How do I get ahold of Washington ESD unemployment office - phones always busy
I've been trying to reach Washington ESD for two weeks now about my unemployment claim and I can't get through to anyone. Every time I call the main number it just says they're experiencing high call volumes and hangs up on me. I've tried calling first thing in the morning, during lunch, late afternoon - nothing works. My claim has been stuck in adjudication for over a month and I really need to talk to someone about what's going on. Has anyone figured out a way to actually get through to a real person at the unemployment office?
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Paolo Romano
ugh same problem here, been calling for weeks with no luck
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Keisha Jackson
•It's so frustrating! I don't understand why they make it so impossible to reach them when people need help with their claims.
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Amina Diop
The Washington ESD phone system is definitely overwhelmed. I've had better luck calling right at 8 AM when they open, but even then it's hit or miss. You can also try using the SecureAccess Washington website to send messages through your eServices account, though they don't always respond quickly to those either.
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Keisha Jackson
•I've sent messages through eServices but haven't heard back in over a week. I really need to talk to someone about my adjudication.
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Oliver Schmidt
•The 8 AM thing works sometimes but you have to keep hitting redial over and over. took me 45 minutes of constant calling to get through last time
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Natasha Volkov
I was having the same issue until I found this service called Claimyr that actually gets you through to Washington ESD agents. It's at claimyr.com and they have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Basically they handle all the calling and waiting for you, then connect you when an agent picks up. I used it last week to get through about my job search requirements and it worked perfectly.
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Keisha Jackson
•Really? That sounds too good to be true. How much does it cost?
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Natasha Volkov
•They don't make you pay upfront or anything sketchy like that. Just focuses on getting you connected to resolve your claim issues. Way better than spending hours on hold.
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Javier Torres
•I'm skeptical of anything that claims it can get you through to Washington ESD easily. The system is just broken.
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Emma Wilson
Have you tried calling the different numbers? There's the main UI customer service line, but there's also specific numbers for different issues. Sometimes the adjudication line is less busy than the general number.
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Keisha Jackson
•I didn't know there were different numbers! Do you have the adjudication line number?
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Emma Wilson
•The main number is 800-318-6022 but they route you to different departments. When you get through the prompts, option 1 is for claim status and adjudication issues.
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QuantumLeap
THIS IS SO RIDICULOUS!! I've been without benefits for 6 weeks because I can't get through to anyone to resolve my claim. How are people supposed to survive when the system is this broken?
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Paolo Romano
•I feel you, it's insane how hard it is to get help when you really need it
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Amina Diop
•I understand the frustration but remember that Washington ESD has been dealing with record numbers of claims. The system is strained but it's not intentionally designed to keep you from getting help.
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Keisha Jackson
Update: I tried that Claimyr thing someone mentioned and it actually worked! I was connected to a Washington ESD agent within 30 minutes and got my adjudication issue resolved. They explained that my employer had disputed my claim and I needed to provide additional documentation. Now I know what I need to do to get my benefits moving again.
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Javier Torres
•Wow, maybe I was wrong about that service. Might have to try it myself.
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Natasha Volkov
•Glad it worked for you! That's exactly what happened to me - turned out there was an issue I didn't even know about.
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QuantumLeap
•Okay I'm definitely checking this out, anything is better than sitting on hold for hours
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Oliver Schmidt
another option is to go to your local WorkSource office in person. They can sometimes help with basic claim issues or at least tell you who to contact for your specific situation
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Keisha Jackson
•Good idea, I didn't think about going in person. There's a WorkSource office about 20 minutes from me.
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Emma Wilson
•Just keep in mind that WorkSource staff can't access your claim directly, but they can help you understand the process and point you in the right direction.
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Paolo Romano
I've been keeping a log of all my call attempts and I'm up to 47 calls with zero success. This is absolutely insane.
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Amina Diop
•That's incredibly frustrating. Have you tried the online messaging system through eServices? It's slow but sometimes more reliable than phone calls.
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Paolo Romano
•Yeah I've sent three messages with no response. At this point I'm going to try that Claimyr thing too.
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Malik Johnson
Pro tip: if you do get through to someone, make sure you get their name and a reference number for your call. That way if you need to call back you can reference the previous conversation.
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Keisha Jackson
•Great advice! I wish I had known that earlier. The agent I spoke with through Claimyr did give me a reference number.
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Emma Wilson
•This is really important. Washington ESD agents can look up previous call notes if you have the reference number.
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Javier Torres
Honestly I'm starting to think the whole system is designed to make it hard to get help so fewer people will follow through with their claims. It's like they want you to give up.
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Amina Diop
•While I understand the frustration, I don't think it's intentional. The unemployment system has been overwhelmed since COVID and they're still catching up on staffing and technology improvements
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QuantumLeap
•Intentional or not, the result is the same - people can't get the help they need when they need it most
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Isabella Santos
My cousin works for Washington ESD and she says they're constantly hiring new people but it takes months to train them properly on all the unemployment rules and systems. The job is really complicated.
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Oliver Schmidt
•that makes sense but it doesn't help people who need answers right now
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Isabella Santos
•True, just trying to explain why the wait times are so long. She recommends calling right at 8 AM or using the callback feature if it's available.
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Ravi Sharma
I had success using Claimyr too - got connected to resolve an overpayment issue that had been sitting in my account for months. The agent was able to explain exactly what happened and how to prevent it in the future.
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Keisha Jackson
•That's great! It seems like once you actually get to talk to someone they're helpful, it's just getting through that's the problem.
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Ravi Sharma
•Exactly! The agents are knowledgeable and want to help, but the phone system is just overwhelmed.
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Freya Larsen
For what it's worth, I tried calling at different times and found that Tuesday and Wednesday mornings seemed less busy than Mondays and Fridays. Might be worth trying those days.
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Paolo Romano
•I'll try that - I've been calling mostly on Mondays thinking it would be better to start the week
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Freya Larsen
•Yeah Mondays are actually the worst because everyone tries to call then. Mid-week is definitely better.
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Omar Hassan
make sure you have all your information ready before you call - claim number, social security number, recent work history, etc. The agents move fast and if you're not prepared they might have to transfer you or end the call
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Keisha Jackson
•Good point! I learned that lesson when I finally got through. Had to scramble to find my employer information.
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Malik Johnson
•This is crucial. I keep a folder with all my unemployment paperwork so I can grab it quickly when I get through to someone.
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Chloe Taylor
I've been dealing with Washington ESD for 3 months now and honestly the whole system is a mess. Between the website glitches, phone issues, and confusing letters, it's like they don't want people to get benefits.
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Amina Diop
•The system definitely has issues but it's worth persisting. Many people do successfully get their claims resolved, it just takes patience and persistence.
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Chloe Taylor
•I guess patience is the key word here. It's just hard when you're struggling financially and can't get answers.
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ShadowHunter
Thanks for this thread everyone. I was getting ready to give up but now I have some new strategies to try. Going to check out Claimyr and also try calling mid-week instead of Mondays.
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Keisha Jackson
•Good luck! I hope you get through soon. It's definitely worth trying different approaches until something works.
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Natasha Volkov
•Let us know how it goes! Always happy to hear when someone finally gets their claim issues resolved.
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