ESD claim in limbo after housing crisis - Governor's office escalation & homeless after landlord lockout
I'm in a desperate situation and hoping someone here has gone through something similar. I've been waiting for my ESD claim to process for 5 weeks now with zero movement. I was planning to wait out the full six weeks that everyone talks about, but my situation took a massive turn for the worse. My employer of 3 years eliminated my entire department suddenly, and literally two days before that happened, I returned from work to find my landlord had changed the locks on my apartment! No eviction notice, no warning - just locked out while I was at work. Most of my belongings are gone now (either sold or trashed by landlord), and I only managed to recover two garbage bags of clothes. To top it off, my secondary vehicle that was parked there somehow got 'sold' too. I called the Governor's office today out of sheer desperation, and they said they've 'escalated' my unemployment claim. Is this actually going to help speed things up? And has anyone here dealt with an illegal lockout situation while also navigating unemployment? I'm literally sleeping in my remaining car and need this ESD money ASAP to find housing.
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Zainab Mahmoud
OMG that landlord situation is SO illegal!! You need to contact the Northwest Justice Project right away - they have free legal help for housing issues. Your landlord broke about a dozen laws. Make sure you document EVERYTHING. As for the ESD claim, governor's office escalation sometimes works but it can still take a week or two. Have you been filing your weekly claims this whole time?
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Carlos Mendoza
•Yes, I've filed every single week without fail. And thanks for the tip about Northwest Justice Project. I've been so focused on the unemployment side that I haven't even had time to figure out the housing legal stuff. Did you have any experience with the governor's escalation process? I'm just worried this is going to be another dead end.
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Ava Williams
The escalation through the Governor's office can definitely help, but in my experience working with ESD claims, you should also contact your local state representative's office. They often have dedicated staff who handle ESD issues and can sometimes get faster results than the general Governor's office escalation. Make sure when you contact them you have your claim ID number, the exact date you applied, and documentation of any adjudication notices you've received. For your housing situation, Washington has very strict tenant protection laws - that lockout was completely illegal and you're entitled to damages. Document everything and take photos if possible.
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Carlos Mendoza
•That's really helpful, thank you. I didn't even think about contacting my state rep. My claim status just says "pending" with no adjudication notices or anything that explains the delay. Would the state rep still be able to help with that? Also, my phone is about to run out of minutes and I'm worried about missing calls from ESD if they do try to contact me.
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Raj Gupta
Ive been there with the pending claim nightmare!!! ESD hardly ever picks up regular calls n I had to wait 7 frikkin weeks b4 getting paid. U should try this service called Claimyr.com that gets u thru to an actual ESD agent without waiting on hold. Saved my sanity when I was about to get evicted. Theres a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 Way better than waiting for callbacks that never come!
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Lena Müller
•is that service even legit? sounds like another scam to take advantage of desperate people tbh
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Raj Gupta
its totally legit dude. they just help you bypass the phone system to get to a real person. i was skeptical too but when youre at week 7 with no money youll try anything! they dont touch ur claim or anything just get u past the hold times
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Ava Williams
•I can confirm it's an actual service that many claimants use, but I always recommend trying the state representative route first since it's free. That said, if you need immediate answers and can't get through on the phone, some people do find it helpful.
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TechNinja
I'm an attorney who has worked with both ESD claims and tenant rights cases, and I want to emphasize how important it is that you address the illegal eviction immediately. Washington State has some of the strongest tenant protection laws in the country. Your landlord has committed multiple serious violations including illegal lockout, illegal seizure of property, and likely theft regarding your vehicle. You can potentially recover 3x damages for these violations. Contact the Housing Justice Project in your county first thing Monday morning. They provide free legal assistance for exactly these situations. Regarding your ESD claim: Governor's office escalation can help, but I'd suggest also sending a secure message through your ESD account specifically mentioning your homelessness as a result of job loss. Use the term "hardship expedite request" in your message - this is an internal ESD term that can flag your claim for priority processing.
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Carlos Mendoza
•Thank you SO much for this detailed advice. I had no idea about the "hardship expedite request" - I'll add that to my ESD message right away. Question about the housing situation - should I file a police report about my car and belongings? I don't have the registration for the car with me since it was in the apartment.
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TechNinja
Yes, absolutely file a police report immediately for both the illegal lockout and especially for the vehicle. Even without the registration on hand, you can report it - the police can look up ownership by your name and license. Make sure to tell them it was taken/sold without your permission as part of an illegal eviction. This documentation will be crucial both for your housing case and potentially for your ESD claim as it substantiates your hardship situation. When you contact the Housing Justice Project, bring a copy of this police report with you.
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Keisha Thompson
•I had a similar thing happen (not as bad tho) and the police told me it was a "civil matter" and wouldn't do anything. Just be prepared for that. They told me to get a lawyer which is REAL helpful when ur broke!!!
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Paolo Bianchi
Listen the ESD system is COMPLETELY BROKEN. I waited 9 weeks with governor escalation and everything. They don't care if you're homeless. They make these "escalations" but nothing actually happens!! I ended up having to find cash work just to survive which then messed up my claim even more. The whole system is designed to make you give up. Don't expect anything to happen quickly even with the governor's office involved.
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Ava Williams
•While I understand your frustration, I've seen escalations work successfully in many cases, especially when there's a documented hardship situation like homelessness. The system does have serious delays, but using specific terminology like "hardship expedite" can make a difference. We shouldn't discourage people from pursuing all available channels for assistance.
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Carlos Mendoza
Update: I filed the police report this morning and contacted my state representative's office. The police were actually pretty helpful - they took all the information about my car and belongings and said they would send an officer to the property. The state rep's office took all my claim info and said they'd submit an inquiry to their ESD liaison today. Still haven't been able to reach Northwest Justice Project (their line is busy), but I'll keep trying. I'm still sleeping in my car but at least feel like I'm taking steps forward. Thanks everyone for the guidance - will update when I hear anything.
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TechNinja
•You're doing everything right. One additional suggestion: many counties have emergency housing assistance programs specifically for people who have experienced illegal evictions. Contact your county's Department of Human Services today and ask about emergency housing vouchers for illegal eviction situations. They may be able to place you in temporary housing while your ESD claim and legal matters are being resolved.
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Keisha Thompson
im so sorry ur going thru this!!! i had to wait 6 weeks for my claim and it was horrible but at least i had a place to stay. have you tried any of the shelters? some of them have special programs for people who just lost jobs. also do you have your ID and social security card? you might need those for the housing assistance stuff
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Carlos Mendoza
•Fortunately I had my wallet and important docs in my work bag when this happened, so I do have ID and SS card. I've been avoiding shelters because I have my dog with me in the car and most don't allow pets, but at this point I might need to find someone to foster her temporarily. This whole situation is just overwhelming.
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