ESD adjudication taking over a month - Need Governor Inslee's office number to escalate claim

I was in a similar situation last month and finally got through to ESD after using Claimyr (claimyr.com). They connect you directly to an ESD agent without the endless hold times. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3. It worked for me when I was stuck in adjudication for 6 weeks - the agent was able to expedite my claim and I got paid within 3 days after that call.

governor's office won't help with individual claims tbh they'll just refer you back to esd. tried that route last year and wasted 2 weeks for nothing

The Governor's office number is (360) 902-4111, but they typically don't intervene in individual unemployment cases. I understand your frustration - adjudication delays are incredibly common right now with the new claim system ESD is using. Have you tried contacting your state representative or senator? They often have staff dedicated to helping constituents with ESD issues. Look up who represents your district and email their office with your claim ID and a brief description of your situation. Many people have had success with this approach when adjudication has stalled.

UGH YES the adjudication backlog is RIDICULOUS right now!! My claim was stuck for 47 days before it finally processed! And I had to call literally hundreds of times. The system is BROKEN. Good luck getting anyone to care about it though.

A few things that might help: 1. Send a secure message through your ESD account specifically asking what's causing the delay in adjudication and if there's any information they need from you. Sometimes there's a simple document or question they need answered. 2. Make sure you're continuing to file your weekly claims even while in adjudication! Many people don't realize this is required. 3. Double-check that your identity verification is complete. Since ESD implemented the new ID verification system in 2025, many claims get stuck at this step without clear notification. 4. If your former employer truly isn't contesting, ask them to contact ESD directly to confirm this. Sometimes having the employer reach out can speed things up significantly.

I had a friend who worked at ESD before and she said calling exactly at 7:55am sometimes works because you get in right when the phone lines open. Worth a try?

@OP - To answer your question about Claimyr, no, you don't need to provide much personal info. They just need your number to connect the call. It's basically a call-back service that gets you through ESD's phone system. After connecting with an actual ESD agent, I was able to get them to look at why my claim was stuck and they found that a simple document was missing that never showed up in my online portal tasks. Fixed it right on the call.

Former ESD employee here. One thing that might help your situation is to specifically request a "hardship escalation" when you do get through to someone. You'll need to clearly explain your financial hardship (rent due, etc.) and they can flag your claim for expedited review. This won't guarantee immediate resolution, but it can move you up in the queue. Also, check your online correspondence section carefully. Sometimes adjudicators send requests for additional information that don't trigger notifications, and your claim could be stalled simply because they're waiting for you to respond to something you don't know about.