How long does Washington ESD unemployment claim take to process - going on 6 weeks now

I've checked my account multiple times and don't see any pending issues or requests for additional information. That's what's so frustrating about this whole situation.

same thing happened to me last year, turned out there was a flag on my account that I couldn't see but Washington ESD could

I only worked in Washington state and was laid off due to company downsizing. Seems pretty straightforward to me but maybe there's something I'm missing.

Even straightforward claims can get hung up in the system. I'd definitely try calling Washington ESD to get a status update.

I actually found a service called Claimyr that helped me get through to a Washington ESD agent. They basically call for you and wait on hold, then connect you when someone picks up. Saved me hours of frustration. You can check it out at claimyr.com - they even have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works.

Interesting, I'll have to check that out. At this point I'm willing to try anything to get some answers about my claim status.

Wait, so they charge you to make phone calls? That seems sketchy to me.

That makes sense. I really need to talk to someone who can see what's going on behind the scenes with my claim.

exactly! when I finally got through they told me my claim was stuck because of a computer glitch that flagged my Social Security number as potentially fraudulent

Yeah I've been doing that. It feels weird filing weekly claims when I haven't even been approved yet but I don't want to miss out on benefits if the claim does go through.

That's absolutely the right approach. Never stop filing your weekly claims, even during appeals or lengthy processing periods.

I feel your pain. The stress of waiting for unemployment benefits while bills pile up is unreal.

Have you tried contacting your state representative? Sometimes they can help escalate cases that are taking too long.

Good idea, I might try that if I don't hear something soon

That's reassuring to hear from someone who works with these claims professionally. It makes me think there might be something specific causing the delay.

What would trigger adjudication on a straightforward layoff case?

Could be anything from a former employer disputing the separation reason to wage verification issues with out-of-state employers or even just a system error that flagged the claim for review.

That's actually a good tip. I usually check in the morning but I'll try checking at different times to see if anything changes.

I noticed this too! Sometimes new information would appear in my account late at night that wasn't there during the day.

Oh wow, that would be devastating. I'll definitely keep filing no matter how long this takes.

Smart move. Persistence is key with unemployment claims.

That sounds like exactly what I need. I'm going to check out their website tonight and see if it's worth trying.

I'm still skeptical about paying for something that should be free, but if it actually works...

I was skeptical too but honestly the time and stress it saved me was worth every penny. Plus once I knew what the issue was, I could take action to fix it instead of just wondering what was wrong.

Good point. I'm just hoping to get some kind of update soon about whether my claim will be approved or denied.

At least once you know the status you can plan accordingly. The uncertainty is the worst part.

That's a good point about holiday timing. Maybe there's just a backlog from people filing around the holidays.

I doubt it's just holiday backlog if it's been 6+ weeks. That seems like there's a specific issue with the claim.

You're probably right. I should probably try calling too instead of just waiting.

Great advice. I've been keeping some notes but I should be more systematic about tracking everything.

This is really important especially if you end up having to prove you were actively looking for work during the waiting period.

Thanks for the encouragement. I really needed to hear that today. The stress of not knowing what's happening is getting to me.

We've all been there. The unemployment system tests your patience but it does work eventually.

Good reminder. I've been applying to jobs but I should make sure I'm keeping proper records of my search activities.

Yes! Keep track of every application, job fair, networking event, etc. They can ask for this information at any time.

The job search requirement is 3 qualified job search activities per week in Washington state. Make sure you understand what qualifies as a valid search activity.