ESD IS A COMPLETE DISASTER!!!! I won my appeal in 2023 and they STILL garnished my wages for THREE MONTHS after the judge ruled in my favor!!!! I had to hire an attorney who threatened to sue them for violating the Administrative Procedure Act before they finally fixed it and refunded all the money they wrongfully took. They are DELIBERATELY slow-walking these corrections because they want to keep collecting money even when they're legally not supposed to. The whole system is corrupt and they know exactly what they're doing. DOCUMENT EVERYTHING and if they intercept your tax refund, immediately file a formal complaint with the state Ombudsman's office AND contact your state representative. That's what finally worked for me.

Update: After reading all your advice, I tried calling the Collections number, but after 45 minutes on hold, I got disconnected. So I decided to try the WorkSource office route this morning. I arrived right when they opened, and though they initially said they couldn't help with ESD collection issues, when I showed them the OAH decision, one of the staff members was kind enough to make an internal call. She spoke to someone for about 10 minutes, and then told me they've put a 60-day hold on any collection activity while they process the OAH decision! She also gave me a direct email address for the collections department where I could send my OAH paperwork. I'm feeling much more hopeful now! I'll still include Form 8379 with my taxes just to be safe, but at least there's some movement. Thank you all for your help!

Just to update you on the current timeline expectations: I'm an employment counselor, and the adjudication backlog for ESD is currently averaging about 4-5 weeks for most separation issues. The department is understaffed since the post-COVID restructuring. While waiting: 1. Keep filing your weekly claims accurately 2. Check your ESD online account for any requests for information 3. Be especially careful with your job search activities - document everything 4. If you do get through by phone, ask them to note in your file that you're experiencing financial hardship The good news is that if your claim is approved, you'll receive all back payments for the weeks you've properly claimed.

Hey just wanted to say dont give up on the weekly claims even if it feels pointless. my buddy stopped doing them while in adjudication and when he finally got approved he didnt get any backpay for those missed weeks. big mistake!!

Thanks everyone for the advice! I've scheduled an appointment with WorkSource to discuss Training Benefits, and I'm going to try Claimyr to get through to ESD to ask about my specific situation. It sounds like regular extensions aren't available anymore, but at least there might be some options with the training route if I decide to go that way. I'll update this thread once I learn more in case it helps someone else.

Just wanted to add that if you're in tech, check out the TechPM program through WorkSource. My cousin did it when his UI was running out and it helped him transition from developer to product management. Not sure if it's still running but worth asking about!

Quick update for anyone following or who might be in a similar situation. I called the Governor's Constituent Services number this morning, and they took all my info. They said they'd submit an urgent inquiry to ESD on my behalf and I should hear something within 3-5 business days. I also called my local WorkSource office and they're submitting an escalation request too. Hoping between these two approaches, something will get my claim moving again. Will update when I hear anything!

FINAL UPDATE: Success! Less than 48 hours after contacting the Governor's office, I got a call from an ESD supervisor. She reviewed my case on the phone with me, I explained the childcare situation (it was a one-time emergency when my sister couldn't watch my kids), and she immediately cleared the adjudication flag! My status is now active again and I should receive back payments within 48 hours. THANK YOU to everyone who offered advice, especially about the Governor's Constituent Services number. That was the key to getting this resolved quickly!

Wait a second - am I the only one who didn't know you could file by phone? I've been using the website for months! How do you even set this up?

i did the phone thing last week and it still took 3 days to get paid so maybe its just random luck when we get our money lol. nothing about ESD makes any sense to me anyway

I think there's still some confusion here. The Working Families Tax Credit isn't an ESD program at all, so this might not be the best forum for getting accurate information. It's run entirely by the Washington State Department of Revenue, and they have their own customer service line (360-763-7300) specifically for WFTC questions. From their website, it looks like payments are scheduled to begin April 5th and continue through May. If you're waiting on a payment, you can check your status through your MyDOR account rather than calling ESD.

Has anyone actually received their 2025 payment yet??? Or are we all just waiting and speculating?? 😤

Just to add a bit more info - if your claim is approved and you're eligible for retroactive payments, sometimes those can be substantial. In that case, ESD might split payment between direct deposit and ReliaCard due to bank deposit limits, especially if you're receiving several weeks of benefits at once. This doesn't happen often, but it's another case where you might receive a card even with direct deposit set up.

One thing nobody mentioned - make sure to check your Correspondence preferences in your ESD account too. Sometimes payment method notifications get sent there rather than to your email, so you might miss important updates about how your payments will be processed. Just another thing to keep an eye on during the waiting period.

Just wanted to add that when you file the missed week, you'll see a question asking why you filed late. Be honest but concise - something like "I was helping my mother move and forgot to file on time" is sufficient. Also, for anyone reading this in the future - setting a weekly calendar reminder for filing claims can be a lifesaver! I do mine every Sunday at 10am, with an alarm on my phone.

Back in 2023 I totally forgot to file for like 3 weeks straight (mental health issues). When I finally remembered I was able to file for all 3 weeks, one after another on the same day. Everything processed normally, no adjudication or anything. But I did have to answer why I filed late for each one. So you should be fine with just one missed week!

lol i tried callin the govs office last year and got nowhere! guess it depends who answers the phone. congrats on getting paid tho!

For those who keep hitting roadblocks with ESD, there are a few other escalation options you can try: 1. Your state representative or senator's office (as someone mentioned) 2. The ESD Ombuds Office - they're independent from regular ESD 3. Legal aid organizations like Unemployment Law Project who can advise on complex cases 4. If you have evidence of a genuine mistake on ESD's part, sometimes the media can help (local news stations often have consumer problem-solver segments) The key with any of these approaches is to be clear, polite, and have all your documentation organized. Note down exactly when you filed, when you were disqualified, what reason was given, and all your attempts to resolve it. Also, make sure you continue filing your weekly claims even during a disqualification or adjudication period!

Does anyone know if this affects the loaded4u cards too or just direct deposit?

my cousin works at esd and said they're totally swamped right now with people calling about this exact issue... they get like thousands of calls every holiday about delayed payments. wish they'd just put a big notice on the website