How long do you have to appeal unemployment decision in Washington ESD?

Thanks! The letter is dated last Tuesday so I should be good for a few more weeks to prepare everything.

Make sure you're counting from the mailing date on the letter, not when you received it. Washington ESD assumes you got it within a few days of mailing.

Is there a specific form I need to use or can I just write a letter explaining why I disagree?

There's an official appeal form but a written statement works too. Just make sure you clearly state you're appealing the determination and include your claim number.

How much does that cost? I'm already strapped for cash from being unemployed.

It's worth checking out their site for pricing. For me it was way better than spending hours trying to call Washington ESD myself and never getting through.

That actually sounds really helpful. I've been trying to call for days about my appeal questions but keep getting busy signals.

Yikes, that's exactly what I was worried about. I'll get my appeal submitted this week to be safe.

wait i thought you had longer than 30 days? my friend said she had 60 days for her appeal

No, it's definitely 30 days for unemployment benefit appeals in Washington. Your friend might be thinking of a different type of appeal or a different state.

Good point! So I can file the appeal form now and then gather supporting documents before the hearing?

Exactly. Just make sure you submit everything well before your hearing date so the administrative law judge has time to review it.

Did you try to get an extension or anything? Seems harsh for just 2 days.

I tried but they said good cause for late filing is very limited - like hospitalization or not receiving the notice. Just being busy or waiting for info doesn't count.

That's brutal but makes sense why they have to be strict about deadlines. Otherwise everyone would have excuses.

I might try that. The few times I've gotten through to Washington ESD the wait time was over an hour.

Same here - spent literally 3 hours on hold last month just to ask one question about my weekly claim. These phone systems are ridiculous.

Got it, so I need to look at the date printed on the letter itself. Mine says January 8th so I have until February 7th.

Correct! And I'd file it a few days before that just to be absolutely safe.

Calendar days include weekends and holidays, but if the deadline falls on a weekend or state holiday, you have until the next business day to file.

Thanks! Good to know they at least give you that much leeway.

How long did it take to get your hearing scheduled after you filed the appeal?

About 3 weeks to get the hearing notice, then the actual hearing is scheduled about 6 weeks out from when I filed. So total time from appeal to hearing is around 2 months.

That seems like a long time when you're not getting benefits while waiting. Do you know if they backpay if you win the appeal?

Yes, if I win they'll pay all the benefits I would have received from when I was originally disqualified. That's why it's so important to keep filing your weekly claims even during the appeal.

Try calling right when they open at 8am, that's usually the best time to get through

already tried that multiple times, still cant get through

This is exactly why I used Claimyr - they handle all the calling and waiting so you don't have to deal with Washington ESD's phone system directly.

Yes, you can submit additional evidence and documentation after filing your initial appeal, as long as it's before the hearing. Just make sure the administrative law judge receives it with enough time to review.

Perfect, that takes some pressure off. I can file the basic appeal now and work on gathering more evidence over the next few weeks.

What kind of documentation helped you the most? My situation involves a dispute over whether I quit or was fired.

Email exchanges with my supervisor and HR were huge. Also got a statement from a coworker who witnessed some of the incidents. Washington ESD really wants to see concrete evidence, not just he-said-she-said.

This is great advice. I'm dealing with a similar quit vs fired situation and wasn't sure what kind of proof I needed.

Wait, I can still file weekly claims even though I was disqualified? I thought I wasn't supposed to do that.

Yes, keep filing them! They won't pay out while you're disqualified, but if you win your appeal they'll process all those back weeks. If you don't file them, you lose those weeks forever.

This is super important info - I almost stopped filing my weekly claims when I got disqualified. Good thing I kept doing it.

I think I'm going to try that. These phone issues are adding so much stress to an already stressful situation.

Same experience here - worth it just for the peace of mind of actually talking to someone who can answer your questions.