How long does it take for Washington ESD unemployment to review your claim - still waiting 5 weeks
Filed my initial unemployment claim with Washington ESD back in mid-December and it's been sitting in 'under review' status for over 5 weeks now. My weekly claims keep getting processed but they all say 'pending' with $0 paid out. I've submitted all the required documents they asked for through my SecureAccess Washington account but nothing seems to be moving. Is this normal? How long does Washington ESD typically take to review claims? I'm starting to panic about my bills and rent.
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Natasha Petrov
same boat here, been waiting 4 weeks for them to review mine
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Javier Morales
•At least I'm not the only one. Did you try calling them?
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Natasha Petrov
•tried calling dozens of times, either busy signal or hang up after 2 hours on hold
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Connor O'Brien
Washington ESD review times vary significantly depending on the complexity of your case. Standard claims without issues typically take 2-3 weeks, but if there are any questions about your separation from employment, work history, or eligibility, it can extend to 6-8 weeks or longer. The adjudication process involves reviewing all submitted documentation and sometimes contacting previous employers.
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Javier Morales
•They did send me a questionnaire about why I left my last job, which I filled out right away. Does that mean there's an issue?
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Connor O'Brien
•Not necessarily an issue, but it does mean they need to verify the circumstances of your separation. This is routine for many claims but does add processing time.
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Amina Diallo
I was stuck in review for 7 weeks last year until I found Claimyr. It's a service that helps you get through to Washington ESD agents on the phone - saved me from waiting months. Check out claimyr.com, they have a demo video that shows exactly how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ. Within 2 days of using it I finally talked to someone who could explain what was holding up my claim.
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GamerGirl99
•Never heard of this before, is it legit?
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Amina Diallo
•Yeah it's totally legit, they just help you get through the phone system instead of sitting on hold for hours. I was skeptical too but desperate enough to try anything.
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Javier Morales
•Interesting, I might have to look into this if I don't hear anything soon.
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Hiroshi Nakamura
THE SYSTEM IS BROKEN!!! I've been waiting THREE MONTHS for my claim review and still nothing. They keep sending me the same form letters saying 'we're reviewing your claim' while I'm about to lose my apartment. Washington ESD doesn't care about people, they just want to deny as many claims as possible to save money.
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Isabella Costa
•I feel you, the whole system is designed to wear you down so you give up
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Connor O'Brien
•I understand the frustration, but three months is definitely not normal. Have you tried contacting your state representative's office? They can sometimes help escalate cases that have been delayed unreasonably.
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Malik Jenkins
What kind of job did you leave and under what circumstances? If you quit voluntarily or were fired for misconduct, that definitely extends the review time because they have to investigate whether you're eligible for benefits at all.
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Javier Morales
•I was laid off due to company downsizing, so it should be straightforward. Got my pink slip and everything.
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Malik Jenkins
•That should be pretty clear cut then. Maybe they're just backed up with holiday claims from December.
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Freya Andersen
omg yes the wait times are insane right now, my sister waited 6 weeks
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Javier Morales
•Did she eventually get approved?
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Freya Andersen
•yeah finally got approved and they paid her all the back weeks
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Connor O'Brien
During the review period, make sure you continue filing your weekly claims even though you're not getting paid. If your claim is approved, you'll receive retroactive payment for all the weeks you properly filed. Also, keep documenting your job search activities as required - 3 job contacts per week minimum.
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Javier Morales
•Good point, I have been keeping up with the weekly filings. The job search requirement is a pain but I'm logging everything in WorkSource.
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Eduardo Silva
•Wait, I thought it was 2 job contacts per week?
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Connor O'Brien
•It's actually 3 job search activities per week, which can include job applications, networking events, or job fairs. You log these through WorkSourceWA.
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Leila Haddad
I'm going through the exact same thing right now - filed January 2nd and still under review. The not knowing is the worst part because I can't plan anything or know if I need to find emergency help with bills.
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Javier Morales
•Exactly! The uncertainty is killing me. At least if they gave us a timeline we could plan better.
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Amina Diallo
•This is exactly why I ended up using Claimyr - I needed answers about my timeline and what was holding things up. Sometimes just knowing what the issue is helps you figure out next steps.
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Emma Johnson
Have you checked if all your documents actually uploaded correctly? Sometimes the Washington ESD website shows they received something but it didn't actually go through properly.
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Javier Morales
•How can I verify that? I got confirmation emails but maybe I should double check.
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Emma Johnson
•Log into your SecureAccess Washington account and check the documents section. It should show the status of each uploaded file.
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GamerGirl99
Does anyone know if the review time affects whether you get approved or denied? Like, does a longer review mean they're more likely to deny your claim?
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Connor O'Brien
•Review time doesn't correlate with approval/denial rates. Complex cases that take longer can still be approved - it just means they need more time to gather information or verify details.
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Hiroshi Nakamura
•Don't believe that - they drag it out hoping you'll find a job and stop filing claims
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Ravi Patel
My claim took 8 weeks to get reviewed last fall but I eventually got approved with full back pay. The key is to not give up and keep filing those weekly claims. Also document EVERYTHING - every phone call attempt, every document you submit, dates and times.
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Javier Morales
•That's good advice about documenting everything. I should start keeping better records.
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Leila Haddad
•8 weeks seems to be pretty common from what I'm hearing
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Astrid Bergström
try calling right at 8am when they open, sometimes you can get through faster
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Natasha Petrov
•tried that, still get busy signals or disconnected after hours
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Amina Diallo
•The phone system is just overwhelmed. That's honestly why services like Claimyr exist - they handle all the redialing and hold time so you don't have to sit there all day.
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PixelPrincess
I wonder if certain types of jobs or industries have longer review times? I worked in retail and mine went through pretty quick, but my friend who worked in tech consulting waited forever.
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Connor O'Brien
•More complex employment situations like contract work, commission-based jobs, or situations involving multiple employers can require additional verification, which extends processing time.
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Javier Morales
•I worked a regular W2 job for 3 years at the same company, so hopefully that keeps things simple.
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Omar Farouk
The worst part is you can't get any updates or timeline estimates from them. They just say 'we're reviewing your claim' over and over like a broken record.
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Javier Morales
•YES! That's so frustrating. Even a rough timeline would help so much.
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Ravi Patel
•That's why talking to an actual person helps - they can at least tell you what specific thing they're waiting on or investigating.
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Chloe Martin
Keep checking your correspondence section in the Washington ESD portal daily. Sometimes they request additional information and if you miss it, that delays everything even more.
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Javier Morales
•Good tip, I'll start checking that more frequently.
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Diego Fernández
•also check your spam folder for emails from Washington ESD
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Anastasia Kuznetsov
I'm curious if anyone has had success with contacting their local WorkSource office for help with delayed claims? My cousin mentioned that as an option.
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Connor O'Brien
•WorkSource offices can provide general guidance and help with job search requirements, but they can't directly intervene in claim processing. However, they might be able to help ensure your job search activities are being logged correctly.
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Amina Diallo
•For claim-specific issues, you really need to talk to Washington ESD directly. That's where something like Claimyr becomes valuable - they help you get through to the right department.
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Sean Fitzgerald
Just want to say hang in there OP. I know it's stressful but most people do eventually get their claims processed. The system is slow but it does work most of the time.
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Javier Morales
•Thanks for the encouragement, I really needed to hear that today.
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Leila Haddad
•Yeah this thread actually made me feel better knowing I'm not alone in this
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Zara Khan
One thing that helped me was setting up a spreadsheet to track all my claim activity - when I filed, what documents I submitted, phone call attempts, etc. It helped me stay organized and gave me something concrete to reference when I finally got through to someone.
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Javier Morales
•That's a really smart idea. I'm going to start doing that right now.
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Ravi Patel
•Organization definitely helps, especially if you end up needing to appeal or provide additional documentation later.
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MoonlightSonata
Update us when you hear back OP! I'm rooting for you and hope it gets resolved soon.
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Javier Morales
•Will do! Thanks everyone for all the advice and support. This thread has been really helpful.
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