How to dispute unemployment claim - Washington ESD denied my benefits

Thanks! I do have the termination letter that specifically mentions budget cuts. Should I include witness statements from coworkers too?

Absolutely include witness statements if you can get them. Any documentation that contradicts their misconduct finding will help your case.

Three months?? That's insane. How am I supposed to pay rent for three months with no income?

You might want to try getting through to an actual person at Washington ESD to see if there's any way to expedite things. Good luck with that though - their phone system is impossible.

Is that legit? How much does it cost? I'm already broke from being denied benefits.

It's totally legitimate. I used it when my claim was stuck in adjudication. Way better than spending all day redialing the same number.

Never heard of this but honestly anything is better than calling Washington ESD directly. Their hold times are ridiculous.

Good point about requesting in-person. I feel like I can explain the situation better face to face than over the phone.

Same here! They seem to automatically side with employers unless you have rock solid proof otherwise.

That's exactly what I think happened. My former supervisor even told me to file for unemployment because it was just budget cuts.

Wait really? I thought I couldn't file weekly claims if I was denied?

You absolutely should keep filing. If you win your appeal, you'll get backpay for all those weeks. If you don't file, you lose those weeks forever.

This is correct. Always continue filing weekly claims during appeals. It protects your benefit weeks.

I have emails from HR about the company restructuring. Should I print all of those out?

Yes, print everything. Organize it chronologically and highlight the key parts that prove it was downsizing not misconduct.

Sadly true. I know people who couldn't afford to wait months for an appeal hearing so they just accepted the denial.

Well I can't afford NOT to fight it. These benefits are the difference between keeping my apartment or becoming homeless.

How many levels of appeals are there? This seems like it could go on forever.

Three levels total - initial determination, appeal hearing, then Board of Appeals. After that you'd have to go to court which most people can't afford.

How does it work exactly? Do they call for you or what?

They basically get you connected without all the busy signals and hold music. Check out their demo video if you want to see how it works.

They're claiming regular misconduct but I honestly have no idea what they're even referring to. My performance reviews were all good.

That's exactly why you need to request the full file from your employer. They have to provide the documentation they used to claim misconduct.

It's all about the numbers for them. Easier to deny first and make people appeal than to investigate properly upfront.

That's so frustrating. I'm the one who needs the money and they're playing games with my livelihood.

I didn't know attorneys would do free consultations for unemployment appeals. That's definitely worth looking into.

Not all of them, but some do. Especially if it's a clear-cut case like yours sounds. Look for attorneys who specialize in employment law.

Good advice. I should probably write out a timeline now while everything is still fresh in my memory.

Exactly! And stick to the facts. Don't get emotional during the hearing even if the employer's representative says things that aren't true.

Thanks for the encouragement! This thread has been super helpful. At least now I know what I need to do and that I'm not alone in dealing with this.