Need Governor's office contact for ESD claim emergency - has anyone reached them?
I've been fighting with ESD for over 2 months about my unemployment claim. Every time I call, I wait 3+ hours only to get disconnected. I've sent 7 messages through eServices with ZERO response. My landlord is threatening eviction next week and I'm desperate. Has anyone tried contacting the Governor's office about ESD problems? Do you have their direct number or best contact method? I've heard they can sometimes intervene when ESD is completely unresponsive. My adjudication has been pending since March 12th with no explanation why.
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LordCommander
you can try 360-902-4111 thats the main line for governors office. i called them last year when my benefits got stuck for 3 months. they took my info and someone from ESD called me back within a week. don't know if it was coincidence or if they actually helped tho
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Jayden Hill
•Thank you! Did you have to talk to anyone specific or just explain your situation to whoever answered? I'm worried they'll just transfer me back to the regular ESD line that never answers.
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Lucy Lam
I was in the same situation last year. The Governor's office rarely intervenes directly in individual cases. Your best bet is to contact your state representative or senator's office instead. They have constituent services specifically for helping with state agencies like ESD. Look up who represents your district and email their office explaining the situation. Include your claim ID number, contact info, and authorization for them to inquire about your case. My rep's office got ESD to call me back within 48 hours after I'd been waiting for months.
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Jayden Hill
•That's really helpful, thank you. I didn't even think about contacting my state rep. Do you know if they need some kind of formal authorization from me to discuss my case with ESD?
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Lucy Lam
•Yes, you'll need to include a statement authorizing them to inquire about your case with ESD. Just a simple line like "I authorize Representative [Name] and their staff to contact the Employment Security Department regarding my unemployment claim #12345 on my behalf" and include your full name, address, and contact info. Make sure to explain the hardship the delay is causing (potential eviction) to emphasize the urgency.
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Aidan Hudson
Governor's office is USELESS!!! I tried that route and waited TWO WEEKS just to get a generic email saying they'd "forwarded my concerns to ESD" WHICH DID NOTHING!!! Your landlord can't legally evict you that fast anyway, they have to give proper notice. The whole system is rigged against us regular people. ESD just ignores everyone until we give up!!! I'm still fighting for back payments from JANUARY!!!!!
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Zoe Wang
•While I understand your frustration, the Governor's office actually has helped many people with ESD escalations. Results do vary, but they can't directly override ESD's processes. Also, regarding evictions - while there is a legal process landlords must follow, it's still extremely stressful to receive eviction threats, regardless of whether they're following proper procedure.
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Connor Richards
Have you tried using Claimyr? It's how I finally got through to ESD after weeks of trying. They basically call ESD for you and hold your place in line, then call you when they have an agent on the line. I used them last month and actually spoke to someone at ESD after trying for weeks on my own. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a demo video here: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3. It was a huge relief to finally talk to someone who could tell me why my claim was stuck.
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Jayden Hill
•I haven't heard of that before. Did they actually help resolve your issue or just get you through to someone? I'm worried about spending money just to have ESD tell me they can't help or need more time.
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Connor Richards
•They just get you through to an ESD agent - what happens after that depends on your specific claim issue. In my case, the agent was able to see that a document I uploaded hadn't been processed correctly. She fixed it while I was on the phone and my claim moved forward the next day. But results will vary based on what's happening with your specific claim.
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Grace Durand
I work as an employment counselor, and while contacting elected officials can sometimes help, here's another approach: Request a formal determination letter from ESD regarding your claim status. You have a legal right to this under WAC 192-04-020. Send this request through eServices AND by postal mail (certified). Once you receive the determination (or if they fail to provide one within 30 days), you have grounds for an appeal or formal complaint. Also, document ALL attempted contacts with ESD - dates, times, call durations, message content. This documentation strengthens your case significantly whether you go through elected officials or legal channels.
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Steven Adams
•i trid to get a determination letter once and they just ignored me lol nothing matters with esd they do whatever they want and we just suffer
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Grace Durand
•That's why sending the request via certified mail is important - it creates a paper trail proving they received it. If they ignore a formal written request for determination, that's actually grounds for immediate escalation to the Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH). Under Washington Administrative Code, ESD must respond to formal determination requests, and failure to do so is considered an adverse action that can be appealed.
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Alice Fleming
my cousin had the same problem last month and she went to her local WorkSource office in person and talked to someone there. they couldn't fix her claim directly but they had some special email or something to contact ESD staff that actually got a response. might be worth trying that before governor stuff.
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Jayden Hill
•That's a good idea, I didn't realize WorkSource might be able to help. There's an office about 20 minutes from me, I'll try going there tomorrow. Thanks for the suggestion!
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Zoe Wang
Just to provide a bit more context that might help: When a claim is stuck in adjudication for that long, it's usually for one of three reasons: 1) Identity verification issues, 2) Employer dispute about separation reason, or 3) Able & available/job search compliance questions. Do you know which category your issue falls into? If it's identity verification, the Governor's office rarely helps with those due to security protocols. For employer disputes, your state representative is usually more effective. For job search compliance issues, the WorkSource suggestion above is your best option. Understanding what's holding up your claim can help you target the most effective solution.
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Jayden Hill
•I'm pretty sure it's an employer dispute. My former employer contested my claim saying I quit, but I was actually laid off when they eliminated my position. I submitted documentation showing this (the layoff notice they gave me), but it's been sitting in adjudication ever since. Does that change who I should contact?
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Zoe Wang
•Yes, that definitely helps clarify. For employer disputes, your state representative's office is typically most effective. They can directly contact ESD's legislative liaison, who has authority to investigate why adjudication is taking so long. Make sure to tell your representative's office specifically that this is an employer dispute case where you've already submitted documentation. Also mention the financial hardship and potential eviction to emphasize urgency. If you have your layoff notice, attach a copy to your email to the representative.
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