Is Washington ESD unemployment office open on Saturday for claim issues?

That's what I was afraid of. I work 7am to 4pm so it's impossible for me to call during those hours. This is so frustrating.

Same problem here. I had to take time off work just to deal with my adjudication issue last month.

I've checked online multiple times and it just says 'pending' with no explanation. There's no action items showing either. I think I need to actually talk to someone.

Yeah, when it's just showing pending without any clear reason, you usually do need to speak with a claims specialist to get it sorted out.

Really? How does that work exactly? I've never heard of that before.

Basically they handle the calling and waiting for you, then connect you when an agent is available. Saved me hours of trying to get through on my own.

Is that legit? Sounds too good to be true honestly.

That's exactly what happens to me! Either busy or it just disconnects after forever on hold.

The call volume is insane right now. I heard they get over 100,000 calls per day but only have like 400 agents.

I didn't know there was live chat! Where do I find that?

When you log into your account, there should be a chat option during business hours. But honestly it's not always available and sometimes takes forever too.

The chat is pretty limited. They can only help with basic questions, not complex claim issues like adjudication problems.

RIGHT?? We're the ones who paid into this system and now we can't even get help when we need our benefits!

It's a funding and staffing issue. They've been understaffed for years and the pandemic made it worse.

Did it cost anything? I'm already tight on money waiting for my benefits.

There is a fee but honestly it was worth it to actually get my issue resolved instead of missing more work trying to call.

Same here. I was about to lose my mind with the calling situation.

Most Washington ESD offices don't do walk-ins anymore. You need an appointment and those are really hard to get.

I looked into that but the nearest office is like 45 minutes away and they said appointments are booked out for weeks.

All unemployment claims go through the same main call center now. Calling different regional offices won't help with claim issues.

Oh I didn't know that. Thanks for clarifying.

Tell me about it. We shouldn't have to jump through hoops just to get the benefits we're entitled to.

That's encouraging to hear. I just need to figure out how to actually get through to someone.

Yeah the agents are generally good, it's just the system that's broken.

I've never seen a callback option. Where would I find that?

Washington ESD doesn't have a callback feature. You're thinking of a different agency maybe.

Oh you're right, I was thinking of the IRS. My bad.

Exactly! I'm behind on rent and my car payment already. This is really scary.

Hang in there. Once it gets resolved the back pay should come through.

Washington ESD won't discuss your claim with anyone else unless you have a formal authorization on file. Privacy rules are pretty strict.

Yeah I looked into that but the paperwork process seemed complicated too.

Seriously! Why is Washington so behind on this stuff?

They've been working on system upgrades but it's taking forever. Government tech projects always seem to take longer than expected.

I start work at 7am so I can't call at 8. That's part of my problem.

Oh right, I missed that part. That's a tough situation.

Good choice. It really did save me a lot of hassle when I used it.

Let me know how it goes! I'm seriously considering it too.

It's been two weeks already though. I don't think it's going to resolve itself at this point.

After two weeks of pending status, you definitely need to speak with someone. That's not normal processing time.

Thanks everyone for all the advice. I think I'm going to try the Claimyr thing since I can't take time off work to call.

Hope you get it resolved soon! Let us know how it turns out.