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ESD claim reopen shows 23 weeks instead of 26 - can I file against recent employer later?
I got laid off about 3 weeks ago and filed for unemployment. When I submitted, the system showed I was 're-opening' a previous claim with 23 weeks available rather than starting a fresh claim with 26 weeks. I think this is because I had a short 3-week unemployment period in early 2023 when I used just a tiny portion of my benefits. My situation: I worked at Company A for 2+ years, got laid off, collected 3 weeks of UI, then found a job at Company B. I worked at Company B for about 7 months before this recent layoff. What's confusing me: I expected to see 26 weeks available for this new unemployment period, but instead ESD is having me reopen my old claim with only 23 weeks left. My question: If I exhaust these 23 weeks without finding work, can I then open a completely new claim based on my 7 months at Company B to get additional weeks? Or am I just limited to the 23 weeks from my old claim? I'm worried about planning finances for the next few months while job hunting. Any insight appreciated!
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ESD payment delay after reporting work hours - anyone else's Monday deposit missing?
I usually get my unemployment deposit every Monday like clockwork but nothing today. I reported about 9 hours of part-time work on my weekly claim (still well under my benefit amount) and now my payment's nowhere to be seen. Called ESD this morning after checking my account for the 10th time and the agent mentioned something about a "system glitch affecting partial claims" but couldn't give me details. Has anyone else who normally gets paid on Mondays experiencing a delay? Especially if you reported some work hours? Getting nervous since rent is due soon...
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this is why i always keep detailed records of EVERYTHING with esd. screenshots of my weekly claims, work search logs, bank statement deposits, all of it. they mess up constantly and then act like its YOUR fault. had to appeal an overpayment last year because of their system glitch and it took 4 months to resolve. never trust their systems to work correctly!!
That's actually a really good point. I'll start taking screenshots of everything too. Did you use any specific method to organize all your documentation? I'm worried about missing something important.
Just as a heads-up for everyone: This delay was caused by ESD implementing their quarterly system updates. They typically do these the last weekend of every quarter, but they rarely announce them in advance. If you report part-time hours during these update periods (especially March/June/September/December), you might experience delays. It's always a good practice to budget with the assumption that your UI payment might occasionally be 2-3 days late, especially around these quarterly transitions. The payments are rarely missed completely, just delayed.
wish they would at least TELL ppl about these updates!! not everyone has extra money to cover when they decide to be late with payments 🙄
ESD keeps denying my approved claim - voicemails ignored for 3 weeks
I'm at my wit's end with ESD! I applied for unemployment back in January, got the determination letter saying I qualified (I was laid off from my construction job when the project finished), but every weekly claim keeps getting denied with no explanation. The online status just says 'denied' with no details. I've called the adjudicator assigned to my case at least 12 times over the past three weeks and left detailed voicemails, but nobody has returned ANY of my calls. I have bills piling up and can't keep waiting for someone to respond. What am I supposed to do when ESD approves me but then denies every payment and ignores all my attempts to contact them? Has anyone else dealt with this frustrating situation and actually gotten through to a real person?
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One more thing to consider - check if you have any "issues" listed under your claim. Log into eServices, go to your claim status page, and look for an "Issues" or "Decisions" tab. Sometimes there's a specific issue that needs to be resolved but the notification doesn't come through clearly. If you see anything there, it will tell you what's causing the denial. If you do get through to someone, make sure to ask them to check for any "flags" on your account. Often there's a system flag that's automatically denying your payments that can be removed by an agent.
I just checked again and there aren't any issues listed, which is part of what makes this so confusing! When I finally get through to someone, I'll definitely ask about flags on my account. I'm starting to think it must be some kind of system glitch since there's no apparent reason for the denials.
Based on everything you've shared, this definitely sounds like an internal system flag that's causing automatic denials. Your best course of action now would be: 1. Try the 7:59am calling trick mentioned above 2. Consider using the Claimyr service if you continue having trouble getting through 3. Contact your state representative (this often works well) 4. If all else fails, you can request a formal appeal of the denials, which at least guarantees you'll get a hearing The good news is that once this is resolved, you should receive all back payments you're entitled to. Make sure to keep filing your weekly claims even while this is being sorted out.
Thank you so much for this clear action plan! I'll try the early morning calls first, then look into Claimyr if that doesn't work by the end of the week. I've already found my state rep's contact info too. And thanks for the reminder to keep filing weekly claims - I'll definitely continue doing that. Really appreciate everyone's help with this!
ESD website showing wrong last day worked - need direct phone number to fix my claim
Has anyone else had issues with the ESD website showing the WRONG last day worked?? Mine says I stopped working April 3rd when I actually worked until May 17th. This is affecting my benefit calculation! I've tried calling the main number like 20 times but get a message saying 'they're experiencing technical difficulties' and to try again later. It's been THREE DAYS of this nonsense. Is there a direct number or extension I can use to reach an actual human being who can fix my claim information? My bills are piling up and I can't afford to wait weeks for them to maybe notice this error. Help!!
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I had a similar thing happen but with my WAGES being wrong not the dates. What worked for me was going to WorkSource in person. The lady there couldn't fix it herself but she had a direct line to ESD and got me connected to someone who could help within 20 minutes. Way better than trying to call yourself. Just bring ID and all your documentation about the last day worked.
That's good to know! I found a WorkSource office about 30 minutes from me - gonna head there tomorrow morning when they open. Hopefully they can help me too!
I work for a different state agency but interact with ESD sometimes. They launched a new claims system in January that's been having all kinds of data migration issues. Your problem is happening to a lot of people right now. I know it's frustrating but they are working on fixing these types of issues. If you can't get through on the phone, definitely try WorkSource. I've heard good things about their ability to help with claim issues.
Need attorney for ESD appeal hearing after former employer disputes unemployment benefits
My boyfriend's in a tough spot with ESD right now. He was let go from his position back in December, applied for and received unemployment benefits for about 3 months (roughly $7,200 total) before landing a new job in March. Now his former employer has suddenly decided to contest his UI claim and there's a hearing scheduled for June 18th with the Office of Administrative Hearings. We're completely out of our depth here - neither of us has dealt with unemployment appeals before, and with that much money potentially at stake, we don't want to go in unprepared. The separation wasn't straightforward - they're claiming misconduct but it was really a performance issue after they changed his role without proper training. Anyone know of attorneys in Washington who specialize in unemployment hearings? Are there legal aid services that might help with ESD appeals? We're in the Tacoma area but willing to travel or do remote consultations. Any recommendations or experiences would be so helpful!
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One more thing - make sure your boyfriend continues to attend all scheduled hearing proceedings even if you secure representation. I've seen cases where the claimant thought their lawyer would handle everything and didn't show up themselves, which can result in an automatic ruling against them. The OAH judges expect both parties to participate. Also, if you're unable to secure representation before the hearing date, you can request a continuance (postponement) by contacting the OAH directly. You'll need a good reason, but
That's great advice - thank you! I'll make sure he understands he needs to be present regardless of whether we find an attorney. We'll also look into the continuance option if needed. The hearing notice says it will be conducted by phone - is that standard procedure or should we request an in-person hearing instead?
Zane Hernandez
i herd theres a waiting week for new claims so mabye prepare for that??? not sure if thats still a thing in 2025 but i had to wait a week when i filed last year just fyi
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Grace Johnson
Yes, the waiting week is still required for new claims in 2025. When you file a brand new claim (not when reopening), your first eligible week serves as an unpaid waiting week. However, this only applies to new claims - since the OP is currently reopening an existing claim, they shouldn't have a waiting week now. They would face a waiting week only when filing the completely new claim after exhausting the current benefits.
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Aurora St.Pierre
Thank you all for the helpful responses! Just to make sure I understand correctly: 1. I'm currently using my old claim with 23 weeks remaining (which is correct) 2. After I use those weeks OR my benefit year expires, I can file a new claim 3. For the new claim, I'll need 680+ hours from my 7 months at Company B (which I should have) 4. I should start the new application 1-2 weeks before my current benefits run out 5. There will be a waiting week for the new claim This is all super helpful for planning purposes. One last question - will my benefit amount on the current claim always be based on my income from Company A, or does it get recalculated with my Company B income too?
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Eli Wang
Your current claim's weekly benefit amount is fixed based on your earnings from the base year used when you first filed that claim (primarily from Company A). It won't be recalculated to include Company B earnings until you file a completely new claim. This is why some people find themselves receiving lower benefits when reopening an old claim despite having earned more at their recent job - the benefit calculation was based on their earlier, potentially lower-paying employment. Unfortunately, there's no way around this - you must exhaust the existing claim before filing a new one with updated earnings information.
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