ESD claim stuck until I contacted Governor's office - success story!
After 8 weeks of hearing NOTHING about my claim, I was desperate. Called ESD 47 times in two days (not exaggerating) and either got disconnected or the 'call volumes too high' message. Tried emailing twice, sent messages through eServices, and even tried visiting WorkSource for help. Nothing worked. Was about to give up when someone in a Facebook group suggested contacting the Governor's office about ESD issues. I thought it wouldn't work but filled out their online form anyway. The NEXT DAY a woman from the Governor's constituent services called me! She was incredibly kind and actually LISTENED to my problem. She put in an escalation request immediately and explained exactly what would happen next. Within 3 days, my adjudication was complete and $4,850 in backpay hit my account this morning! If you're stuck in ESD hell, try the Governor's office constituent services team. Has anyone else had success going this route? I still can't believe it worked.
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Anastasia Ivanova
That's so awesome to hear! The Governor's office helped me too but it took like a week after they contacted ESD. The lady I talked to was named Janice and omg she was literally an angel. BTW what form did you use? I ended up just calling their main line but maybe the form is faster??
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Diego Flores
•Her name was Melissa for me! She gave me her direct extension too in case I needed to follow up. I used the form on governor.wa.gov under the 'Contact' section. There's a dropdown where you select 'Employment Security Department' as the issue. I included my claim ID number and the exact dates I'd been waiting. Maybe that helped speed things up?
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Sean Murphy
This is such BS. Why do we have to contact the GOVERNOR to get basic services we paid into for years?? I've been stuck in adjudication for 5 weeks because my employer is disputing my hours even though I have PROOF of every shift. ESD is broken and nobody cares. I might try this governor thing but it's ridiculous we have to go to these lengths.
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StarStrider
•I feel your frustration. The system IS broken, but what choice do we have? I went 7 weeks with no income because my claim was "under review" with zero explanation. Called every single day and couldn't get through. Governor's office finally got it fixed in 48 hours. It shouldn't be this way, but sometimes you have to use whatever works.
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Zara Malik
i tried this 3 months ago and nothing happened lol guess it depends who you get. did u put anything specific in your message that might have made them prioritize it? or did u call insted of using the online form maybe thats why mine didnt work
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Luca Marino
•Not OP but I've heard being super specific helps. Like don't just say "my claim is stuck" but instead "I filed on Jan 15, 2025, my claim ID is 12345, I've called ESD 22 times, I have documentation of [specific issue], and I'm facing eviction on [date]." The more urgent and detailed your situation sounds, the faster they seem to respond.
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Nia Davis
The Governor's Office of Constituent Services can indeed help with ESD issues, but they're limited in what they can do. They essentially submit a priority escalation request to ESD's special handling unit. This doesn't change any decisions about your claim's validity, but it does put your claim at the front of the review queue. If you go this route, be sure to include: 1. Your full name as it appears on your claim 2. Your claim ID number 3. The specific issue you're experiencing 4. Dates of your claim and how long you've been waiting 5. Documentation of your attempts to contact ESD directly Also, if you're still trying to reach ESD directly, have you tried Claimyr? I was skeptical but it actually worked for me. Their service connects you directly to an ESD agent, bypassing the usual phone tree. Their website (claimyr.com) has a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3. It saved me hours of redial frustration.
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Sean Murphy
•Wait is this Claimyr thing legit? Sounds too good to be true. How exactly does it work? Do they just keep auto-dialing for you or something?
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Nia Davis
•Yes, it's legitimate. They use a system that keeps your place in line with ESD's phone system even when you hang up. When it's about to be your turn to speak with an agent, they call you back and connect you. The video on their site explains it better than I can. Saved me from having to spend all day hitting redial.
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Mateo Perez
I work with unemployment appeals (not for ESD) and while the Governor's office route can work, I want people to know there are other options too: 1. State legislators: Your state rep or senator's office can also do escalations 2. WorkSource partner referrals: Sometimes WorkSource staff can get priority communication channels 3. Hardship escalation: If you're facing eviction, utility shutoff, or medical emergency, ask specifically for a hardship escalation I'm glad you got your issue resolved! The system is overwhelmed right now with all the layoffs in tech and manufacturing hitting Washington in 2025.
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Diego Flores
•This is really helpful information! I did try WorkSource first but the person I spoke with just told me to keep trying the main ESD line. Maybe I should have asked specifically about a referral. And I didn't even think about contacting my state rep - that's a great tip for others.
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Luca Marino
My freind tryed to get help from govenors office last month and they never even replied to her!! So jelous it worked for you lol. Did u have to provide proof of hardship or anything? She's wondering if maybe she didnt seem desperate enough in her message?? This whole system is such a joke tbh
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Zara Malik
•same here!!!! never got a callback or email or ANYTHING from them. starting to think they just pick random people to help and ignore the rest of us 🙄
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StarStrider
Thank you for sharing this success story. I've been guiding people through the ESD system for years, and the Governor's office route is certainly effective, though it should be viewed as a last resort after you've tried the standard channels multiple times. One thing I'd suggest adding to your escalation request (whether to the Governor's office or through other channels) is documentation of financial hardship. If you're facing eviction, utility disconnection, or unable to afford medicine, include those details with documentation. This can trigger a special hardship review process that moves even faster than standard escalations. Also, while waiting for resolution, continue filing your weekly claims without fail. Many people stop filing when stuck in adjudication, which can create even more problems down the road.
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Diego Flores
•That's a great point about continuing weekly claims! I did keep filing even though it felt pointless at the time. And I actually did mention in my form that I was behind on rent and included the amount - maybe that's why they responded so quickly.
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Anastasia Ivanova
Has anyone had success going through their state representative instead? My neighbor said her rep's office helped with her claim but I'm not sure if that's better than the governor route or not?
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Mateo Perez
•Both can be effective. State representatives often have dedicated constituent service staff who handle ESD issues regularly. In some cases, they may even have specific contacts at ESD that the Governor's office uses as well. The key advantage is sometimes your local rep's office has a lower volume of requests, so they might respond faster than the Governor's team.
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