ESD account locked after identity theft - how long before I can file a new claim?

omg this happened to me back in january!! it suuuuucks. took them 16 days to unlock my account even tho they said 10. make sure u call them every few days to check on it or it'll just sit there forever

I had a similar situation in February. The key is to understand the difference between identity verification and fraud investigation: 1. Regular identity verification (ID.me) typically takes 3-5 business days 2. Special Investigations Unit reviews for fraud take 7-14 business days in my experience Since yours involves actual fraud (email changed without authorization), it falls into category #2. When you backdate your claim, make absolutely sure you have documentation of all your job search activities for each week - they will require this information for any backdated weeks. If you're worried about the delay, I'd recommend calling ESD directly at their main number (800-318-6022) and explaining your situation. Sometimes they can expedite the process if you're facing financial hardship.

I went through this exact process back in December. Here's my timeline: - Day 1: Discovered fraud, called ESD - Day 2: Submitted ID documents - Day 8: Called for status check, was told "still processing" - Day 12: Account unlocked - Day 14: Filed backdated claim - Day 21: First payment received (included all backdated weeks) The important thing is to document EVERYTHING. Save confirmation numbers, agent names, and call references. If you're having trouble getting through on the phone, try calling exactly at 8:00 AM when they open. Also, make absolutely sure you're completing and documenting your job search activities every week (3 per week) even while locked out. They will require this information when you backdate.

The ESD system is GARBAGE!! happened to me too and they took 23 days to unlock my account. meanwhile i almost got EVICTED!!! they don't care at all about us. keep calling them every single day and demand to speak to a supervisor. the regular agents are useless.

I had something similar happen last year when my neighbor stole my mail and tried to claim benefits using my info. Have you tried calling the ESD fraud department directly instead of the main line? The number should be on your correspondence from them. Sometimes that's faster than the main line.

I help people navigate ESD issues regularly, and identity theft situations typically take 7-14 business days to resolve, though I've seen some resolved in as few as 5 days when the documentation was very clear and complete. A few tips to potentially speed things up: 1. If you submitted digital copies of your documents, make sure they're high quality scans (not photos taken with your phone) 2. Call during off-peak hours (typically 7:30-8:30am or 4:30-5:00pm) 3. Be prepared with your claim ID and the exact date you submitted your documents 4. Request an escalation based on financial hardship if applicable In the meantime, you might want to check if you qualify for emergency assistance through DSHS or local community action agencies while waiting for your unemployment benefits.

have u tried emailing them instead of calling? sometimes that works better cuz u actually get a response. try employmentseucurity@esd.wa.gov

I went through this exact situation in March and was getting really desperate after trying to call for days with no luck. I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an ESD agent within 15 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 Once I actually spoke with someone, they were able to tell me exactly what was happening with my identity verification and gave me a more specific timeline. The agent also flagged my case as urgent due to financial hardship which seemed to speed things up. My account was unlocked about 4 days later. Worth considering if you're stuck and can't get through on the phones.

One important thing to understand about the backdating process: once your account is unlocked, you'll need to file for each week separately. The system will walk you through each missed week, but be prepared to spend about 20-30 minutes total completing all the backdated weeks. For each week, you'll need to report: - Your 3 job search activities for that specific week - Any earnings from part-time work during that week - Whether you were able and available for work - Any refusals of work If you're currently on day 5 or 6 of the processing time, I'd recommend organizing all this information now so you're ready as soon as your account is unlocked. That will help ensure you get paid as quickly as possible once the fraud hold is removed.

my cousin works at ESD (not in fraud dept tho) and she says they're super backed up right now because there was a big wave of identity theft cases in April. apparently some data breach somewhere led to a bunch of unemployment fraud attempts at once. so that might affect your timeline, unfortunately...