ESD payment stuck in 'processing' for 3+ weeks after approval - can't reach anyone by phone!

same boat. been 'processing' for 22 days now. approved but no $$$. called like 60 times yesterday no joke. gave up.

The processing delay usually happens when there's an internal flag on your account that needs manual review. It's frustrating but fairly common right now - ESD is still understaffed compared to their workload. When was your last employer verification completed? Sometimes that's what holds things up, especially if your former employer contested anything.

ugh i was stuck in that processing hell for almost a month last year!! turned out they needed to verify my identity AGAIN even tho they never told me!! check ur correspondece tab and secure messages to see if they sent anything u missed. sometimes they send letters but nothing in ur online account which is SO STUPID

I had a similar issue where my payment was stuck in processing for almost 4 weeks after approval. What worked for me was reaching an ESD specialist who could see that my payment was caught in their fraud prevention system (even though there was no fraud). Here's what I suggest: 1. Call right when they open at 8:00 AM 2. If that doesn't work, try calling between 4:30-4:45 PM when call volume sometimes dips 3. Make sure you're calling the main UI claims center (800-318-6022) 4. Check if you have any pending adjudication issues in your online account that might not be obvious 5. Verify your direct deposit information is correct in case that's causing delays In the meantime, continue filing your weekly claims on time, even if previous payments haven't arrived yet.

Listen I've been through this EXACT same thing!! The ESD phone system is BROKEN and completely impossible to get through. They designed it that way on purpose I swear! After 3 weeks of failed attempts trying to call them (hung up on 27 times!!), I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got through to an agent in 15 minutes. They have this system that navigates the ESD phone tree for you and calls you back when they have an agent on the line. They have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 The ESD agent told me my payment was stuck because of a random audit flag that wouldn't have resolved without someone manually fixing it. Got my payment 2 days after talking to them.

Former ESD employee here. When a payment shows as "processing" for more than 10 business days after approval, it typically indicates one of several issues: 1. Payment held for random quality assurance review (happens to about 5-7% of claims) 2. Banking information verification problem 3. Cross-matching with other state systems flagged something 4. System error that requires manual override Unfortunately, none of these will resolve without speaking to a claims specialist who has authorization to release payments. Regular agents can see the flag but often can't clear it. When you do reach someone, specifically ask if there's a "payment block flag" on your account and request to speak with a claims specialist who can remove it. Using these specific terms can help get your call routed correctly.

i know this sounds weird but have u tried contacting ur state representative?? my cousin had a similar issue going on for like 6 weeks and couldnt get anywhere with esd. he emailed his state rep and their office contacted esd directly. had his payment within 3 days after that. worth a shot maybe?

One more thing - make sure you're still completing your weekly claims even while waiting for the payment issue to resolve. I've seen people get so focused on the stuck payment that they forget to file for current weeks, which creates even more problems. Also, when you do reach someone at ESD, ask them to check if there's an "identity verification hold" that may not be visible to you in your online portal. Sometimes these are placed automatically by their system with no notification.

UPDATE: I finally got through to ESD! I tried the Claimyr service that someone suggested here, and despite being skeptical, it actually worked. After weeks of trying on my own, I connected with an agent within 20 minutes. Turns out my payment was stuck because of what they called a "cross-match flag" with another state system (even though I've never worked outside WA). The agent was able to clear it immediately. She said the payment should hit my account within 48 hours. Thanks to everyone for the advice and suggestions. Will update again when the money actually arrives!