Is the Washington ESD unemployment office closed today - can't get through
I've been trying to call Washington ESD all morning about my claim status and keep getting busy signals or disconnected. Are they closed today or is this just the normal impossible-to-reach situation? I need to talk to someone about my adjudication that's been pending for weeks. Anyone know their actual hours or if there's a better time to call?
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Shelby Bauman
They're open but the phone lines are always swamped. I've been trying for 3 days straight to get through about my weekly claim issue.
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Josef Tearle
•This is so frustrating! How are we supposed to get help if we can never reach anyone?
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Quinn Herbert
•The phone system is definitely their weakest point. I spent 4 hours on hold last week just to get disconnected.
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Salim Nasir
Washington ESD customer service is open Monday-Friday 8am-4pm. But honestly the phone system is overwhelmed. Best times are usually right at 8am or during lunch hour around 12-1pm when call volume drops slightly.
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Josef Tearle
•I tried at 8am sharp and still couldn't get through. This system is broken.
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Hazel Garcia
•Even the 'best' times don't guarantee anything. I've called hundreds of times over the past month.
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Laila Fury
I actually found a service called Claimyr that helped me get through to Washington ESD when I was stuck in adjudication hell for 6 weeks. You go to claimyr.com and they basically auto-dial for you until they get through, then connect you to an agent. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows exactly how it works.
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Josef Tearle
•Is this legit? I'm desperate enough to try anything at this point.
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Geoff Richards
•Sounds too good to be true but I'm curious too. How much does it cost?
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Laila Fury
•It's totally legit - saved me so much time and stress. Way better than sitting there hitting redial for hours.
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Simon White
The Washington ESD phone system is absolutely ridiculous. I counted 247 busy signals yesterday before I gave up. How is this acceptable for people who need unemployment help??
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Salim Nasir
•Unfortunately it's been like this since the pandemic overloaded their systems. They've never fully recovered.
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Josef Tearle
•247 calls?! That's insane but also makes me feel less crazy for trying so many times.
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Quinn Herbert
Pro tip: if you're calling about adjudication status, try the employer line instead of the regular claimant line. Sometimes they can transfer you or at least give you information. The number is different and usually less busy.
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Josef Tearle
•What's the employer line number? I'll try anything at this point.
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Quinn Herbert
•It's on their website under employer services. Just explain you're a claimant with an adjudication issue and ask if they can help or transfer you.
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Shelby Bauman
•Tried this last week and they wouldn't help me, said I had to use the regular claimant line.
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Hugo Kass
I feel your pain. Been trying to reach them about my job search requirement questions for a week. The online system doesn't have the answers I need.
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Salim Nasir
•What specific job search questions do you have? I might be able to help based on my experience.
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Hugo Kass
•I'm confused about the WorkSourceWA registration requirement and whether volunteer work counts toward job search activities.
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Hazel Garcia
The Washington ESD phone situation is a nightmare. I started keeping a log of my call attempts - 156 calls over 2 weeks with only 3 actually connecting to hold music, and all 3 got disconnected after 2+ hours waiting.
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Simon White
•This is exactly why people are so frustrated. The system is completely broken.
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Josef Tearle
•156 calls... I thought I was being excessive but apparently not. This makes me feel less alone in this struggle.
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Nasira Ibanez
Have you tried their live chat feature? Sometimes that's easier than calling, though it's not available for all issues.
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Josef Tearle
•Where do I find live chat? I don't see it on their website.
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Nasira Ibanez
•It's in your SecureAccess Washington account under the help section, but it's only available during certain hours and for basic questions.
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Quinn Herbert
•Live chat is pretty limited. They can't help with adjudication issues or complex claim problems.
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Khalil Urso
I used that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier and it actually worked! Got connected to a Washington ESD agent in about 20 minutes instead of spending my whole day dialing. Totally worth it for the time savings.
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Josef Tearle
•Really? 20 minutes? That sounds amazing compared to what I've been dealing with.
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Geoff Richards
•Ok I'm convinced. Going to try Claimyr today. This manual calling is driving me insane.
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Myles Regis
Just an FYI - Washington ESD offices are also closed on all federal holidays, which sometimes aren't obvious. Check their website calendar before spending hours calling on a holiday.
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Josef Tearle
•Good point. I should check that. Though honestly I'm not even sure what counts as a federal holiday anymore.
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Brian Downey
The phone situation is why I always try to handle everything online first through my SecureAccess Washington account. You can check claim status, submit some documents, and file weekly claims without calling.
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Josef Tearle
•I've done everything I can online but my adjudication issue requires talking to an actual person. The online system just shows 'pending' with no other info.
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Salim Nasir
•Yeah, complex issues definitely require phone contact. The online system is great for routine stuff but limited for problem-solving.
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Jacinda Yu
Try calling different Washington ESD regional offices instead of just the main line. Sometimes the Spokane or Tacoma offices are less busy than Seattle.
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Josef Tearle
•Do they all handle the same issues? I don't want to get transferred around even more.
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Jacinda Yu
•They should be able to access your claim from any office, but some might transfer you for specialized issues.
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Landon Flounder
I'm dealing with the exact same thing. My claim has been in adjudication for 5 weeks and I can't get any information about what's causing the delay or what documents they need.
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Josef Tearle
•5 weeks?! That's even longer than mine. This is unacceptable. How are people supposed to survive while waiting?
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Simon White
•The whole system needs an overhaul. These delays are ridiculous for people who need their benefits.
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Callum Savage
Check if your local WorkSource office can help. They sometimes have direct lines to Washington ESD or can submit inquiries on your behalf.
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Josef Tearle
•That's a good idea. I'll try calling my local WorkSource tomorrow. At this point I'll try anything.
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Quinn Herbert
•WorkSource can be helpful for some issues but they can't access your claim details directly. Still worth a try though.
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Ally Tailer
The frustration is real. I ended up writing to my state representative about the Washington ESD phone problems after weeks of trying. Got a response within a few days and they helped escalate my issue.
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Josef Tearle
•Wow, that's a good idea. I never thought about contacting my representative. How do I find out who that is?
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Ally Tailer
•You can look it up on the Washington State Legislature website by entering your address. They have constituent services staff who handle these kinds of issues.
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Aliyah Debovski
For what it's worth, I had better luck calling right after lunch around 1:30pm. Still took multiple tries but seemed less busy than morning hours.
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Josef Tearle
•I'll try that time slot tomorrow. Thanks for the tip!
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Miranda Singer
Just want to second the Claimyr recommendation. Used it last month when I was stuck in adjudication and it got me through to an agent who resolved my issue the same day. Game changer for dealing with Washington ESD phone problems.
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Josef Tearle
•Ok I'm definitely trying Claimyr today. Multiple people saying it works gives me hope.
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Cass Green
•Same here - going to check out that video demo and give it a shot. Manual calling is clearly not working.
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Finley Garrett
The Washington ESD phone system has been broken for years. It's not just you - thousands of people are dealing with the same impossible calling situation every day.
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Josef Tearle
•At least I know I'm not alone in this struggle. The system definitely needs to be fixed.
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Salim Nasir
Just to wrap up with some final advice - keep documenting your call attempts in case you need to appeal any issues later. And definitely try that Claimyr service if you're getting nowhere with manual calling. The phone situation probably won't improve anytime soon unfortunately.
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Josef Tearle
•Thanks everyone for all the suggestions and support. Going to try Claimyr and the other tips. Hopefully I'll get through soon!
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Laila Fury
•Good luck! Hope you get your adjudication resolved quickly once you connect with an agent.
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