ESD hardship notice & escalation to adjudicator - wait time for L&I to UI transition?

I received the same hardship escalation notice about 3 weeks ago. In my case, it took 11 business days before the adjudicator reached out to me by phone. They scheduled a phone interview for the following week. The whole process from notice to decision took about 18 days total. For your specific situation though - transitioning from L&I to UI can be complicated because of the "able and available" requirement for unemployment. Did your doctor provide any work restrictions rather than a complete inability to work? That could really help your case. If you have documentation showing you can work with accommodations but your employer couldn't/wouldn't provide them, make sure the adjudicator knows this.

Employers ALWAYS fight unemployment claims no matter what!! My boss fired me after I got injured too and fought my claim for 3 months!! even tho they were totally wrong! ESD is so slow you'll be homeless before they make a decision lol

Those hardship escalation notices are actually a good sign - it means your claim has been flagged for priority handling. The typical adjudication process can take 4-8 weeks right now, but hardship cases are being processed in about 2-3 weeks in most situations. Regarding your L&I to UI transition: This is a common scenario, and you may have a valid UI claim depending on the specifics. The key factors will be: 1. Whether you're now medically able to perform some type of work, even with restrictions 2. Whether your employer could reasonably accommodate those restrictions 3. Documentation of your work search for jobs that match your current abilities If your doctor has given you partial work release with restrictions, and you're actively looking for work within those restrictions, you meet the "able and available" requirement for UI benefits. Your former employer may contest, but having proper documentation from your physician will be crucial. Make sure to have ready: - Medical documentation showing your current work capabilities/restrictions - Any communication from your employer about why they couldn't accommodate - Work search documentation showing you're looking for jobs within your restrictions

When ESD put me in adjudication last year it took FOREVER to hear back from them!!! I tried calling literally 50+ times and could never get through. My bills were piling up and I was about to lose my apartment. I finally found this service called Claimyr that got me through to an actual ESD agent in about 20 minutes. They connected me directly to someone who could check on my adjudication status and actually got it moved along faster. Saved my sanity honestly. Check out their demo video: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 or their website claimyr.com

The transition from L&I to unemployment can be complicated, but it's definitely possible. I went through something similar in 2024 after a workplace injury that left me with permanent restrictions. The key is showing that you're able to work in SOME capacity, just not in your previous role. In my case, the adjudicator contacted me about 10 days after I got that hardship notice. They asked for: 1. Medical documentation showing my current work capabilities 2. Evidence of job search activities for positions within my medical restrictions 3. Documentation that my previous employer couldn't accommodate my restrictions They also contacted my former employer for their side of the story. As expected, my employer initially contested it, claiming I was "not able and available for work" - but the adjudicator ruled in my favor since I demonstrated I was actively looking for work that matched my new limitations. The whole process took about 3 weeks from the hardship notice to approval. Don't give up hope!

my friend got one of those hardship notices and it still took like 6 weeks to get resolved just saying don't get your hopes up too high

I work in HR (not giving legal advice, just sharing general info). When an employee transitions from L&I to unemployment, there are specific guidelines that ESD follows. If your doctor has given you permanent restrictions that your employer truly cannot accommodate, and you're actively seeking work within those restrictions, you generally qualify for UI benefits. The key is documenting everything. Your employer might contest because they're concerned about their UI tax rate increasing, but that doesn't mean they'll win. Make sure you have: 1. Written documentation from your doctor clearly outlining your restrictions 2. Any communications from your employer stating they cannot accommodate those restrictions 3. Evidence that you're applying for jobs that you CAN do with your restrictions Also, while waiting for adjudication, make absolutely sure you continue filing your weekly claims by the deadline, even if they're showing as pending. This is crucial - if you miss filing weekly claims, you could lose benefits entirely. Hope this helps!

hows your financial situation while waiting? have u contacted DSHS? when i was waiting for my UI i got emergency assistance thru them, might be worth checking out

Has there been any update on your case? I'm curious if the adjudicator has reached out yet.