Governor's office helped me bypass ESD wait times - got a callback in 30 minutes!

Yes, this works but please only use it for REAL emergencies. The governor's office can indeed escalate truly urgent cases, but if everyone starts using this as a workaround, they'll stop prioritizing these requests. As a former state employee, I can confirm there are specific protocols for handling requests that come through executive channels. For those wondering, here are the situations that typically qualify as emergency escalations: - Imminent eviction (with notice) - Utility disconnection (with notice) - Medical emergency requiring funds - No food/basic necessities for dependents In these situations, you'll need to be prepared to briefly explain your hardship situation. The governor's office has liaisons with all state agencies including ESD.

this happened to me to!!!! got disqualifed for no reason called esd like 20 times nobody answers EVER. never thought of calling govenors office thats actually really smart lol. whats the number you called? did you have to talk to like a bunch of people first or did they just take your info right away

I'm so DONE with ESD's broken phone system!!! Been trying for THREE MONTHS to resolve my adjudication. They keep saying "2-4 weeks" but it's been 14 WEEKS now with no movement. Every morning I call at exactly 8:00am and still can't get through. This system is DESIGNED to prevent people from getting help. They don't want to pay out benefits so they make it impossible to talk to anyone. I'm definitely calling the governor's office tomorrow. What's the worst that could happen? They ignore me like ESD already does? At least it's something different to try.

wow congrats on getting through! my cousin works for the state (not ESD) and she always says the squeaky wheel gets the grease lol. i filed my initial claim back in january and still waiting on my first payment. might try this governor thing too!!

While calling the governor's office worked in your case, I want to caution everyone that this should be a last resort for genuine hardship cases. The governor's office has limited staff dedicated to unemployment issues, and they're meant to handle exceptional circumstances. If you're experiencing a routine delay or issue with your claim, here are the recommended steps to take first: 1. Use eServices messaging (documentation is better than phone calls) 2. Call the main ESD line early (7:55am, right before opening) 3. Contact your WorkSource office for assistance with claim issues 4. Reach out to your state representative's office 5. Try the technical support line for access issues (different from claims) If you've exhausted these options AND have a genuine hardship (eviction notice, utility shutoff, medical emergency), then the governor's office escalation makes sense. Remember: having to wait on adjudication is frustrating but normal. A true hardship means you're facing immediate serious consequences.

I tried this approach last month when my adjudication had been pending for 9 weeks. The governor's office took my information but I never received a callback from ESD. I ended up just continuing to call the regular line, and eventually got through after about 2 more weeks of trying. I think it might depend on the specific nature of your case or maybe how backed up they are that particular week. Just sharing so people don't think this is a guaranteed solution.

Thanks for sharing this approach! Just to add some helpful context for everyone: When you call the governor's office, you're essentially creating what's called an "executive escalation" within the state system. These are tracked differently and routed directly to specialized teams within ESD. Here's what typically happens: 1. Your information is logged into the executive correspondence system 2. It gets assigned to an ESD executive response team member 3. They review your case for urgency markers 4. If it meets criteria, they'll expedite contact (like OP experienced) 5. If not urgent by their definition, it goes into a separate queue (still faster than regular channels, but not same-day) One important note: The system tracks how many times individual claimants use executive channels. Repeated use without genuine emergencies can potentially be flagged as system abuse, which you don't want in your account notes. The best approach is still to try regular channels first, then use the executive option only when truly necessary.

i tried calling today after seeing this post and the governors office person was really nice but said they have a 3 day waiting period before they can help now because so many people are calling them about esd 😭