How long after unemployment appeal hearing will I receive benefits in Washington ESD?

From my experience helping people with Washington ESD appeals, you should receive the written decision within 7-10 business days like they told you. If the decision is in your favor, they'll typically restore your benefits within 2-3 business days after the decision is issued. Back pay usually processes within a week of benefits being restored.

That's reassuring to hear! Do you know if they automatically restore all the weekly claims I filed during the appeal period, or do I need to do something specific?

They should automatically process all the weekly claims you filed during the appeal period as long as you continued filing them. If you missed any weeks, you might need to request those separately.

I won my appeal hearing last month and it took exactly 8 days to get the written decision. Once I got that, my benefits were restored the next business day and I received all my back pay within 3 days. Make sure you keep filing your weekly claims even though you're not getting paid yet!

Yes, I've been filing every week even though nothing was being paid out. Good to know the back pay came through quickly for you!

This is really important - never stop filing weekly claims during an appeal. I learned this the hard way and had to request backdating for several weeks.

Ugh I'm in the same boat but my hearing isn't until next month. How hard was it to actually get through to Washington ESD to schedule your hearing? I've been trying to call for weeks about some questions I have before my hearing date.

I had the same problem reaching Washington ESD about my hearing prep. Ended up using this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual agent. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Saved me hours of calling.

Never heard of that before but I'll check it out. These Washington ESD phone lines are impossible to get through on.

The timeline really depends on how backed up the appeals office is. Mine took 12 days to get the decision and then another week for benefits to restart. But I filed in December when they were probably swamped with holiday volume.

That's still not too bad considering how long the whole process has been. Did you get interest on your back pay since it was delayed so long?

No, Washington ESD doesn't pay interest on delayed benefits, even when the delay was their fault. Just the back pay amount.

Wait, you can keep filing weekly claims during an appeal?? I thought once you were denied you had to stop filing until it was resolved. I haven't filed in 6 weeks while waiting for my hearing date!

You absolutely should keep filing! Contact Washington ESD immediately to request backdating for those missed weeks. You'll need to explain why you didn't file and that you were available for work during that time.

Oh no, I had no idea. I'll call them first thing Monday morning. Thanks for letting me know!

This is exactly why I used Claimyr to get through to an agent - got clarification on stuff like this that I was confused about. Would definitely recommend it for getting quick answers.

Just be aware that even with a favorable decision, Washington ESD can be slow to actually process the paperwork. My decision came back in my favor but it took them almost 2 weeks to actually flip the switch and start paying benefits again. The back pay came through all at once though.

Two weeks seems like a long time after already waiting months for the hearing. Did you try calling to ask what was taking so long?

I did try calling but couldn't get through. This was back in October when their call volume was really high. Eventually it just processed on its own.

The appeal process is such a nightmare. I'm still waiting for my hearing date and it's been 3 months since I requested the appeal. The whole Washington ESD system is so backed up right now.

Three months for a hearing date? That's insane. I only waited about 6 weeks for mine. Maybe it depends on which office handles your case?

I think it does vary by region. I'm in the Seattle area and they told me hearings are running 12-16 weeks out when I called in November.

For what it's worth, I lost my first appeal hearing but won on the second level appeal to the Board of Appeals. That whole process took almost 6 months total but I eventually got every penny of back pay I was owed. Don't give up if the first decision doesn't go your way.

Good to know there's another level if needed, but hopefully my first appeal decision will be positive. The hearing really did seem to go well.

Sounds like you have a good feeling about it. The ALJ's reaction during the hearing is usually a pretty good indicator of which way they're leaning.

Make sure you have direct deposit set up with Washington ESD before your benefits restart. When I won my appeal, they tried to mail me a check for the back pay and it got lost in the mail. Took another 2 weeks to get a replacement check issued.

I do have direct deposit set up, thankfully. That would be so frustrating to have the check get lost after waiting so long already.

Yeah it was maddening. Direct deposit is definitely the way to go - much faster and more reliable.

Quick question - did you have to provide any additional documentation after your hearing, or was everything submitted beforehand? I have my hearing next week and want to make sure I'm prepared.

I submitted everything beforehand through the online portal. The hearing was just testimony and questions from the ALJ. Make sure you have copies of everything with you during the hearing in case they ask to reference something specific.

Perfect, thanks. I've got all my documentation ready to go. Fingers crossed it goes as well as yours did!

The waiting is the worst part of this whole process. I'm dealing with a similar situation where my claim was denied for 'voluntary quit' even though I was laid off. Haven't had income in almost 10 weeks now.

That's awful - voluntary quit when you were laid off? That sounds like it should be an easy appeal to win with the right documentation.

That's what I thought too, but Washington ESD apparently received some misinformation from my former employer. My hearing is in two weeks and I've got all the paperwork to prove it was a layoff.

Does anyone know if you can expedite the benefit restoration process if you're facing eviction or utilities getting shut off? I'm in a really tight spot financially while waiting for my appeal decision.

Washington ESD doesn't have an expedite process for appeals, but you might want to look into emergency assistance programs through DSHS or local nonprofits while you wait. Some utility companies also have hardship programs.

I'll look into those options. This whole process has been financially devastating.

If you need to check on your appeal status or get updates, I'd suggest trying Claimyr to get through to an agent faster. Waiting on hold for hours when you're stressed about money is the worst.

Just want to add that you should double-check your job search requirements once benefits restart. Sometimes the requirements change or get updated during the appeal process, and you don't want to get hit with another issue.

Good point. I've been continuing my job search activities even without benefits, but I'll make sure I understand the current requirements.

Smart thinking. I know someone who got their benefits restored after an appeal only to have them suspended again for not meeting the updated job search requirements.

The emotional toll of this process is almost as bad as the financial impact. Hang in there - it sounds like your hearing went well and hopefully you'll have good news soon.

Thank you for the encouragement. It really has been emotionally draining, especially around the holidays. Just trying to stay positive.

I totally understand. The uncertainty is brutal, but once you get that favorable decision everything moves pretty quickly from there.

One thing to watch out for - sometimes Washington ESD will restart your benefits but at a different weekly amount than you were expecting. This happened to me and I had to call to get it corrected. Apparently they had miscalculated my base period wages.

I'll definitely keep an eye on that. My original weekly benefit amount was $487, so I'll make sure that's what gets restored.

Exactly - just double-check that first payment to make sure everything looks right. It's easier to catch errors early than to fix them later.

Has anyone had experience with Washington ESD appealing their own favorable decision? I've heard they sometimes do that if they disagree with the ALJ's ruling.

Washington ESD can appeal to the Board of Appeals within 30 days of the decision, but it's relatively rare. They usually only do it if there was a significant legal or procedural issue with the hearing.

Good to know. I guess I'll cross that bridge if I come to it, but hopefully they'll accept the decision.

The whole appeals process really highlights how broken the initial decision-making is at Washington ESD. So many people have to go through appeals for decisions that should have been right the first time.

I agree completely. My case seemed pretty straightforward - I was terminated for poor performance, not misconduct. Should have been approved initially.

It's like they deny first and ask questions later. The appeals process works, but it shouldn't be necessary for so many clear-cut cases.

Just wanted to say good luck with your decision! Keep us posted on how it turns out and the timeline for getting benefits restored.

Thank you! I'll definitely update this thread once I receive the decision and benefits start flowing again. Hopefully it will be helpful for others in similar situations.

That would be great - real-world timelines are so much more helpful than the official estimates Washington ESD gives.

For anyone else reading this thread, make sure you understand the difference between the ALJ decision and potential further appeals. The ALJ decision is usually final unless one party appeals to the Board of Appeals within 30 days.

That's a good clarification. I'm hoping for a favorable ALJ decision that both sides accept so this can finally be over.

Most cases end at the ALJ level, so you should be in good shape if the hearing went as well as you described.