How to contact Washington ESD unemployment by phone - anyone actually get through?

Thanks! I'll try the afternoon timing. Do you know if there's a specific extension or option I should press to get to someone about flagged claims?

Usually it's option 1 for English, then option 1 again for unemployment benefits, then option 3 for claim issues. But the menu changes sometimes so listen carefully.

A month is way too long for a pending claim. You should definitely keep trying to call, but also consider sending a secure message through your eServices account if you haven't already.

i tried the secure messaging but they just sent back a generic response that didnt help at all

Wait really? How does that even work? Is it legit or some kind of scam?

It's totally legit. They basically use technology to keep calling and wait on hold for you, then call you back when they get a human on the line. I was skeptical too but it actually worked.

That sounds amazing but also expensive? How much does something like that cost?

Honestly worth whatever it costs when you're stuck like this. Way better than losing weeks of benefits because you can't get through.

This actually works! I got through twice using this method. The key is being super precise with the timing.

I've been calling at 8am but maybe not exactly on the dot. I'll try being more precise tomorrow morning.

6 weeks for adjudication is definitely too long. That's grounds for escalation. Have you tried contacting your state representative's office? They sometimes have a direct line to ESD that can help move things along.

No I hadn't thought of that. How do I find my representative and what do I tell them?

Go to leg.wa.gov and use their district finder to locate your rep. Explain your situation and ask them to contact ESD on your behalf. They often get faster responses than regular claimants.

Yes! I used it last week for my identity verification issue. Took about 45 minutes total and I was talking to an ESD agent. They were able to clear up my ID.me problem right away. Honestly wish I'd known about it sooner instead of wasting weeks calling myself.

Same here - used it for a different issue but it worked great. The whole process was super smooth and professional.

Ok you guys convinced me. Going to check out that video demo and see if it's worth trying.

Do you know if other regional offices have direct numbers too? I'm closer to Spokane.

I think so but I don't have them memorized. Try googling 'Washington ESD regional office phone numbers' - there should be a list somewhere on their website.

agreed, the callback thing is a joke. i think they just ignore those requests

Good to know - I was thinking about trying that next but I'll skip it now.

It just says 'additional information needed' but doesn't specify what. That's why I need to talk to someone to find out what they actually want from me.

That's super vague and unhelpful. Yeah you definitely need to speak to someone to get clarification on what they're looking for.

Interesting timing! I always assumed morning would be best but maybe everyone else thinks that too so it's actually worse.

Exactly - everyone calls first thing in the morning so it's slammed. Mid-day seems to have less competition.

That's exactly what I needed to hear! Going to try Claimyr today. Thanks for the update!

Glad it worked out for you! It's ridiculous that we have to use third-party services just to contact our own state agencies.

Totally agree it shouldn't be necessary, but at least there's a solution that actually works when you're stuck.

That's actually not a bad strategy if you're bilingual. Probably way less call volume on that line.

Exactly, and most ESD agents speak both languages anyway so they can usually help in English if needed.

True, it's not the individual workers' fault. The state really needs to invest in better phone infrastructure and more staff.

I agree the agents are probably doing their best, but I still need to get my claim fixed so I can pay my bills.

Awesome! Glad that timing trick worked for you too. It's all about beating the rush.

Ok I'm definitely setting my alarm for 7:55 tomorrow and calling right at 8:00:00. Thanks for confirming this works!

Auto-dialers work but you still have to babysit your phone all day. At least with a service like that you can go about your business and they call you back when they get through.

Exactly - time is money and I'd rather pay someone else to deal with the hassle while I focus on job searching or other important stuff.