Washington Unemployment
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WA/OR combined wage claim not showing on ESD account - help needed
I'm so frustrated right now! I worked in both Washington and Oregon last year (9 months in Portland, then 4 months in Seattle). When I filed for unemployment in January, I checked the box for combined wage claim since I had income in both states. It's been 3 weeks now, and when I log into my WA ESD account, there's absolutely no indication that they're considering my Oregon wages. My benefit amount is crazy low based on just my Washington income. The weekly claim questionnaire doesn't mention anything about Oregon either. Has anyone successfully done a combined claim between WA and OR? How long does it typically take for the Oregon wages to show up? Should I be contacting Oregon's unemployment office too? I tried calling WA ESD but after 2 hours on hold I got disconnected. Starting to panic because rent is due soon and I was counting on the higher benefit amount from combining the wages.
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Called Governor's office after 6 weeks in adjudication - ESD finally paid my claim!
After being stuck in adjudication hell for 6 weeks with ZERO communication from ESD, I finally got desperate enough to call the Governor's office yesterday. My claim had been sitting with no movement since January 28th, and I was about to miss my second rent payment. The person I spoke with took down my info and said they'd contact ESD on my behalf. I was skeptical but literally THIS MORNING I woke up to find my payments had been processed overnight - all $4,250 backdated to when I first applied! If you're stuck waiting for months like I was, don't just sit around hoping - the Governor's office actually seems to have some pull with ESD. My landlord and credit card companies weren't willing to wait any longer... why should we have to?
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This is a useful tip that many claimants don't know about. A few points of clarification from someone who handles these cases: 1. The Governor's office doesn't actually process your claim faster; they submit what's called a "legislative inquiry" to ESD, which flags your claim for immediate review by a specialist. 2. This works best for claims stuck in processing limbo, not for claims with legitimate adjudication issues that need resolution. 3. The current adjudication backlog is approximately 4-6 weeks, which is actually improved from last year's 8-10 week backlog. 4. Always check your ESD portal first for any pending issues that might require your input. For those who prefer to speak directly with ESD but can't get through on the phones, state WorkSource offices can sometimes help, or services like Claimyr that help connect you with agents.
This is super helpful info! One question: if I have an "adjudication in progress" message, does that mean someone is actually working on my claim or just that it's sitting in a queue somewhere?
Suddenly disqualified for 2 weeks of UI benefits with no notice - need ESD direct contact
I'm at my wits end trying to get help with my husband's unemployment claim!! Everything was going smoothly - his claim was approved, he was filing weekly, and payments were coming through. Then OUT OF NOWHERE the last two weeks suddenly show "disqualified" status with ZERO explanation!! No letter, no message in eServices, nothing explaining why. We've called the regular ESD number like 20+ times but keep getting shuffled around in the automated system before being told "due to high call volume" blah blah and then disconnected. It's INFURIATING! Does anyone have a direct line to an actual HUMAN at ESD? Or some secret number that actually works? We need to figure out what happened and file an appeal if needed, but we can't even get that far without talking to someone. The mortgage is due next week and we were counting on those benefits. Any advice would save our sanity right now!! 🙏
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I had a very similar issue last month. After trying unsuccessfully to reach someone by phone for days, I went to my local WorkSource office in person. They couldn't directly fix my claim issues, but the staff member was able to submit an internal message to ESD on my behalf flagging my account for urgent review. Within 3 days, I received a call from an ESD adjudicator who explained the issue and helped resolve it. Might be worth trying if you live near a WorkSource office.
That's a great idea! There's a WorkSource office about 30 minutes from us. If we still can't get through on the phone, we'll try going there in person. At this point we just need SOMEONE to tell us what's going on. I'll try Claimyr first thing tomorrow, and if that doesn't work, WorkSource is our next stop. Thank you all for the suggestions!
One last thing to try: check if there's a new "Questionnaire" or "Fact-finding" item in his eServices account. Sometimes these don't trigger notifications but have deadlines. If you find one, complete it ASAP and call to let them know it's done. Also, even if your benefits are currently disqualified, KEEP FILING the weekly claims without interruption. If the disqualification is reversed (which happens often when it's a system error or misunderstanding), you can only get back-payments for weeks you properly filed claims for.
Yes, he's definitely continuing to file every week! We learned that lesson early on. I'll have him check for any hidden questionnaires again - the eServices site is so confusing with things buried in weird places. Really appreciate everyone's help with this!
Denied UI for "insubordination" - appeal filed but no hearing date yet from ESD - timeline?
I'm in a messy situation with my unemployment claim and could use some guidance. I was let go from my healthcare admin position and applied for benefits, but ESD denied my claim citing "insubordination" as the reason. This is absolutely retaliation for me reporting safety violations to management last month. I have emails, text messages, and written warnings that all started AFTER I made those reports. I requested an interview with the adjudicator to explain my side before they made a decision (even called and left messages twice), but they never contacted me. Just got the denial letter last week. I filed my appeal online immediately through eServices, got the confirmation number, but haven't received any information about a hearing date. Does anyone know what the timeline typically looks like for getting an appeal hearing scheduled with OAH? Are there any steps I should be taking while I wait? I'm getting really worried about finances since I wasn't expecting the denial. Thanks in advance for any advice!
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One more critical tip: When you get your hearing notice, it will tell you how to submit evidence. Make sure you share all evidence with both the Office of Administrative Hearings AND your former employer by the deadline (usually 1 week before). If you miss this step, the judge might not consider your evidence. Also, prepare a clear, chronological statement about what happened. Practice explaining your situation concisely - judges appreciate when you can present your case in an organized way without rambling. Focus on facts rather than emotions, even though I know this is a stressful situation. Good luck with your appeal!
Thank you so much for the additional advice. I hadn't thought about practicing my statement, but that makes perfect sense. I tend to get a bit scattered when I'm nervous, so I'll definitely write out my key points and timeline to reference during the hearing.
has anyone had their employer just not show up to the hearing? mine didn't bother coming to the call and the judge basically had to rule in my favor since they couldn't prove their case without being there lol
Yes! This happened to me as well. My former employer made a big deal about contesting my claim but then never showed up for the hearing. The judge still asked me questions about what happened, but without the employer there to present evidence of misconduct, I won by default. It's actually pretty common from what I've heard from others.
That would be amazing if they didn't show up, but knowing my former employer, they'll have their entire HR and legal team there. They're a large healthcare system and really don't want to pay unemployment claims. I'm going to prepare as if they'll be fully represented.
ESD claim stuck in adjudication after contract job ended - adjudication date changed to 02/07/24
I'm super stressed right now about my unemployment situation. My temp contract ended on 12/16/23 and I filed for ESD benefits the very next day (12/17/23). It's been weeks and my claim is still showing as 'pending' with no movement. I've never filed for unemployment before so I have no idea if this is normal or if something's wrong. The adjudication issue change date on my account recently updated to 02/07/24, but I don't know what that actually means? I tried calling ESD multiple times but couldn't get through to anyone. I even contacted the governor's office who said they'd "expedite my claim" but I haven't heard anything since. Does being on a contract job affect my chances of approval? I worked consistently for 8 months before the contract ended. I'm getting really anxious because rent is due soon and I have no income coming in. Anyone know how long adjudication typically takes or if there's anything else I should be doing?
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my claim took 9 weeks last year before getting approved. ESD is the worst. i heard they expedite things if you claim hardship like eviction notice or utility shutoff. maybe try that angle?
Please don't advise people to claim hardship if they don't have documentation to back it up. This can actually delay claims further if ESD requests proof that doesn't exist. Instead, OP should focus on providing clear documentation of their contract end date and continuing to file weekly claims while waiting.
Update: I uploaded my contract end documentation and then tried calling ESD again today. Still couldn't get through after 14 attempts. This is so frustrating! I'm starting to wonder if I should just give up and try finding another job ASAP even though I've been applying everywhere for weeks with no luck. The stress is making me physically ill at this point.
Don't give up on your claim! Definitely keep job hunting (that's required anyway), but you're entitled to those benefits if you qualify. The documentation upload should help, but honestly, getting through to an actual person at ESD is what usually gets things moving. That's why I ended up using that Claimyr service - pure desperation after weeks of trying. Whatever method you use, talking to an actual ESD agent is going to be your best bet at this point.
Omar Farouk
One other tip - if your claim is still not resolved after 6 weeks, you can request an "escalation" by sending a secure message through your ESD account. Go to the dashboard, click on "Send a message", then select "Claims Questions" from the dropdown. Explain that it's been X weeks since you filed a combined wage claim and there's still no update regarding your Oregon wages. Ask specifically for the claim to be escalated to a claims specialist. In the meantime, if you're facing financial hardship while waiting, be sure to indicate that as well. Sometimes they can expedite truly urgent cases.
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Freya Christensen
AuthorThank you for this tip! I'll definitely do that if I don't see any updates soon. I've been sending general messages but didn't specifically ask for escalation. Good to know about the financial hardship part too - I'll definitely mention that.
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AstroAlpha
Update: I checked the ESD handbook and found this official statement about combined wage claims: "Combined wage claims may take 30 business days or longer to process as we must wait for other states to transfer your wages." So unfortunately, your 3-week wait is still within the normal timeframe. I know it's frustrating, but at least according to their official guidance, you're not yet at the point where something has definitely gone wrong. Hang in there!
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Freya Christensen
AuthorThank you for finding this! It helps to know this delay is actually "normal" (even if it's ridiculous). I'll try to be more patient... but I might still try that Claimyr service if it goes much longer.
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