have u tried the salvation army? they helped my sis last yr when she was waiting on esd. also some churches do emergency assistance this time of year

Just following up - were you able to connect with any resources through 211? Also, now that you found that hidden message in your portal, you should call ESD directly and tell them you just found it and submitted the required info. That might speed things up. When claims are in adjudication because of missing information, they can sometimes resolve quickly once you provide what they need.

btw i was wondering this too but does anyone know if the 10 day deadline is business days or calendar days??? mines coming up on wednesday but i'm not sure if weekends count

Quick update - I finally reached an ESD agent this morning after using the Claimyr service someone recommended. The agent told me that my employer did NOT respond before the deadline, and they're now processing my claim. She said I should have a decision within 5-7 business days. She also confirmed that my substantial reduction in hours is generally considered good cause for quitting, which makes me feel better about my chances. Thanks everyone for the help and advice!

lol at everyone giving complicated tips. let me tell u what REALLY happens - ESD doesn't care if u get evicted. they take forever ON PURPOSE so people give up. my cousin works for DSHS and says the whole system is designed to be frustrating. the only thing that works is being a SQUEAKY WHEEL. call Every. Single. Day. use claimyr if u have to. email them constantly. message them on twitter publicly. contact ur rep. make noise until they deal with u just to shut u up. sad but true.

UPDATE: I wanted to thank everyone for their advice! I tried several approaches simultaneously: 1. Used Claimyr this morning and got through to an agent in about 15 minutes 2. Asked for the hardship expedited review 3. Also emailed my state rep The agent I spoke with was actually really helpful. She said my claim was flagged because my former employer didn't respond to their initial inquiry (typical). She submitted an expedited review request based on my hardship situation and said I should hear something within 72 hours. I'll update again when I know more, but I'm feeling much more optimistic now that I at least know what's happening. Thanks again for all your help!

did u check ur determination letter?? sometimes they give u a specific reason why they disqualified u and it might help with ur appeal

That's actually GOOD news for your appeal! Now you know exactly what to focus on - proving the potential harm (harassment = emotional harm, food safety = physical harm to you and customers) AND getting evidence that contradicts your employer's version. This is why those coworker statements will be super important. One more tip - at the hearing, if your employer says something that's not true, don't interrupt or get emotional. Just write it down and when it's your turn to speak, calmly say "I'd like to address the statement about X. That's not accurate because..." and then provide your evidence. Judges really appreciate this approach!

After dealing with the ESD system for months during my own unemployment, I can tell you their payment processing is reliable but not instant. The most frustrating part is actually reaching someone at ESD if you do have an issue. I spent days trying to get through on their phone lines when I had a payment problem. Finally found a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me connect with an ESD agent quickly. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 that shows how it works. Saved me tons of time when I needed to sort out why my payment was delayed. That said, your situation sounds normal - first payments typically take 2-3 business days to show up after the ESD system marks them paid.

Just checking back - did your payment arrive yet? If it's been more than 3 business days, you might want to verify that your banking information is correct in your ESD account.