If they promised a decision by week's end, I'd wait until then before worrying too much. However, if you don't hear anything by Friday afternoon, you absolutely need to follow up. The fact that you have documentation of the restaurant closure is excellent - that's a straightforward qualifying event for unemployment benefits. Keep checking your online account too, as sometimes decisions appear there before you get official notification.

One important thing to note: even if they decide by the end of the week, it might not immediately show up in your account or result in payment. There can be a processing delay of a few days between decision and payment. Also, if approved, they'll pay you retroactively for all eligible weeks, so you won't lose any money due to this delay. The call you received is actually a positive sign that your claim is being actively worked on rather than sitting in the backlog.

ESD definitely started mailing them out last week, but they haven't uploaded all of them to eServices yet. For those who need it right away, you have three options: 1. Call the dedicated 1099-G request line at 360-486-2031 2. Submit a secure message through your eServices account specifically requesting your 1099-G 3. If you have access to your payment history, you can calculate the total yourself for now - just add up all payments received in 2024 (this isn't official but helps for tax planning) If you've moved, make sure to update your address in the "Contact Information" section of your eServices account. Any 1099-G returned to ESD as undeliverable will be held until you update your address.

has anyone tried faxing a request? my friend said that worked faster for her last year but i dont have a fax machine lol

My claim was stuck in processing-web for 4 weeks and then suddenly jumped to paid status without ever showing any intermediate statuses. Make sure your payment method is set up correctly in eServices (direct deposit info etc). Sometimes the status doesn't update properly on the website even though your claim is actually being processed. Also double check that you answered all the eligibility questions correctly when you filed - one wrong answer can cause delays.

Update on my earlier comment - it's definitely worth trying to speak with someone at ESD directly. The processing-web status could mean different things for different claims. In my case, it turned out there was a flag on my account because my employer contested the claim, but this wasn't visible to me on eServices. Only found out when I finally got through to an agent.

Have u tried the WorkSource office? Sometimes they can help with ESD stuff or at least have better info on how to get thru. Not all staff there know unemployment stuff but some do

One more tip - if you do get through to someone but they say they can't help with your specific issue, politely ask them to transfer you to a claims specialist instead of hanging up and trying again. Sometimes they can put you in a priority queue if you're already in the system. Also, make sure you're caught up on all your weekly claims while waiting. Even if your initial claim is pending, you need to keep filing each week or you'll lose benefits for those weeks.

To answer your question about talking to your former employer during the hearing - yes, they'll be on the call too. The judge asks each party questions, and sometimes they'll let you and your employer ask each other questions through the judge. It's formal but not like a court trial. One important tip: have all your documentation organized and in front of you during the call. The judge will reference specific documents, and you'll want to be able to quickly find what they're talking about. Also, stick to factual statements rather than emotions or accusations. If your documentation about safety concerns is solid, especially that doctor's note, you have a good chance. The key is showing that you had no reasonable alternative but to quit. Judges tend to look favorably on cases where you can demonstrate you tried to resolve the issues before leaving.

To follow up on your question about submitting additional documentation: Yes, you absolutely can and should submit any additional relevant evidence you find. However, there are strict rules about timing: 1. Submit new evidence at least 7 days before your hearing 2. Make sure to send copies to all parties (ESD, your former employer, and OAH) 3. Keep proof that you submitted the documents (email confirmation, fax receipt, etc.) If you find crucial evidence after the deadline, you can still try to submit it, but the judge has discretion whether to accept it or not. The hearing notice you receive will contain specific instructions on how to submit evidence. Also, prepare a clear, chronological statement explaining why you had good cause to quit. Focus specifically on the safety issues, your attempts to resolve them, and why continuing to work there would have been unreasonable. This preparation will be valuable regardless of whether there's a hearing.

One tip that helped me was to make sure I had all my information ready before calling. Have your claim ID, social security number, the dates of any issues, and any correspondence reference numbers handy. This speeds up the process when you finally get through. Also, be extremely specific about your issue when the automated system asks why you're calling. Depending on what you say, it routes you to different departments with different wait times. I found Monday mornings to be the absolute worst time to call. Thursdays seemed better in my experience.

if nothing else works go to ur local worksource office in person. sometimes they can help u get connected to esd faster

After reading through this thread again, I think what you're experiencing is specifically the "phantom claim acceptance" issue. This has been documented since they upgraded their IVR phone system in January 2025. The phone system says the claim is accepted, but it never actually gets transmitted to the main database. You absolutely need to speak with an ESD agent at this point. The longer you wait, the more complicated it gets. Since it's been 36 hours already, I'd recommend trying again tomorrow, but don't wait beyond 72 hours. When you do get through, use these exact words: "My weekly claim filed by phone on [date] received a verbal acceptance but shows no record in the system." This will trigger them to check a specific log in their system that tracks IVR claim attempts, which can prove you actually tried to file on time.

UPDATE: I managed to get through to ESD this morning! For anyone experiencing this in the future, I used that Claimyr service someone mentioned above and got connected to an agent within 30 minutes instead of spending all day redialing. The agent confirmed there was a "submission error" on my claim - apparently the phone system accepted it but it never transferred to the main database. They were able to see in their logs that I had attempted to file, so they manually entered my claim while I was on the phone. It should now process normally and I should get paid in 2-3 business days. Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions! This community saved me so much stress.

When I started my new job last year, I just called and told them I was employed now and didn't need benefits anymore and they said ok and that was it. But reading these comments, sounds like I should have kept filing for a bit? No one came after me though so I guess either way works?

Thanks everyone for the helpful advice! To summarize what I've learned: 1. Keep filing weekly claims and truthfully report my work and earnings 2. Report GROSS earnings for when I worked (not when paid) 3. Continue filing for 2-3 weeks after starting the job 4. After 4 weeks of $0 benefits, my claim becomes inactive automatically This is super helpful and much clearer than anything on the ESD website!

Former ESD employee here. A few tips that might help: 1. Their phone system actually opens at 7:55am, not 8:00am, but that's when everyone calls. 2. Try calling at 1:30pm instead - that's right after the lunch rotation when all agents are back. 3. Make sure you have your claim ID, last 4 of SSN, and a list of all dates/issues ready before calling. 4. If you're in adjudication specifically, try the Office of Administrative Hearings directly at 1-800-366-0955 if it's been more than 3 weeks. 5. If you submit documentation through eServices, call 3 business days later - this creates a 'follow-up' flag in their system. Hope this helps someone!

i had this same problem last month what i did is i sent a message through eservices AND emailed my state representative (found mine at leg.wa.gov) and explained i was about to be evicted if my claim wasnt fixed. got a call from esd special unit 2 days later! sometimes political pressure works when nothing else does

Quick update on timelines - I work with unemployment cases regularly, and the current adjudication wait for standard cases is running about 5-6 weeks. However, for cases involving veteran status and legitimate medical/physical limitations, it can sometimes be expedited if properly flagged. If you have medical documentation from the VA showing your service-connected condition and how it made the civilian job unsuitable, that's exactly what you need. This creates a very specific unemployment situation where the voluntary quit would likely be considered with good cause. Until adjudication is complete, just keep filing those weekly claims, and consider reaching out to WorkSource's veteran services specialists. They sometimes have direct channels to help veterans navigate ESD issues.

btw dont forget ur job search activities while waiting! 3 per week even when pending. i messed that up and had to start all over