2. If that doesn't work, try between 4:30-5:00 PM when call volumes sometimes drop 3. Use the online message center in your eServices account - specifically mention that you can prove your job search activities were entered correctly 4. If you have a WorkSource office nearby, visit in person as they sometimes can help resolve issues like this It's important to be persistent as this type of hold won't typically resolve itself without intervention. When you do reach someone, ask them to notate your account showing they've verified your job search activities to prevent this from happening again in future weeks.
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Ally Tailer
AuthorThanks for these additional tips. I'll try the early morning call tomorrow and also send a message through the portal tonight. Appreciate the help!
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Aliyah Debovski
any update? did u get thru to them?? im curious what happened cuz im worried this could happen to me too
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Ally Tailer
AuthorFinally got through this morning! You were all right - it was a system glitch. The agent could see my job search activities in their system even though the automated verification process flagged them as missing. They removed the hold and said my account should update with the correct balance within 48 hours. What a relief!
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