ESD phone line frustration - 30 day wait for responses?!

Unfortunately, this is pretty standard these days with ESD. Their claim volume is still high and they're understaffed. I was in adjudication for 7 weeks last year before my claim was approved. What specifically is your claim status showing? Is it in adjudication, pending identity verification, or something else? That might help determine your next steps.

same thing happend to me last month!! waited 5 weeks with no answers, rent was late, had to borrow money from family. ESD is THE WORST!!

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the 30 business day response time is actually accurate. I've sent multiple messages through eServices and they DO eventually respond, but it takes forever. If your claim is in adjudication, there's unfortunately not much you can do to speed it up except keep filing your weekly claims and make sure you're completing your job search activities.

I've been through this nightmare three times with ESD. The trick is to get to a TIER 2 agent who can actually see what's going on with your claim. Regular agents just read the same status you can see online. After weeks of frustration, I used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to ESD without the wait. They have a system that holds your place in line and calls you when an agent is available. Saved me HOURS of redial hell. Check out their demo: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 The tier 2 agent I finally spoke with was able to expedite my adjudication process when they saw how long I'd been waiting.

@profile7 Yes, it's legit. It basically acts like a virtual placeholder in the ESD phone queue. You enter your number, and it calls you when it reaches an agent. Much better than being stuck on hold forever or constantly redialing. The tier 2 agents have more authority to actually resolve issues.

THE SYSTEM IS RIGGED TO MAKE YOU GIVE UP!!! They KNOW if they make it hard enough, people will stop trying to get THEIR OWN MONEY!!! I had to call 74 TIMES in one day last month!!! When I finally got through the lady acted like I was BOTHERING HER!!! And then she couldn't even help me anyway!!! Had to talk to a supervisor who put me on another 3 week waiting list!!! CRIMINAL!!!!!

One thing that might help while you're waiting - make sure you contact your state representative about your hardship. They often have liaisons who can help escalate cases with ESD. It won't be immediate, but sometimes they can move things along faster than waiting for the normal process. I've seen it work for several people in similar situations.

Yes, call your district's state representatives directly. You can find who represents you by entering your address on the legislature website. Explain your situation, the timeline, and the financial hardship you're facing. Be specific about how long you've been waiting and what steps you've already taken. They typically have staff dedicated to helping constituents with state agencies. In King County, they're very familiar with ESD issues.

Update: I took several pieces of advice from this thread. I used Claimyr to get through to ESD (it actually worked!) and spoke with a tier 2 agent who explained my claim was flagged because my former employer contested it. The agent helped me understand what additional documentation I needed to provide. I also contacted my state representative's office, who said they'd follow up with ESD if it's not resolved in the next week. Thanks everyone for the advice - I feel like I'm finally making progress instead of just waiting helplessly.