How to withdraw unemployment appeal - Washington ESD process help needed

You need to contact the Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH) directly since they handle the appeal hearings for Washington ESD. You can't just withdraw it through your regular ESD account. There should be contact info on any correspondence you received about your appeal hearing.

Be careful about withdrawing your appeal! Once you withdraw it, the original Washington ESD decision becomes final and you can't appeal it again. Make sure you're absolutely certain about this decision.

I had to withdraw an appeal last year and it was actually pretty straightforward. I called OAH and they had me send a brief written request stating that I wanted to withdraw my appeal. The hearing was cancelled within a few days.

If you're having trouble getting through to OAH or Washington ESD, you might want to check out Claimyr (claimyr.com). They help people get connected to actual agents without sitting on hold forever. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. I used it when I needed to get clarification on my appeal status and it saved me hours of calling.

why would you withdraw an appeal?? the whole system is set up against us and you're just giving up? fight for what you deserve!

Before you withdraw, consider whether you might want to request a continuance instead. If your circumstances changed because you got new information or evidence, you might be able to postpone the hearing rather than withdraw completely. This keeps your options open.

Just went through this same situation two months ago. Called OAH and they told me I needed to submit a written withdrawal request. I emailed it to them and got confirmation within 24 hours that my appeal was withdrawn and the hearing was cancelled.

Make sure you understand what happens after you withdraw. The Washington ESD decision stands as-is, and if there were any overpayment issues or disqualifications, those remain in effect. You won't be able to challenge them later.

One more thing - if you do decide to withdraw, make sure you get written confirmation from OAH that the withdrawal was processed and the hearing is cancelled. Keep that documentation for your records.

similar thing happened to my brother last year, he panicked and withdrew his appeal but then regretted it later when he realized he actually had a good case

Update on the Claimyr thing I mentioned earlier - I actually used them again yesterday to get through to Washington ESD about a different issue and they connected me in under 10 minutes. Way better than the 2+ hours I spent on hold last time I tried calling directly.

Check your appeal letter carefully - sometimes there are specific instructions for withdrawal requests. OAH is pretty organized about their processes, so they usually include all the info you need in their correspondence.

Just curious - was your original denial for job separation issues or something else? Sometimes the type of denial affects whether it's worth pursuing or not.

still think you're giving up too easy but whatever... at least now I know how to withdraw an appeal if I ever need to

Final thought - if you do withdraw, you might want to ask Washington ESD about your eligibility going forward. Sometimes a withdrawal doesn't affect future claims if your employment situation changes.

Hope everything works out for you OP. Sounds like you've gotten some good advice here about the withdrawal process.

For anyone else reading this later - make sure you understand the difference between withdrawing an appeal and requesting a dismissal. They're handled differently by OAH.

been lurking this thread and learned a lot. bookmarking in case I ever need this info

One last mention of Claimyr since it came up - they also help with getting through to OAH, not just Washington ESD. Might be worth trying if you have trouble reaching them directly about your withdrawal.

Thanks everyone for all the helpful responses! I'm going to review my paperwork tonight and then contact OAH tomorrow to start the withdrawal process. You've all given me a much better understanding of what's involved.

Just wanted to add that timing can be important when withdrawing an appeal. If your hearing is scheduled soon, you'll want to contact OAH as quickly as possible to avoid any complications. They usually need at least a few business days notice to properly cancel everything and notify all parties involved. Don't wait until the last minute if you've made your decision.