How to make an appointment with Washington ESD unemployment office?
I've been trying to figure out how to schedule an appointment with Washington ESD for weeks now. My claim has been stuck in adjudication and I need to speak with someone in person about providing additional documentation. I can't find anywhere on their website that shows how to book an actual appointment at a local office. Do they even do in-person appointments anymore? I've tried calling but keep getting the busy signal or getting disconnected after waiting for hours. Has anyone successfully made an appointment recently?
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Ava Garcia
Washington ESD stopped doing walk-in appointments during COVID and never really brought them back the same way. Most everything is handled by phone now, but I know that's been a nightmare for people trying to get through.
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Dmitry Ivanov
•That's what I was afraid of. The phone system is absolutely useless though. I can't waste entire days trying to get through.
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Miguel Silva
•Same here, I've been trying for 2 weeks straight and haven't gotten through once
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Zainab Ismail
You might want to check if your local WorkSource office can help with some Washington ESD issues. They sometimes have direct lines or can schedule callbacks, though it depends on what exactly you need help with.
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Dmitry Ivanov
•I'll try that, thank you. Do you know if they can help with adjudication issues specifically?
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Zainab Ismail
•They might be able to at least get you connected to the right department. Worth a shot when the main number isn't working.
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Connor O'Neill
I was in the same boat last month - needed to provide documents for my adjudication. I ended up using this service called Claimyr that actually got me through to a Washington ESD agent. You can check it out at claimyr.com and they have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows exactly how it works. It was honestly a lifesaver because I was getting nowhere with the regular phone system.
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Dmitry Ivanov
•How does that work exactly? Is it legit?
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Connor O'Neill
•Yeah it's totally legitimate. They basically handle the calling and waiting for you, then connect you when they get an agent on the line. Saved me from sitting on hold for hours every day.
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QuantumQuester
•I've heard of this but wasn't sure if it was worth it. Did you have to pay a lot?
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Yara Nassar
The phone system is absolutely broken. I spent THREE WEEKS trying to get through about my job search requirements and finally gave up. Sent everything by mail instead.
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Dmitry Ivanov
•Did mailing your documents actually work? How long did it take for them to process?
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Yara Nassar
•It took about 2 weeks but they did eventually update my claim. Not ideal but better than never getting through on the phone.
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Ava Garcia
For adjudication issues specifically, you really do need to talk to someone by phone. The online system doesn't let you upload certain types of documentation, and mailing can take forever. Have you tried calling right at 8am when they open? Sometimes that's the only way.
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Dmitry Ivanov
•I've tried that multiple times. Either busy signal or I get through to the menu system and then it hangs up on me after 10-15 minutes.
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Keisha Williams
•8am is when everyone else is calling too. It's like a lottery system at this point.
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Miguel Silva
honestly the whole system is messed up... why can't they just have online scheduling like literally every other government agency??
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Paolo Ricci
•Because Washington ESD is stuck in the stone age apparently
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Ava Garcia
•They're supposedly working on system improvements but who knows when that'll actually happen
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Zainab Ismail
If you have a really urgent situation, you can try contacting your state representative's office. They sometimes have constituent services that can help with Washington ESD issues, though it's usually for more serious cases.
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Dmitry Ivanov
•That's actually a good idea. My adjudication has been pending for almost 2 months now so maybe that qualifies as urgent.
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Amina Toure
•I did this when my benefits got cut off by mistake. Took about a week but they did get it sorted out.
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QuantumQuester
Wait, going back to that Claimyr thing - did anyone else try it? I'm desperate at this point and willing to pay something if it actually works.
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Connor O'Neill
•I used it and it definitely worked for me. Got through to an agent within a few hours instead of days of trying myself.
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Oliver Zimmermann
•My cousin used it too and said it was worth it. She was able to get her claim issues resolved pretty quickly.
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CosmicCommander
•I'm skeptical of paying for something that should be free, but if it works...
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QuantumQuester
•At this point I'm losing more money by not getting my benefits than whatever this service costs
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Keisha Williams
The real problem is Washington ESD is understaffed and their phone system can't handle the volume. Until they fix that, we're all stuck with these workarounds.
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Natasha Volkova
•Exactly. They laid off staff during the pandemic and never hired them back properly.
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Dmitry Ivanov
•That doesn't help me right now though. I need to get this adjudication resolved before my bills pile up more.
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Javier Torres
Have you tried using the 'Contact Us' form on the Washington ESD website? Sometimes they respond to those faster than phone calls.
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Dmitry Ivanov
•I did submit one about 10 days ago but haven't heard anything back yet.
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Javier Torres
•Yeah, they're really slow with those too. Phone is still your best bet even though it's frustrating.
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Paolo Ricci
this is why I hate dealing with government agencies... everything takes forever and nothing works the way it should
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Emma Davis
•Tell me about it. Private companies would be out of business if they had customer service this bad.
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Malik Johnson
Just an update for anyone following this thread - I ended up trying the Claimyr service and it actually worked! Got connected to a Washington ESD agent this morning and was able to submit my adjudication documents over the phone. They said it should be processed within 5-7 business days. Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and use whatever tools are available.
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Dmitry Ivanov
•That's great news! I think I'm going to try it too. This has been dragging on way too long.
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QuantumQuester
•Good to hear a success story. I'm going to check out that demo video tonight.
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CosmicCommander
•Okay you've convinced me. If it means I can actually talk to someone and get this resolved, it's worth it.
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Isabella Ferreira
For future reference, Washington ESD also has limited in-person services at some WorkSource locations, but you usually need an appointment for those too and they book up fast.
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Dmitry Ivanov
•Do you know which WorkSource locations offer this? That might be helpful for people in this situation.
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Isabella Ferreira
•I think the larger ones in Seattle, Spokane, and Tacoma have some Washington ESD staff, but you'd have to call each location to check availability.
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Ravi Sharma
The whole appointment system is broken. Even when they had in-person services, you couldn't book online - had to call during specific hours and half the time the appointments were already full.
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NebulaNomad
•That's the government for you. Everything's stuck in 1995.
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Freya Thomsen
Thanks everyone for all the suggestions. I'm going to try a few different approaches and see what works. Will update if I make any progress!
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Zainab Ismail
•Good luck! Hope you get your adjudication sorted out soon.
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Connor O'Neill
•Keep us posted on how it goes. These threads are really helpful for people dealing with the same issues.
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Demi Lagos
I'm dealing with the exact same issue right now - been trying to get through for my adjudication for over a month. The phone system is absolutely useless. I've been reading through all these suggestions and I think I'm going to try the Claimyr service that several people mentioned. At this point I'm willing to pay something if it means I can actually talk to a human being and get my claim moving again. Has anyone else had success with contacting their state representative's office? That sounds like it might be worth trying too, especially since this has been dragging on for so long.
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Kristin Frank
•I actually contacted my state representative's office about 3 weeks ago when my adjudication hit the 8-week mark. They have a constituent services team that specifically helps with Washington ESD issues. It took about 10 days, but they were able to get my case escalated and I finally got a callback from an actual adjudicator. Definitely worth trying if you've been waiting over a month - they seem to take legislative inquiries more seriously than regular calls. You just need to fill out a form on your rep's website explaining the situation and how long you've been waiting.
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