How to contact Washington ESD unemployment office - phone system completely broken
I've been trying to reach someone at Washington ESD for over two weeks about my pending claim and it's impossible. The main number just plays a message saying high call volume and hangs up. I tried the technical support line and waited 45 minutes before getting disconnected. My claim has been stuck in adjudication for a month and I can't get any information about what's causing the delay. Has anyone found a way to actually talk to a real person at the unemployment office?
43 comments
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Amara Okafor
Same problem here! Been calling every day for 3 weeks and can't get through. The system is completely broken.
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Liam Sullivan
•It's ridiculous. How are we supposed to resolve issues if we can't talk to anyone?
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Giovanni Colombo
•Try calling right at 8am when they open, that's when you have the best chance
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Fatima Al-Qasimi
The Washington ESD phone system has been overwhelmed since COVID. Best times to call are Tuesday-Thursday between 8-9am. Avoid Mondays and Fridays completely. Also make sure you're calling the right number - the main UI line is different from technical support.
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Liam Sullivan
•I've tried those times but still can't get through. Is there any other way to contact them?
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Fatima Al-Qasimi
•You can try the online messaging system through your eServices account, but response times are usually 7-10 business days
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StarStrider
•7-10 days?? That's insane when people need help now
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Dylan Campbell
I was in the same boat last month - couldn't reach Washington ESD no matter what I tried. A friend told me about this service called Claimyr that helps you get through to unemployment offices. I was skeptical at first but decided to try it since nothing else was working. They actually got me connected to an agent within 20 minutes! There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me weeks of frustration trying to call myself.
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Liam Sullivan
•Really? How does that work exactly? I'm desperate at this point
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Dylan Campbell
•You go to claimyr.com and they basically handle the calling for you. They deal with all the busy signals and waiting on hold, then connect you when they get an agent. Way less stressful than doing it yourself
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Sofia Torres
•Sounds too good to be true. What's the catch?
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Dylan Campbell
•No catch really, it just works better than trying to call yourself. Worth checking out the demo video to see what it's about
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Dmitry Sokolov
The Washington ESD phone system is a joke. I've been calling for 6 weeks about an overpayment notice and can't get through to anyone. How is this legal??
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Giovanni Colombo
•For overpayment issues you might want to try calling the fraud prevention line - sometimes they can help or transfer you
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Dmitry Sokolov
•Tried that too, same result. System just hangs up on you
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Fatima Al-Qasimi
Pro tip: if you do get through to someone, make sure you have your Social Security number, confirmation number from your last weekly claim, and any relevant dates ready. Agents can only spend limited time on each call due to volume.
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Ava Martinez
•Good advice. Also write down the agent's name and ID number if they give it to you
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Liam Sullivan
•That's assuming I can ever get through to someone in the first place
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Miguel Ramos
I actually got through last week after trying that Claimyr thing someone mentioned earlier. Took about 15 minutes and they connected me to an agent who was able to explain why my claim was held up. Turns out there was an issue with my job separation that needed clarification.
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Liam Sullivan
•So it actually worked? I might have to try that
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QuantumQuasar
•How much does it cost though?
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Miguel Ramos
•I'd rather pay something reasonable than waste weeks trying to call myself. The frustration wasn't worth it
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Zainab Omar
Try calling at exactly 11:47am on Wednesdays. I read somewhere that's when they have the shortest hold times.
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Connor Gallagher
•That's oddly specific lol but I'll try anything at this point
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Fatima Al-Qasimi
•I don't think there's any specific time like that. The call volume is just unpredictable
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Yara Sayegh
The whole system needs to be overhauled. It's 2025 and we're still dealing with busy signals like it's 1995. Other states have callback systems where you don't have to sit on hold.
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Keisha Johnson
•Washington ESD keeps saying they're working on improvements but nothing ever changes
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Amara Okafor
•Meanwhile people can't pay rent while waiting for claims to be processed
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Paolo Longo
Has anyone tried going to a WorkSource office in person? I'm wondering if they can help with unemployment claims or at least make a call for you.
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Fatima Al-Qasimi
•WorkSource can help with job search requirements but they can't access your UI claim directly. They might be able to make suggestions though
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Paolo Longo
•Thanks, that's good to know. Probably not worth the trip then
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CosmicCowboy
I finally got through using the Claimyr service after seeing it mentioned here. Honestly wish I'd tried it sooner instead of wasting three weeks calling myself. Got connected to an agent who cleared up my adjudication issue in 10 minutes.
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Liam Sullivan
•Ok I'm convinced. Going to check out claimyr.com right now
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Amina Diallo
•Same here, tired of the runaround from Washington ESD
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CosmicCowboy
•Definitely worth watching their demo video first so you know what to expect
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Oliver Schulz
Quick update - I was able to get through this morning using one of the third-party calling services. My claim that was stuck for 5 weeks is now processing. Sometimes you just need to talk to a human to get things moving.
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Liam Sullivan
•That's great news! Gives me hope that my issue can get resolved too
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Natasha Orlova
•Which service did you use? There seem to be a few options out there
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Oliver Schulz
•I used the one with the video demo that people mentioned - worked really well
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Javier Cruz
For what it's worth, I've had better luck with the Spanish language line even though I speak English. Sometimes there's less volume on that line and the agents are bilingual anyway.
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Emma Wilson
•Interesting idea, didn't know they had separate lines
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Fatima Al-Qasimi
•That's actually against the terms of service and could cause issues with your claim if they flag it
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Javier Cruz
•Good point, probably not worth the risk
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