How do I get through to a person at Washington ESD unemployment office?

I tried that but got disconnected after 90 minutes on hold yesterday. So frustrating.

Same thing happened to me last week. The system just hangs up on you when it gets overloaded.

That's actually smart advice. Most people probably don't think to call during lunch.

I'll try that today, thanks for the tip!

Is that legit? Never heard of paying someone to make phone calls for you.

Yeah it's real. They basically have automated systems that keep trying the Washington ESD number until they get through, then they connect you to the agent. Saved me so much time and stress.

That sounds too good to be true but I'm desperate enough to try anything at this point.

This is what I do too. Set multiple alarms for 7:55 AM and have your phone ready to dial at exactly 8.

The multiple phones idea is genius. I never thought of that.

That's awful. Have you tried reaching out to your state representative? Sometimes they can help with Washington ESD issues.

didnt know that was an option. how do i contact them?

Go to the Washington State Legislature website and find your district. Most reps have staff who handle constituent services including ESD problems.

I looked for that but couldn't find a chat option. Are you sure they have one?

Hmm maybe I'm thinking of a different state agency. Washington ESD might not have live chat.

It just says I need to contact customer service for eligibility verification. Won't let me certify at all.

That usually means they need to verify your work history or identity. Unfortunately you probably do need to talk to someone for that.

I had the same thing happen. Turned out they needed me to send in my ID documents through eServices.

WorkSource is more for job search help though. They might not be able to handle claims issues.

True but if you're desperate it's another avenue to try.

It's criminal how they treat people who are already struggling financially.

They really need to hire more staff or upgrade their phone system. This is ridiculous.

That's awesome! I'm going to try that service today. How much did it cost?

Worth every penny considering how much time I was wasting trying to call myself. Much less stressful too.

Good to hear a success story. I might try this too if I can't get through this week.

That's really helpful data. I never thought about tracking patterns like that.

Smart approach. Fridays are probably terrible because everyone's trying to certify their weekly claims.

So glad you got it resolved! Identity verification issues are the worst.

This gives me hope. I'm going to try it first thing tomorrow morning.

I tried that months ago and never got a response. Phone is really the only way unfortunately.

Figures. The whole communication system is broken.

I tried that but it just hangs up on me when I press 0 too many times.

Same here. The system seems to recognize when you're trying to bypass the menus.

Absolutely. The mental health impact of this broken system is huge.

They need to be held accountable for this. People are losing their homes because they can't get through.

You're definitely not alone! I'm in the same boat - been trying to get through for weeks about my claim that suddenly got flagged. The whole system seems designed to exhaust people into giving up. I'm seriously considering that Claimyr service too after seeing all these success stories. It's frustrating that we have to pay a third party to access our own unemployment benefits, but if it actually works it might be worth it. Let me know how it goes if you try it!

Same situation here - my claim got flagged out of nowhere and I can't certify online anymore. The automated system just keeps telling me to call customer service but that's impossible when no one answers! I've been reading through all these comments and it's crazy how many of us are dealing with this. The Claimyr thing does seem to be working for people based on what I'm seeing here. I'm honestly at the point where I'd rather pay someone to get through than spend another week of my life on hold just to get disconnected. This whole system is broken and it's affecting real people who need these benefits to survive.

I totally feel your frustration - that "additional review" flag seems to be hitting so many people lately and it's like once you get flagged, you're stuck in limbo forever. I haven't tried contacting state legislators yet but that's actually a really good suggestion. At this point I'm willing to try anything - the traditional phone route is clearly not working for most of us. I'm probably going to give Claimyr a shot this week since so many people here have had success with it. It does feel wrong that we have to pay extra just to access benefits we're entitled to, but the alternative is potentially missing weeks of payments while sitting on hold indefinitely. Thanks for mentioning the legislator option though - I'm going to look into that as a backup plan too.

This is really encouraging to hear! I'm in the exact same boat right now with a claim that's been stuck for over two weeks. The fact that you got through in 45 minutes and actually resolved the issue gives me hope. I've been hesitant about trying Claimyr because it feels like we shouldn't have to pay extra for this, but you're absolutely right about the mental stress - I'm losing sleep over this and spending entire days just redialing the same number. Can I ask roughly how much the service cost? I'm trying to weigh the cost against potentially missing more weeks of benefits if I keep trying the traditional route.

I'm in the exact same situation right now - claim stuck in pending for 3 weeks and I can't get through no matter what time I call. The stress is killing me and I'm running out of savings. After reading your success story and all the other positive experiences here, I think I'm going to try Claimyr today. It seems like multiple people have had real success with it, which gives me confidence it's not a scam. You're absolutely right that sometimes you just have to do whatever works - the traditional phone system is clearly broken and I can't afford to keep waiting indefinitely. Thanks for sharing your experience, it really helps to know there's actually a solution that works!

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! My claim has been stuck for almost 3 weeks with no way to reach anyone. I've probably spent 40+ hours trying to get through on the phone and I'm at my breaking point. Reading your success story and seeing how many others here have gotten results with Claimyr is really giving me hope. I checked out that YouTube demo video someone posted earlier and it actually looks legit - they basically automate the calling process until they get through then connect you to the agent. At this point the cost is worth it just to preserve my sanity and actually get this resolved. Going to try it today! Thanks for sharing your experience, it's really helpful to know there's a real solution that actually works.

I'm in almost the exact same situation - claim flagged 2 weeks ago and completely locked out of online certification. The phone system is absolutely broken and it's causing so much stress on top of already being unemployed. I haven't tried contacting my state legislator yet but that's actually a really smart idea - several people mentioned it and it seems like they sometimes have more pull with government agencies. I'm also seriously considering the Claimyr option after seeing all these success stories. It's frustrating that we're forced to pay extra just to access our own benefits, but when you're facing bills and potentially missing weeks of payments, sometimes you have to do whatever actually works. Thanks for bringing up the legislator route again - I'm going to look up my representative today and try that alongside other options.

I'm in the exact same boat - my claim got flagged last week and I've been stuck in phone hell ever since! It's so frustrating because you're already dealing with the stress of being unemployed and then the system that's supposed to help you is basically impossible to access. I've tried all the same tactics you mentioned - calling right at opening, during lunch breaks, multiple redials - and nothing works. The fact that so many people here are having success with Claimyr is really encouraging though. I was hesitant at first because paying for something like this feels wrong, but honestly the alternative is potentially missing weeks of benefits while wasting countless hours on hold. I'm definitely going to check out that demo video and give it a try. It's sad that we're all forced into this situation, but at least we have each other's experiences to learn from. Hang in there!