How long does a Washington ESD unemployment appeal take - still waiting after 6 weeks

3 months?? I can barely afford rent as it is. Did you get backpay for the whole period once it was approved?

Yes you get backpay for everything if you win the appeal, but only if you kept filing your weekly claims during the appeal process

I have the layoff notice in writing and my supervisor's email confirming it was due to budget cuts. Should be pretty straightforward but my employer is being difficult.

Same thing happened to my brother. Employer fought the appeal even though they knew it was BS. Some companies just do that automatically to try to keep their UI tax rates down.

Never heard of this. How much does it cost? I'm already broke from waiting for my appeal.

It's way cheaper than missing more weeks of benefits. The peace of mind of actually talking to someone who could check my case was worth it.

Seems sketchy. Why would you need a service to call the unemployment office?

Because I was calling 50+ times a day and never getting through. This actually worked when nothing else did.

That's exactly what I'm worried about. Did you have to represent yourself at the hearing?

Yeah but it wasn't as scary as I thought. Just be prepared with your documents and tell the truth. The administrative law judge was actually fair.

I am, it just feels pointless since I keep getting $0 payments every week

Those $0 payments are actually protecting your claim. If you stop filing and then win your appeal, you lose those weeks forever.

They said I 'voluntarily left work without good cause' which is completely wrong. I have the layoff paperwork showing it was involuntary termination due to company downsizing.

That's a clear cut case if you have the documentation. Sounds like your employer reported it wrong initially or Washington ESD made an error processing it.

My employer definitely reported it wrong on purpose. They're claiming I resigned when I never did any such thing.

10 weeks sounds about right based on what everyone is saying. Did you get any updates during that time or just radio silence?

Mostly silence except for a letter about 6 weeks in scheduling the hearing. That's when I knew it was finally moving.

December?? That's even longer than mine. Have you tried calling to check on it?

I've called probably 200 times and either get hung up on or told they can't give me any information over the phone.

This is exactly why I ended up using Claimyr. The regular phone system is useless but they can get you to someone who actually has access to your file.

Yeah I'm still doing my job searches and logging them. Hoping I don't have to use them since this should be straightforward but better safe than sorry.

Good thinking. Even if your appeal is successful, having those job search records shows you were meeting the requirements the whole time.

That's reassuring. I'm confident about my case, just frustrated with how long everything takes.

Fair? Maybe. But making people wait 3-4 months without income while they sort out their own mistakes isn't fair at all.

I agree the timeline is terrible, but the actual hearings are conducted by independent judges who don't work for Washington ESD directly.

You can request an expedited hearing but it's rarely granted unless there are very unusual circumstances. Financial hardship alone usually isn't enough since that affects everyone waiting for appeals.

I looked into this too but didn't qualify. Seems like you need medical emergencies or something really extreme.

Good point, I've been checking weekly. So far just the standard 'appeal in progress' status but I'll keep watching.

Yeah they requested bank statements from me about 8 weeks in. Almost missed it because the notification was buried in my account messages.

That gives me hope! Did you have a lawyer or represent yourself?

Represented myself. For a straightforward case like yours sounds, you probably don't need a lawyer. Just be organized with your paperwork.

How much backpay did you get? Was it everything from when you first filed?

Got everything I was owed since my original claim date. Made sure to keep filing weekly claims the whole time even though I wasn't getting paid.

How do you report employer fraud to Washington ESD? I definitely think that's what's happening here.

There's a fraud reporting form on the Washington ESD website. Document everything - emails, layoff notices, any communication about the termination.

Okay I'm convinced. If I can't get through by next week I might try it. This waiting game is killing me financially.

Same, I'm going to check out that video demo. At this point I'll try anything to get some answers about my case.

Are you a lawyer? What counts as complications that would make it take longer?

I do some employment law work. Complications usually mean multiple issues (like separation reason plus wage disputes) or cases where they need additional documentation from employers or third parties.

Hang in there. With clear documentation like you have, you should win your appeal easily once you get to the hearing.

Keep us posted on how it goes! Always helpful to hear how these cases turn out.

You got this. The waiting sucks but sounds like you have a solid case. Just stay organized and patient.