How long will it take for Washington ESD unemployment to get approved?

What kind of complications would cause delays? I was laid off due to company downsizing, so I thought it would be pretty straightforward.

Layoffs are usually the easiest to process. If your employer responds quickly to their paperwork, you should be fine. Sometimes Washington ESD needs to verify your wages with previous employers though.

Three weeks seems like forever when you're broke! Did you have any issues or was it just the normal processing time?

No major issues, just the usual verification stuff. Washington ESD had to confirm my employment dates with HR at my old job and that took about a week.

That sounds interesting but is it legit? I'm always nervous about third-party services when it comes to government stuff.

Yeah I was skeptical too but it's just a calling service - they don't handle your personal info or anything. They just help you get through the phone queue to talk to an actual Washington ESD representative.

I've heard of this too. My cousin used it when her claim got stuck in adjudication. Might be worth a shot if you can't get through normally.

What kind of red flags are you talking about? Now I'm worried there might be something wrong with mine.

Things like discrepancies in your work history, issues with your reason for separation, or if you worked in multiple states recently. Nothing to panic about, just things that require extra verification.

Oh no, that's exactly what I'm afraid of. How did you find out your boss disputed it?

got a letter from washington esd saying there was a question about my job separation and they needed to investigate. been in 'adjudication' status ever since

That's rough. Adjudication can take 4-6 weeks or even longer depending on how backed up they are. Did you submit any documentation to support your side?

Yeah I've been doing my weekly claims religiously. At least that part seems to be working properly.

Good! That's really important because you can't get back pay for weeks you didn't file, even if the delay wasn't your fault.

That's what I'm experiencing with the phone lines. I've tried calling probably 50 times and either get a busy signal or get disconnected after waiting on hold forever.

That's exactly why I ended up using Claimyr. The regular phone system is just broken right now. At least with their service I knew I'd actually talk to someone at Washington ESD.

That gives me hope! Mine should be straightforward too since it was a clear layoff situation.

Yeah, layoffs usually process faster than quits or terminations. Just keep checking your account daily and make sure you respond immediately if they request any additional info.

Seven weeks is insane! How did you survive financially during that time?

credit cards and borrowing money from family. it was awful. at least when it finally got approved i got all the back pay at once

Is there a way to follow up with my employer about that? I don't want to bug them but if it speeds things up...

You could try calling HR and just asking if they've received any paperwork from Washington ESD about your unemployment claim. Most companies are used to these requests.

That makes sense. I hadn't thought about seasonal factors affecting processing times.

Good advice! I've been screenshotting everything but I should probably print some stuff out too.

Definitely print the important stuff. Digital files can get corrupted or accidentally deleted when you need them most.

I never would have thought of that! Do they actually help with individual cases like this?

Yeah, constituent services is part of their job. They can't guarantee results but they can sometimes get answers when regular channels aren't working.

I feel your pain. The uncertainty is almost worse than knowing it would take a specific amount of time.

Have you tried calling Washington ESD to get an update? If the regular lines aren't working, that Claimyr service I mentioned earlier might help you actually get through to someone who can explain the delay.

How do you file a complaint like that? Is there a specific process?

You can find the ombudsman contact info on the Washington state government website. They handle complaints about state agency performance and response times.

Yeah I've been applying to jobs like crazy while I wait. At least that keeps me somewhat distracted.

Fortunately all my recent work history is in Washington, so hopefully that won't be an issue for me.

That should definitely help speed things up. In-state verification is usually much faster than dealing with other state agencies.

Still waiting unfortunately! It's been about 10 days now since I filed. Getting more anxious by the day but trying to stay patient.

hang in there. 10 days isn't too bad yet, most people seem to wait at least 2-3 weeks before getting worried

Good reminder! I've been checking my account obsessively but should probably look at my email more carefully too.

Yeah, and check your spam folder too. Government emails sometimes get filtered incorrectly by email providers.

Thanks everyone for all the advice and support! This has definitely made me feel less alone in this process. I'll keep you posted on how it goes.