Can the Governor's office speed up my ESD appeal hearing that's been pending since August?
I'm at my wits' end with this never-ending wait for my appeal hearing. My benefits got denied back in July, I filed an appeal first week of August, and here we are 5+ months later with NOTHING. Every time I call OAH they just say 'we're backed up' and 'you're in the queue.' Has anyone successfully contacted the Governor's office to expedite an appeal? My landlord is threatening eviction, and I've exhausted all my savings. At this point I'm wondering if writing to the Governor might actually help or if that's just going to waste more of my time? Anyone tried this or have other suggestions to speed up this ridiculous wait time?
17 comments
Join the conversation
AstroAlpha
The Governor's office can't directly expedite your OAH hearing date, but they can sometimes help elevate your case. I was in a similar situation last year (waited 4 months) and ended up contacting my state representative instead. Their constituent services team reached out to ESD on my behalf, and suddenly my hearing was scheduled within 2 weeks. Try reaching out to your district's rep or senator - they're often more helpful with these specific issues than the Governor's office.
0 coins
Chloe Davis
•Thank you!! I didn't even think about contacting my state rep. Do you just call their office or is there a specific way to reach their constituent services team? I'm in district 38 if that matters.
0 coins
Diego Chavez
ive been waiting since OCTOBER so considr urself lucky!! the whole system is designed to make us give up. tried calling OAH like 50 times and they just transfer me around until someone hangs up. total bs.
0 coins
Anastasia Smirnova
•Hey there - if you're struggling to get through to ESD or OAH by phone, you might want to try using Claimyr. It's a service that helps you bypass the phone queue and connects you with an actual ESD agent. Saved me hours of frustration when I was dealing with my adjudication issues. Their site is claimyr.com and they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3. Much better than waiting on hold for hours only to get disconnected!
0 coins
Sean O'Brien
I worked for ESD for 7 years and I can tell you that contacting the Governor won't speed things up. The Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH) is a separate entity from ESD and operates under their own scheduling constraints. Your best options are: 1. Contact your state senator/representative (as mentioned above) 2. File a hardship request DIRECTLY with OAH - make sure to document your eviction threat 3. Ask OAH if you qualify for an expedited hearing based on financial hardship They're currently facing a historic backlog, and I've heard some appeals are taking 6-7 months. The system wasn't designed to handle this volume.
0 coins
Chloe Davis
•Thank you for this insight! I did mention my situation to OAH but wasn't specifically told about a hardship request. I'll call tomorrow and use those exact words. Really appreciate the insider perspective.
0 coins
Zara Shah
My hearing took 6 months to get scheduled and then they ruled against me anyway lol. The whole thing is a joke. But yeah contact your rep they sometimes help.
0 coins
Luca Bianchi
Wait - isn't the Office of Administrative Hearings different from ESD? I always thought they were the same department but my neighbor said they're totally separate and that's why the process takes so long. Anyone know for sure? I'm so confused by how all this works!!
0 coins
Sean O'Brien
•You're right - they ARE separate agencies. The Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH) is an independent state agency that handles appeals for multiple departments, not just ESD. That's one reason for the delays - they're handling appeals for unemployment, DSHS, L&I, and many other agencies. ESD makes the initial decisions on claims, but once you appeal, your case moves to OAH's jurisdiction. This separation is actually supposed to ensure impartiality in the hearing process.
0 coins
GalacticGuardian
I was in your exact situation in January 2025. Waited 5 months for my hearing date. What finally worked was submitting a formal hardship declaration to OAH with documentation showing I was about to lose my apartment. They expedited my hearing and scheduled it within 10 days. Make sure you submit actual documentation though - just telling them verbally about your hardship usually doesn't work. They need to see eviction notices, bank statements showing zero/negative balance, utility shutoff notices, etc. Don't give up!!!
0 coins
Chloe Davis
•This is EXACTLY what I needed to know! I have all those documents and will fax them to OAH tomorrow morning. Did you just include a cover letter explaining your situation or is there a specific form for hardship requests?
0 coins
GalacticGuardian
•I wrote a formal letter titled "Request for Expedited Hearing Due to Severe Financial Hardship" and attached all my documents. Include your appeal number in big letters at the top. I also called the next day to confirm they received it. The key is following up - be polite but persistent. The squeaky wheel gets the grease in these situations. Good luck!!
0 coins
AstroAlpha
Quick update on what I mentioned earlier - when you contact your state representative, send an email with "Constituent Services Request: Unemployment Appeal Delay" in the subject line. Include your contact info, ESD claim ID, and appeal number. They have staff specifically assigned to help with these issues. Much more effective than going through the Governor.
0 coins
Chloe Davis
•Thank you - I've just found my representative's contact info online and will send this email tonight along with the hardship request to OAH directly. Really appreciate everyone's help!
0 coins
Diego Chavez
my cousin works for the state (not ESD) and she says theres a HUGE backlog cuz they fired a bunch of judges or something last year. system is totally broken!!!!
0 coins
Sean O'Brien
One last suggestion - if you do get your hearing scheduled soon, make sure you're fully prepared. The judge will only consider evidence presented during the hearing. Gather all relevant documents (employment records, communications with your employer, records of job search activities if that's relevant to your case). The preparation you do now can make a big difference in the outcome. Good luck!
0 coins
Chloe Davis
•Thank you! I've actually been collecting everything in a folder since this all started. I appreciate the reminder about being prepared - this whole thing has been so stressful it's easy to forget the actual hearing is what matters most.
0 coins