Governor's office claim elevation disappeared from ESD portal - what's happening?
I'm so frustrated and confused right now. After waiting 8 weeks with no movement on my unemployment claim, I finally contacted the governor's office last Thursday to request elevation of my claim. This morning when I logged into my ESD portal, there was an alert notification, but when I clicked on it and then went back, the whole alert disappeared! Now I can't find any record of it anywhere in my account. Has this happened to anyone else after a governor's office request? How long does it usually take for ESD to respond after the governor's office gets involved? I'm getting desperate as my savings are nearly gone and I need to know if there's something else I should be doing while waiting.
15 comments


Aliyah Debovski
When I had my claim elevated through the governor's office in March, it took about 7-10 business days before I saw any movement. Those alert notifications can disappear after you view them - it's an annoying feature of the ESD portal. If you click on the "Messages" section from your dashboard, sometimes they're archived there. Otherwise, the notification was probably just acknowledging receipt of the escalation request. Keep filing your weekly claims while you wait!
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Ally Tailer
•Thanks for the info! I checked the Messages section but there's nothing there. Do you remember if they contacted you by phone or email when they started working on your elevated claim? I'm afraid of missing something important.
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Miranda Singer
omg this EXACT thing happened to me!!!! the alerts jsut vanish and then ur left wondering if u imagined the whole thing lol. the esd system is so badly designed its painful. i had 2 wait like 3 weeks after gov office got involved b4 anything happened but then suddenly my claim was fixed with no explanation
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Cass Green
•The entire ESD website feels like it was designed in 2003 and never updated. Classic government tech. At least it eventually worked for you!
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Finley Garrett
The governor's office elevations typically take 5-15 business days to be processed, but it varies greatly depending on your specific issue and current ESD workload. What type of claim do you have and what's the specific hold-up? Adjudication? Identity verification? Able and available issues? The timeline can vary based on the complexity. As for the disappearing alert, this is unfortunately common with the ESD portal. Their notification system doesn't archive properly. The alert was likely just acknowledging receipt of the escalation request from the governor's office. Keep checking your account daily and continue filing weekly claims while this is being resolved. If you need to speak with an ESD agent directly to check on the status after the governor's office elevation, I'd recommend trying Claimyr (claimyr.com). They helped me get through to ESD when I was in a similar situation last month. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3. Much better than spending hours on hold or getting disconnected.
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Ally Tailer
•Thank you! My claim is stuck in adjudication over a job separation issue. My former employer is disputing that I was laid off, claiming I quit, which isn't true. I'll check out that Claimyr service if I don't see movement in the next week or so.
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Madison Tipne
Step back and breathe! I've been through the governor's office elevation process twice in the past year. Here's what you need to know: 1. The alert was probably just confirming that the governor's office forwarded your request to ESD. These alerts often disappear after viewing. 2. ESD response times after elevation can range from 3 days to 3 weeks. There's no consistent timeline. 3. Your claim should be assigned to a specialized adjudicator who handles escalated cases. They typically contact you by phone, so make sure your contact info is current in your ESD account. 4. Document EVERYTHING during this process. Keep a log of all communications, take screenshots, and note the dates of any status changes. 5. Continue filing your weekly claims without fail, even if it feels pointless. Hang in there! The governor's office route usually works, but it's rarely as quick as we hope.
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Holly Lascelles
•Weird question but what happens if you miss their call? My phone gets so many spam calls I sometimes don't answer unknown numbers...
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Madison Tipne
•They'll typically leave a voicemail and try again, but I recommend answering ALL calls while waiting for ESD. Their numbers often show as "Unknown" or various Washington state government prefixes. If you miss their call, they'll usually try once more before potentially marking your case as unresponsive.
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Malia Ponder
The ESD portal is ABSOLUTE GARBAGE!!! I've had FIVE different alerts disappear after clicking them. It's like they designed the system to be as frustrating as possible. When I had the governor involved last year, I waited TWO WHOLE MONTHS and then suddenly got a deposit with no explanation. No call, no email, NOTHING! Just money appearing in my account. I'd call them directly but GOOD LUCK getting through their phone system which is somehow EVEN WORSE than their website!!!!
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Ally Tailer
•Two months?! That's terrifying. I can't wait that long. Did you do anything special to finally get their attention or did they just randomly process it?
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Malia Ponder
•After the governor thing, I also contacted my state representative who said they would look into it. Not sure which one actually worked in the end, but might be worth trying both! The system is designed to make you give up, I'm convinced.
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Cass Green
This reminds me of my claim from last fall. Actually my situation was a little different because it wasn't the governor's office, but I had to get my union rep involved. The alert thing happened to me too though. ESD's website has all these weird quirks that make you question your sanity sometimes. Like, did I really see that notification or am I just desperate and imagining things? Anyway, in my case it took about two weeks after escalation, but then everything went through at once.
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Aliyah Debovski
I just realized I didn't answer your full question. After the governor's office got involved with my claim, I received a call from an ESD specialist about 8 business days later. The call came from a blocked number, and they asked me several verification questions before discussing my claim. The specialist had clearly reviewed my file before calling. Once they fixed the issue, my portal updated within 24 hours and payment came 2 days after that. The ESD specialist mentioned they prioritize governor-elevated claims, but they still work through them in the order received. Depending on the current backlog, it could be 5-15 business days before you hear anything. If you're worried about missing a call, add a note to your ESD account (through the Contact Us section) stating your availability and best contact methods. Sometimes this helps ensure they reach you.
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Ally Tailer
•This is super helpful, thank you! I'll definitely add a note about my availability. At least now I have a better idea of what to expect.
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