How long does it take for pending issues unemployment Washington ESD?
My claim has been stuck with pending issues for over a month now and I'm getting really stressed about it. Filed back in December and everything seemed fine at first, but then I got a letter saying there were issues that needed to be resolved. The problem is, I can't figure out what the issues actually are! My online account just shows 'pending adjudication' but doesn't give any details. I've tried calling Washington ESD probably 50 times but either get a busy signal or sit on hold for hours before getting disconnected. Has anyone else dealt with this? How long should I expect to wait for them to resolve these mystery pending issues?
48 comments


Javier Mendoza
ugh this is so frustrating, same thing happened to me last year and it took like 6 weeks before they finally processed it
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AstroAdventurer
•6 weeks?? I can't wait that long, I'm already behind on rent. Did they ever tell you what the issue was?
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Javier Mendoza
•nope never got a clear answer, just suddenly got approved one day
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Emma Wilson
Pending issues in Washington ESD usually fall into a few categories - work separation reasons, wages reported by employers that don't match what you reported, or identity verification problems. The adjudication process typically takes 3-6 weeks depending on complexity. You should have received a fact-finding questionnaire or request for additional documentation. Check your correspondence inbox on your ESD account.
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AstroAdventurer
•I checked my correspondence and there's nothing there except the initial letter saying there were issues. No questionnaire or anything asking for more info.
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Emma Wilson
•That's odd. Sometimes the questionnaires get sent by mail instead of electronically. Have you checked your physical mailbox thoroughly?
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Malik Davis
I had pending issues for 2 months before I found out about Claimyr. It's a service that helps you get through to Washington ESD agents on the phone. I was skeptical at first but desperate enough to try it. Got connected to someone within 20 minutes and they were able to tell me exactly what my pending issue was - turns out my former employer had disputed my claim. The agent helped me understand what documentation I needed to submit. Check out claimyr.com if you're tired of trying to call on your own.
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AstroAdventurer
•20 minutes? That sounds too good to be true. How much does it cost?
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Malik Davis
•They focus on getting you connected rather than charging crazy fees. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Way better than sitting on hold for hours.
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Isabella Santos
•I've heard of that service but never tried it. Seems like it would be worth it just to get some answers about what's going on with your claim.
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Ravi Gupta
The Washington ESD adjudication process has been backed up significantly since the pandemic. Even though we're past the worst of it, they're still working through a backlog. Pending issues can range from simple wage verification to complex separation circumstances. The most common ones I see are: 1) Employer contested the claim citing misconduct or voluntary quit, 2) Wage discrepancies between what you reported and what employers reported, 3) Identity verification issues, 4) Work availability questions if you had limited availability when you applied.
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AstroAdventurer
•I definitely didn't quit voluntarily and wasn't fired for misconduct - I was laid off due to budget cuts. Could it be a wage thing?
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Ravi Gupta
•Wage discrepancies are very common. If there's even a small difference between what you reported and what your employers reported to Washington ESD, it triggers an adjudication. They have to verify the correct wages to calculate your benefit amount properly.
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GalacticGuru
THIS IS RIDICULOUS!! I've been waiting 7 weeks for my pending issues to be resolved and I'm about to lose my apartment. The Washington ESD system is completely broken and they don't care about people who are struggling. I call every single day and can never get through to a human being. How is this legal?
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Freya Pedersen
•I feel your pain, the system is definitely overwhelmed. Have you tried calling right when they open at 8am?
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GalacticGuru
•yes I've tried everything - calling at 8am, during lunch, different days of the week. nothing works
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Omar Fawaz
•You might want to contact your state representative's office. They sometimes have caseworkers who can help with Washington ESD issues.
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Chloe Anderson
I'm a former Washington ESD employee and can tell you that adjudication times vary wildly. Simple cases like basic wage verification might take 2-3 weeks. Complex cases involving employer disputes, misconduct allegations, or unusual work arrangements can take 6-8 weeks or longer. The key is getting accurate information about what specific issue is causing the delay.
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AstroAdventurer
•As a former employee, do you know if there's any way to find out what the specific issue is without getting through on the phone?
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Chloe Anderson
•Unfortunately, the online system is limited in what details it shows. The phone is really the only way to get specific information about your pending issues.
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Diego Vargas
•That's so frustrating that they can't just put more details online. Seems like it would save everyone time.
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Anastasia Fedorov
I was in the same boat as you - pending issues for over a month with no idea what was wrong. Finally got through using Claimyr and found out my employer had reported that I was fired for attendance issues, which wasn't true. I was able to provide documentation showing I had approved leave and the issue got resolved within a week after that. Sometimes you just need to talk to someone who can actually see what's in your file.
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AstroAdventurer
•That's exactly what I'm worried about - that my employer said something that isn't true. How did you prove your side of the story?
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Anastasia Fedorov
•I had emails and documentation from HR about my approved leave. The key was getting to talk to someone who could walk me through exactly what my employer had reported.
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StarStrider
My cousin went through this same thing and it took 5 weeks before they got an answer. Turned out to be something really simple - just needed to verify their identity with additional documents. The waiting is the worst part because you have no idea if it's going to be resolved tomorrow or in two months.
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AstroAdventurer
•Did your cousin ever find out why they needed identity verification? I'm worried I missed something important.
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StarStrider
•I think it was because they had worked in another state recently and Washington ESD needed to verify wages from that job.
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Sean Doyle
The whole system is designed to make people give up. They make it impossible to get through on the phone and then act like it's your fault when you can't resolve issues. I've been dealing with pending issues for 6 weeks and I'm ready to just forget about unemployment entirely.
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Zara Rashid
•Don't give up! You earned those benefits and deserve to get them. Have you tried any of the phone services people mentioned?
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Sean Doyle
•I'm thinking about it but I'm worried about getting scammed. Are these services legitimate?
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Luca Romano
I work in HR and see Washington ESD adjudication issues from the employer side too. Sometimes employers receive fact-finding questionnaires about former employees and don't respond promptly, which can delay the process. Other times there are discrepancies in how the separation was reported initially vs. what comes up during the adjudication review. The system requires both sides to provide information before making a determination.
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AstroAdventurer
•So my employer might be holding up the process by not responding to Washington ESD? That's really frustrating.
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Luca Romano
•It's possible. Employers have deadlines to respond but not all of them meet those deadlines promptly.
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Nia Jackson
I finally got my pending issues resolved after 8 weeks. Turns out I had made a mistake on my initial application - I put down the wrong last day of work by one day and it flagged the whole claim for review. Such a tiny error but it caused months of delay. The Washington ESD agent was actually really helpful once I got through to them.
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AstroAdventurer
•How did you finally get through to them? I'm willing to try anything at this point.
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Nia Jackson
•I used that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier. Honestly wish I had tried it sooner instead of wasting weeks calling on my own.
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Mateo Hernandez
The waiting is torture when you're already stressed about money. I'm at 4 weeks with pending issues and starting to panic about my bills. Has anyone had their claim denied after all this waiting? I keep wondering if I'm waiting for bad news.
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CosmicCruiser
•Most of the time pending issues get resolved in your favor, especially if it's just verification stuff. Try not to panic too much.
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Mateo Hernandez
•Thanks, I needed to hear that. The uncertainty is killing me.
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Aisha Khan
I've been tracking my pending issues for 3 weeks now and calling Washington ESD every day. I keep a log of when I call, how long I wait on hold, and what happens. So far I've spent over 40 hours on hold total and have only gotten through to someone twice, both times they couldn't help because they said they couldn't see my file details.
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Ethan Taylor
•40 hours?! That's insane. There has to be a better way to handle this.
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Aisha Khan
•I'm documenting everything in case I need to file a complaint or something. This is ridiculous.
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Yuki Ito
For what it's worth, I had pending issues that took 6 weeks to resolve, but once they were resolved I got all my back pay in one lump sum. So at least you'll get everything you're owed once it's processed, including payment for all the weeks you've been waiting.
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AstroAdventurer
•That's good to know at least. I was worried I might lose those weeks of benefits.
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Yuki Ito
•Nope, as long as you keep filing your weekly claims while waiting, you'll get paid for all of it retroactively.
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Carmen Lopez
I'm at 5 weeks with pending issues and just got another generic letter saying they're 'working on it.' No timeline, no details about what they need from me, nothing helpful. I'm so frustrated I could scream. How is this system even functional?
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Andre Dupont
•Those generic letters are so unhelpful. You need to talk to someone who can actually look at your specific case.
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Carmen Lopez
•Easier said than done when you can never get anyone on the phone!
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