How to call Washington ESD unemployment office and actually get through?

Exactly! I don't understand why they can't at least let you stay on hold instead of just hanging up. Did you ever get through?

Eventually yeah but it took forever. Had to keep trying different times of day.

I tried that but still got the busy signal. Maybe I need to keep trying multiple times right at 8?

Yeah, you might need to redial several times. The system gets overloaded immediately when they open.

This is ridiculous that we have to play these games just to talk to someone about our benefits.

Interesting, I've never heard of that. Is it legit? I'm so desperate at this point I'll try anything.

Yeah it's totally legitimate. I was skeptical at first too but it worked for me. They just handle the calling part so you don't have to sit there redialing all day.

How much does something like that cost though? I'm already struggling financially which is why I need my unemployment.

It's worth checking out their site for details. For me it was worth it just to avoid the stress and wasted time of trying to call myself.

Thanks for the specific number! I wasn't sure if I was calling the right one. I'll try Tuesday morning first thing.

Wait, is that the same number for all unemployment issues or just certain types of claims?

That's the main customer service line for most unemployment questions. For specific issues like appeals or overpayments there might be different numbers, but that's where you'd start.

I feel your pain. The system definitely needs improvement.

Two months is way too long. Have you tried contacting your state representative's office? Sometimes they can help escalate these issues.

I didn't think of that. How do you contact them about unemployment issues?

I'll definitely try that time! At this point I'm willing to try any suggestion.

Wednesday morning makes sense, people are probably less likely to call mid-week.

Good advice. I should definitely prepare what I'm going to say about my adjudication issue.

Exactly. Also don't be afraid to ask them to explain things if you don't understand. They deal with this stuff all day so what seems obvious to them might be confusing to us.

And make sure to get a reference number or case number for your call in case you need to follow up later.

I looked at that but wasn't sure if they actually respond to those messages. Do they?

They're supposed to respond within a few business days but I've heard mixed results. Some people get responses, others don't.

The online messages work better for simple questions. For complex issues like adjudication problems, you usually need to talk to someone directly.

Hope it works for you like it did for me. It's definitely worth trying when you're stuck.

Let me know how it goes! I'm considering trying it too.

That's really helpful to know. I was starting to think they were just ignoring calls completely.

The fact that we need all these workarounds just to contact our own unemployment office is ridiculous.

I agree it's not ideal, but these tips can help while we're dealing with the current system.

Oh that's a good point about the phone number! I didn't think about that.

Does that really make a difference? I've been calling from different phones.

I'm not 100% sure but it seemed to help when I used the same number I put on my application.

Thanks for the update! I'm definitely going to try it this week.

This is really helpful. I think I'm going to give it a try too since I'm not making any progress calling myself.

45 minutes is still better than never getting through at all. I'll definitely be prepared to wait.

At least when you're on hold you know you'll eventually talk to someone, unlike getting disconnected right away.

Great advice! I should gather all my employment records before I call. Thanks for thinking of that.

This is exactly the kind of information they should provide upfront instead of making us figure it out ourselves.

You're right, but in the meantime having everything ready will help speed up your call when you do get through.

Thanks for the encouragement! It's good to hear success stories. I'm not giving up.

Three days of trying though... that's what I'm talking about with this broken system.

Yeah it definitely shouldn't be this hard, but at least the agents are helpful when you do reach them.