How long does it take for unemployment appeal decision - Washington ESD timeline?

That's somewhat reassuring I guess. Just wish there was a way to check the status or get an update.

You can try calling the appeals office directly but good luck getting through. I waited on hold for 3 hours last month.

10 weeks?? That's insane. How did you survive that long without benefits?

Credit cards and borrowed money from family. Not ideal but what choice did I have?

Never heard of that service before. Does it actually work or is it just another scam?

No it's legit, I was surprised too. They somehow get you through the phone queue and connected to a real person. Saved me hours of trying to call.

Might have to try that. I've called the appeals line probably 20 times and never gotten through to anyone.

45 business days puts me right around early January then. Fingers crossed it comes soon.

When you say back benefits, does that include the weeks during the appeal process?

Yes, if you win your appeal you'll get paid for all the weeks you were denied benefits, assuming you continued filing your weekly claims.

I agree it's frustrating but they still have to review all the documentation and make sure everything is properly recorded.

meanwhile people are going hungry and losing their homes because of bureaucratic delays

Yes I've been filing every week even though I'm not getting paid. Someone told me that was crucial.

Smart move. I know people who stopped filing during appeals and lost out on thousands in back pay.

I check it obsessively lol. Still just shows 'appeal pending' status.

Same here, been checking daily for weeks. The waiting is the worst part.

That's what I'm hoping! The judge even commented that they had no evidence to support the voluntary quit claim.

Sounds like you have a strong case then. Just gotta wait it out unfortunately.

That's crazy. How are people supposed to survive these delays?

The backlog has definitely gotten worse lately. They need more administrative law judges but the state hasn't allocated funding for additional positions.

Oh wow, that's good to know. Maybe I should try calling to make sure there aren't any issues like that.

Definitely worth checking. The system has all kinds of weird glitches.

Didn't think of that. Do they actually help with individual cases?

Yes, constituent services is part of their job. Worth a try if you've been waiting an unusually long time.

30 days would be reasonable. 8+ weeks is just cruel when people are struggling financially.

Exactly. I understand they need time to review everything but this is taking forever.

Thanks for the encouragement. Some days I wonder if I should just give up and look for any job instead of waiting.

Don't give up! You're entitled to those benefits and shouldn't let them deny you what you've earned.

Good point. I'll definitely read every word when it finally arrives.

And if you lose, you can appeal to the Board of Tax Appeals within 30 days. Don't give up if the first decision doesn't go your way.

Okay you guys have convinced me. I'm going to try calling through that service today.

Let us know how it goes! I'm curious to hear if it works for everyone or just some people.

That's awesome! Hopefully it's good news when you get the letter.

Wow that was fast! I'm definitely calling them tomorrow morning.

Fingers crossed for a favorable decision! Keep us posted when you get the letter.

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this too! It's incredibly frustrating when you have clear documentation proving your case but still have to wait months for a decision. The financial stress is the worst part - I've been struggling to keep up with bills while waiting. Definitely try claimyr.com, it seems like several people here have had success getting through to actual ESD agents that way. Job abandonment claims are usually pretty easy to disprove when you have termination paperwork, so hopefully your decision comes through soon. We shouldn't have to jump through all these hoops just to get benefits we're entitled to.

@Carmella Popescu I feel for you - 8+ weeks is just unacceptable when people are struggling to survive. Job abandonment is such a common wrongful denial they use, especially when they know most people won t'appeal. Since you have the termination docs, you should be in good shape once they finally get around to reviewing your case. I m'definitely going to try that claimyr service tomorrow after seeing all the success stories here. This whole system is so broken - we pay into unemployment insurance our whole working lives and then get treated like we re'trying to scam them when we actually need it.

@Aisha Rahman I m'in almost the exact same boat as you! Filed my appeal around the same time after a wrongful voluntary quit denial when I was actually laid off. It s'so frustrating that we all seem to be dealing with these ridiculous wait times. The financial stress is really getting to me too - I ve'been living off credit cards and help from family while waiting. At least we re'all continuing to file our weekly claims, that seems to be crucial for getting back pay if we win. I m'definitely going to try calling through claimyr tomorrow after seeing so many people here have success with it. Hopefully we ll'both get our decisions soon - sounds like we have strong cases with the layoff documentation and employers not showing up to defend themselves.

@Aisha Rahman Your situation sounds almost identical to mine! I was also laid off due to company downsizing but initially denied for voluntary "quit -" it s'like they use that as a default denial hoping people won t'appeal. The fact that your employer didn t'show up to the hearing is definitely a good sign, same as what happened with Layla. I ve'been surviving on savings and borrowing money from friends, which is really stressing me out. Seven weeks is way too long when people are struggling to pay rent and buy groceries. I m'going to try that claimyr service too after seeing all the positive feedback here. Hopefully we ll'both get our favorable decisions soon and can finally get some financial relief. Keep hanging in there!