How long do ESD appeals typically take in 2025? Filed mine last week

Appeals typically take 4-8 weeks right now due to backlogs. You should have received an automated confirmation email when you submitted online. If you mailed it in, you probably won't get a confirmation. Eventually, you'll get a notice with your hearing date scheduled with an Administrative Law Judge from the Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH). Make sure to keep filing your weekly claims while waiting for the appeal process - this is super important! If you win the appeal, you'll only get paid for weeks you properly claimed.

my appeal took 9 WEEKS last year and it was hell. nobody tells u anything the whole time. good luck man

Appeal time frames vary but here's what to expect: 1. Initial processing: 1-2 weeks 2. Assignment to OAH: 1-3 weeks 3. Hearing scheduling: 2-4 weeks 4. Hearing date: Usually 1-2 weeks after notification 5. Decision: Typically 1-2 weeks after hearing So total timeframe is usually 6-12 weeks. You should receive a confirmation letter within 10 business days of submission. If not, call ESD to verify they received it. Keep detailed records of your availability for work since that's what they disqualified you for. During your hearing, you'll need to prove you were available for suitable work during the time in question. Have documentation ready!

I had to appeal a similar issue about 'availability for work' in February and the whole process took about 7 weeks. One thing that really helped me though - I couldn't get through to ESD on the phone for days (kept getting disconnected or put on eternal hold). I finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual ESD agent within about 15 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 Worth it just to confirm they received your appeal and get a status update rather than waiting in anxiety. The agent I talked to was actually able to tell me exactly where my appeal was in the process which gave me peace of mind.

wait did u file ur appeal online or paper??? cuz paper takes wayyyyy longer trust me

I wonder if anyone knows - is the appeal process different for standby status denials vs availability for work issues? My neighbor is dealing with a standby status appeal right now.

One more critical piece of advice - when you get your hearing notice, it will include instructions for submitting evidence. DO NOT miss the deadline for submitting your documentation. It's usually 1 week before the hearing date. If you miss it, the judge may not consider your evidence. Also, be prepared for a phone hearing unless you specifically request an in-person one.

Pro tip from someone who just went through this: record EVERY interaction with ESD. Washington is a two-party consent state for recording, so you need to tell them you're recording, but I did this and it helped tremendously in my appeal. The judge was very interested in hearing the recordings where the ESD rep gave me incorrect information that led to my disqualification.

anybody else feel like they make these processes take forever on purpose so people just give up? the whole system is designed to be frustrating