Quick update on current adjudication timeframes: I spoke with an ESD supervisor last week about another matter, and they mentioned they're currently averaging 22-28 days for standard adjudications. Cases involving employer disputes or availability issues are taking closer to 35-40 days. These timeframes have improved from late 2024 when they were seeing 6-8 week delays.

That's really helpful information, thank you! Sounds like I should expect at least another 2-3 weeks then. I appreciate everyone's advice and support here.

To properly address your overpayment and protect your tax refund, follow these steps: 1. Log into your eServices account at secure.esd.wa.gov 2. Navigate to the "Overpayment" section 3. Select "Set up payment plan" 4. Choose a monthly amount you can afford (even $20-30/month is acceptable) 5. Make sure you make the first payment immediately As long as you have an active payment plan and are making payments, ESD won't refer your debt to collections or the Treasury Offset Program. The key is taking action before the 30-day response window expires. Also, check if the overpayment is classified as "fraudulent" or "non-fraudulent" - if it's just a simple reporting error, it should be non-fraudulent which gives you more flexible repayment options.

Make sure to keep all documentation too! I had a payment plan that somehow got "lost" in their system and they still tried to take my refund even though I had been making payments. I had to send them copies of my bank statements showing the payments to get it straightened out. Their record-keeping isn't always great.

Just checking back - did your payment arrive yet? It should have hit your account by now if it showed as paid on Tuesday.

Yes! It finally came through early this morning. Such a relief! Thanks everyone for the help and reassurance. The timeline ended up being about 2.5 business days from when it showed 'paid' to when it actually appeared in my account.

My brother works for a restaurant and had same problm with tips getting stolen but he just quit instead of getting fired. ESD denied him because quitting is different I guess? So maybe youre in a better position since they fired you. But I think its crazy how long they make people wait while bills still need to be paid! The whole system is messed up if you ask me.

Has ANYONE from ESD actually contacted you yet for your side of the story??? I'm on week 6 now of adjudication and literally no one has called me or sent me any messages asking for my version of events. How are they even making decisions if they don't talk to both sides?!?

my cousins friend works at esd and she said they're having MAJOR computer problems this month. like their whole system is being updated or something. that's probably why your getting kicked out AND why your claim shows wrong info. id wait til next week before panicking maybe

I just got off the phone with ESD (used that Claimyr service I mentioned earlier - got through in about 20 minutes instead of days of calling). The rep confirmed they're having serious system issues right now that are affecting both the timeout problems AND claim statuses showing incorrectly for some people. The rep suggested taking screenshots of any error messages, and if your claim status suddenly changed without notification, they recommended checking again in 3-5 business days once their system update is complete. However, they also said if you're approaching the 30-day appeal window, you should file an appeal anyway just to protect your rights. Thought I'd share this update since it might help others with similar issues!

@profile7 Yes, there is a fee, but for me it was worth it after spending weeks unable to get through and potentially missing out on thousands in benefits. I was skeptical too, but they don't ask for any sensitive claim information - they just help connect your call. I understand the frustration though - in an ideal world, ESD would have enough staff to handle all the calls.

UPDATE: I wanted to let everyone know that I got through to ESD this morning (called right when they opened at 8am and still waited 45 minutes). The agent was actually really helpful and explained that I can submit my job search activities retroactively through the appeal process. She said since I have documentation of all my applications, there's a good chance my appeal will be approved, but it could take 3-4 weeks to process. She also walked me through exactly how to enter job searches correctly for future claims. Thanks everyone for your help!

I went through the EXACT same thing in July. Claim stuck for almost 7 weeks. What finally worked was contacting my state representative (like someone else mentioned). But what I learned afterward was that my claim was flagged for identity verification and they never sent me the notice! So check your spam folder AND your physical mail. Sometimes they send letters but not notices in the portal. So frustrating. Hang in there.

Just checking back - any updates? Were you able to reach anyone at ESD or get help from your legislators?

UPDATE: Finally managed to speak with an ESD agent! Turns out this was exactly what someone mentioned above - they were counting my final paycheck + vacation payout as "unreported earnings" even though I DID report it. The agent found my original reports and has submitted a correction to remove the overpayment completely. She said the system sometimes flags these automatically during audits and human review is needed to fix it. Such a relief! She also said they're sending these waiver emails proactively when their system detects possible errors like this. Thanks everyone for the help and advice!

This happened to my cousin too! He never even knew about an overpayment until he got the waiver email. Turns out they had him confused with someone with a similar name. The whole system is such a mess these days.

Everyone's giving great advice about the WGU flexibility aspect, but make sure you're also documenting your job search activities thoroughly! ESD will be looking closely at whether you're completing your 3 job search activities each week. With student issues, they sometimes scrutinize this even more. I recommend keeping detailed notes beyond what the ESD system requires - like screenshots of applications, email confirmations, etc. I had a similar situation where my claim was questioned because of education, and having extra documentation of my job search efforts really helped my case.

One more thing I forgot to mention in my earlier post - when ESD investigated my WGU student status, they also asked if I would be willing to quit or pause my education to accept suitable work. Even though with WGU you shouldn't have to make that choice, they want to hear that your job search takes priority. I said yes, I would pause my education if necessary for employment (knowing that with WGU's flexibility, I likely wouldn't have to). That seemed to satisfy them. Just something to keep in mind if they ask!

Regarding your weekly claim, here's what you should do: 1. Answer "No" to the question about refusing work 2. In your work search log, do NOT include this interaction as one of your job search activities (it wasn't legitimate) 3. Keep detailed notes about this interaction separate from your claim, just in case you need to explain later 4. Continue your regular job search activities as required by ESD The key thing to understand is that ESD's "suitable work" definition includes legitimacy of the offer. A scam is not a legitimate offer and thus cannot be "suitable work" by definition. If you're particularly concerned, you can always add a note in the comments section of your weekly claim explaining that you encountered what appeared to be fraudulent recruitment activity but are continuing your legitimate job search.

One more thing I forgot to mention - you should check your credit reports right away if you shared any personal information with these scammers. Even confirming your full name, address, or that you're a US citizen could be used for identity theft. You can get free weekly credit reports at AnnualCreditReport.com, and it might be worth putting a fraud alert on your credit file as a precaution.