How long does Washington ESD unemployment take to process - been waiting 5 weeks

I don't see any issues listed in my account. Just says 'claim under review' with no other details. Should I call them?

Definitely try calling, but be prepared for long wait times. The phone lines are usually swamped. You might want to try calling right when they open at 8am.

This is so frustrating! I thought unemployment was supposed to help people, not stress them out more.

The system is totally broken. They make it impossible to reach anyone and then act like it's your fault when things don't get processed.

Is this legit? I've never heard of paying someone to make phone calls for you.

Yeah it's totally legitimate. They don't ask for any personal info about your claim, they just get you connected to Washington ESD. Worth it when you're stuck like this.

I used them too when my claim got stuck in adjudication. Got through to someone the same day and my claim was processed within a week after that.

I only had one employer for the past 2 years, so it should be straightforward. Maybe something else is holding it up?

Sometimes it's something simple like a discrepancy in your SSN or address between your claim and employer records. Definitely worth getting someone on the phone to check.

I feel you. Been there myself. The stress of not knowing when your money is coming is almost worse than being unemployed.

7 weeks for an appeal?? That's insane. How are people supposed to live like this?

I've tried that a few times but the lines are busy even at 8am. Do you have any other tips?

keep hitting redial, took me like 200 tries but eventually got through

I was definitely laid off due to company downsizing. I have the paperwork from HR. Should I upload that somewhere?

Yes, if there's an option to upload documents in your account, definitely do that. Otherwise you'll need to speak with someone to clarify the separation reason.

I don't see anything about ID verification in my account. Where would that show up?

It should show in your account alerts or pending issues section. If nothing's there, it might just be general backlog.

I understand the skepticism, but it's not a scam. They're just a calling service that helps you get through busy phone lines. When you're facing eviction because you can't reach Washington ESD, it's worth it.

I was skeptical too but after trying for 3 weeks to get through myself, I gave it a shot. They got me connected in 2 hours and my issue was resolved the same day.

That's really helpful to know it's not just me. Do you know what types of claims get prioritized?

From what I've observed, straightforward layoffs with clear documentation seem to move faster than claims involving job separation disputes or wage issues.

Good point about spam folder, I'll check that. I've been using the SecureAccess Washington login, is that the same thing?

yeah that's the right one, just wanted to make sure you weren't on a fake site

I didn't know state reps could help with this stuff. How do I find out who mine is?

You can look it up on the Washington State Legislature website using your address. Their constituent services staff deal with Washington ESD issues pretty regularly.

At this point I'm willing to try anything. Did he have to give them his claim information or anything like that?

Nah, they just call Washington ESD for you and transfer you over when they get someone on the line. Pretty simple actually.

Yeah I've been keeping up with the weekly claims. It's frustrating doing them when I'm not getting paid but I didn't want to mess anything up.

Good call. Those weekly claims are basically your proof that you remained unemployed and available for work during the processing period.

Hopefully yours goes faster! Maybe they've improved the process since mine got stuck.

Not all claims take this long. If yours is straightforward with no complications, you might see movement in 2-3 weeks.

The pandemic really broke a lot of these systems and they never fully recovered. Plus with all the fraud issues, they added more verification steps that slow everything down.

I get the fraud prevention, but there has to be a better way than making legitimate claimants wait forever for their benefits.

I will definitely update the thread. Thanks everyone for the advice and support. It helps to know I'm not alone in this mess.

Hope you get it sorted out soon. The waiting is the worst part, but once you get through to someone things usually move pretty quickly.

That's reassuring to hear. I'm hoping I get all 5 weeks of back pay when it finally goes through.

you should, as long as you kept doing your weekly claims. they'll pay you for all the weeks you were eligible

There's a WorkSource office about 20 minutes from me. I might try that if the phone calling doesn't work out.

Worth a shot! Sometimes having someone physically present helps navigate the bureaucracy better than trying to do everything online and over the phone.