How long after appealing ESD denial until OAH hearing is scheduled?
Just got hit with a denial letter for my unemployment claim yesterday. Something about 'failure to provide adequate work search documentation' even though I KNOW I submitted everything correctly. I immediately filed an appeal through eServices but now I'm wondering how long I'll be waiting before I actually get a hearing date with OAH? My savings are getting pretty low and I can't really afford to wait months for this to be resolved. Has anyone gone through the appeal process recently? How long did it take from submitting your appeal to actually getting your hearing scheduled?
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Leslie Parker
I went through this last month. It took exactly 4 weeks from when I submitted my appeal to when I got the hearing notice in the mail. The actual hearing was scheduled for 2 weeks after that. So about 6 weeks total from appeal to hearing. Make sure you keep doing your weekly claims during this time! Even if they're denied, if you win your appeal, you'll get backpay for those weeks.
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Freya Ross
•Thanks for the info! Did you have to gather any additional evidence for your hearing? I'm worried that I won't have all the right documentation since I wasn't really expecting to get denied in the first place.
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Sergio Neal
it depends honestly. my friend got his hearing in like 3 weeks but mine took almost 8 weeks to even get scheduled. good luck
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Savanna Franklin
•This is accurate. The Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH) is currently experiencing varying wait times depending on case complexity and volume. The standard processing time is 3-8 weeks from appeal submission to hearing scheduling, with most claimants receiving notice within 4-5 weeks. During this waiting period, continue filing weekly claims and gather documentation supporting your work search activities - specifically dates, employer names, contact information, and application methods for each job contact you reported.
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Juan Moreno
I'm in the EXACT same situation!!! They denied me for 'insufficient work search' when I KNOW I did everything right. It's been 5 weeks since I filed my appeal and NOTHING yet. No letter, no email, NOTHING. I've called ESD like 20 times and can't get through to anyone. This system is completely BROKEN!!!! How are we supposed to survive while waiting for them to fix THEIR mistakes?!?!
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Amy Fleming
•I had the same frustration trying to reach someone at ESD. After wasting hours getting disconnected, I found this service called Claimyr that got me through to an ESD agent in about 25 minutes. They basically call ESD for you and then connect you when they reach an agent. Saved me so much time and stress. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3. Their website is claimyr.com if you want to check it out. It helped me get clarity on my appeal status when I couldn't get through on my own.
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Alice Pierce
congrats on getting the appeal filed at least. my cousin waited too long and missed the deadline completely. now hes totally screwed and cant even appeal anymore
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Freya Ross
•Yikes, that's scary. I made sure to file the appeal the same day I got the denial letter. I think the deadline is 30 days but I didn't want to risk it.
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Esteban Tate
my hearing took forever to get scheduled (like 7 weeks) but when i finally had it the judge was actually really fair and overturned my denial. make sure you've got all your evidence organized. they asked me for way more details about my job search than i expected
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Savanna Franklin
•This is excellent advice. For work search denials specifically, prepare a detailed log with exact dates, company names, position titles, application methods, and any follow-up actions. The Administrative Law Judge will often request this level of detail. If you applied online, screenshots of confirmation emails can be particularly helpful evidence. You can submit additional evidence up to one week before your scheduled hearing date.
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Amy Fleming
While you're waiting for your hearing date, I'd recommend calling ESD directly to see if there's any way to expedite the process or at least get an estimated timeframe for your specific case. Sometimes they can give you more information over the phone than what's available online. I was in a similar situation last year and found that being persistent (but polite) with regular calls helped keep my case moving forward. Just be prepared for long wait times when calling.
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Juan Moreno
•I tried calling EIGHT TIMES yesterday and either got a busy signal or the automated system just hung up on me. How is anyone supposed to get through to a real person there? It's like they WANT us to fail!
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Sergio Neal
btw did u get the denial in the mail or just on eservices? sometimes the letter has more details than whats online
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Freya Ross
•I got the notification in eServices first, then the letter came 2 days later. You're right - the letter did have a bit more detail about exactly which weeks they thought I didn't do proper job search activities. Still frustrating though since I know I did them all correctly!
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Leslie Parker
One thing I forgot to mention about my experience - at my hearing, they focused A LOT on the specific requirements for job search activities. Make sure you understand exactly what counts as a "job search activity" according to ESD rules. For example, just browsing job listings doesn't count as an activity, but applying for a specific position does. And if you attended any WorkSource workshops, definitely bring that documentation as those count too. The judge in my case was actually pretty reasonable once I explained my situation clearly.
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Freya Ross
•That's really helpful, thanks. I did a mix of online applications and a couple virtual job fairs. I'll make sure I have all that documented. Did you have a lawyer or did you represent yourself?
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Savanna Franklin
To directly answer your timeline question: Currently in Washington state, the average wait time from appeal filing to hearing notice is approximately 4-5 weeks, with an additional 2-3 weeks until the actual hearing date. However, this can vary based on current case volume. Here's what you should do while waiting: 1. Continue filing your weekly claims without interruption 2. Maintain detailed records of all job search activities (3 per week minimum) 3. Gather documentation of past job search activities, especially for the weeks in question 4. Watch for mail from both ESD and the Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH) 5. Check your spam/junk folder for emails, as some notices are sent electronically Approximately 60% of work search related appeals are successful when the claimant provides thorough documentation at the hearing.
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Freya Ross
•Thank you so much for this detailed response! It really helps to have a clear timeline and checklist of what to do. I'll start organizing my documentation right away.
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Alice Pierce
my roommate had their hearing over the phone it was super easy actually
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Leslie Parker
•Yes, most OAH hearings are conducted by phone now. You'll get instructions with your hearing notice about how to call in. They usually give you a specific time window and a conference line to join. Make sure you're in a quiet place with good reception and have all your documents ready. The judge will explain the process at the beginning of the call.
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