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After seeing your update about getting disconnected multiple times, I really do recommend trying Claimyr. I was in the same boat - disconnected constantly, couldn't get through for weeks. It's frustrating that we have to use a service just to reach a government agency, but it saved me so much stress. The peace of mind from actually talking to someone was worth it. Regarding collections - they typically don't start aggressive collections during an appeal, but they may send you notices. Make sure to respond to those notices by stating you have an appeal pending. Keep documentation of everything.
Since you mentioned childcare issues, I want to add some specific advice for your appeal: 1. Washington state actually has a "parental obligation" provision that can allow for reasonable childcare-related restrictions. Emphasize this in your hearing. 2. When explaining your situation to the judge, be very specific about your overall availability. For example: "I'm available to work 38 out of 40 standard hours in my industry. My only restriction is Sunday 9am-12pm due to temporary childcare issues." 3. Bring documentation of your efforts to secure alternative childcare for those hours. 4. Be prepared to explain why this restriction doesn't significantly impact your employability in your field. The key is showing that your restriction is both reasonable and doesn't substantially diminish your ability to accept suitable work. Given that yours is just Sunday morning and temporary, you have a good chance of winning your appeal if presented properly.
Anyone seen their payment status change from "processing" to "pending"? Mine just switched and I'm not sure if that's good or bad...
UPDATE: Got through to ESD this morning! The "Ability Issue" was because I answered a question wrong on my initial application about being able to work. The rep cleared it on the spot and said my payments should process in 24-48 hours. She also said they're seeing a lot of minor issues like this holding up claims. If you're stuck in processing, definitely try to get through to a rep!
I filed my claim last Sunday at 4am and still haven't received my payment. Status just says "processing" - is that normal? Should I be worried? This is only my second week on unemployment.
If it's still showing "processing" after more than 3 business days, I would recommend calling ESD to check if there's an issue. New claims sometimes have additional verification steps that can delay the first few payments. It could be a simple verification issue or something that needs adjudication. Did you receive your first payment without any problems? And have you verified your identity through ID.me yet? Those are common issues for new claims.
Just tried calling ESD to ask about my delayed payment and got the "high call volume" message for the 5th time today! How is ANYONE supposed to get through to them?? This is so frustrating!
DON'T BOTHER with their regular line - COMPLETE WASTE OF TIME!! I called 47 times yesterday and never got through. Their phone system is DELIBERATELY designed to prevent people from reaching agents. They don't want to deal with us!!
I used that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier in this thread last month when my payment was stuck. It actually worked - got through to an agent in about 10 minutes instead of spending days redialing. Worth checking out if you're desperate.
UPDATE: I finally got through to ESD this morning! The agent confirmed I was underpaid throughout my claim. They're going to issue a supplemental payment for all weeks I claimed (23 weeks total). The difference comes out to about $1650 before taxes that I'm owed! She said it should be deposited within 5-7 business days. Thanks everyone for your help figuring this out - I would have just assumed I was out of luck if I hadn't posted here.
This is a great reminder for everyone to carefully review their initial monetary determination and compare it to the actual payments received. ESD's system doesn't always correctly apply the WBA calculation, especially if you had multiple employers or irregular earnings in your base year. For anyone else reading this: you can request a redetermination of your weekly benefit amount at any time during your benefit year if you think there's an error. Don't wait until your benefits expire like the original poster did - the sooner you catch these issues, the faster they can be resolved.
Sofia Ramirez
Sometimes this happens if your claim requires additional information. Check if you have any alerts or tasks on your account. Another possibility is that they're processing a change to your claim status that you're not aware of yet. When this happened to me, I received a letter in the mail two days AFTER the weekly filing option disappeared.
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Liam O'Connor
•Good point about the mail being delayed. ESD often sends physical letters that arrive days after they've already taken action on your account. So frustrating!
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CosmicCadet
UPDATE: The weekly claim option is back now! Looks like it was just temporary maintenance as some of you suggested. I was able to file my claim without any issues. Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions!
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Amara Adeyemi
•Great to hear! For future reference, ESD sometimes does system maintenance on Sundays (which is unfortunate since that's when many people file). If you file early in the week, you can usually avoid these kinds of issues.
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