WA ESD delays are a nightmare - save money before filing!
I filed for unemployment in January and STILL haven't received a dime from ESD. It's been 8 weeks! My claim has been stuck in adjudication limbo with zero explanation. They keep saying 'we're reviewing your claim' but nothing happens. Meanwhile my savings are completely drained, I'm late on rent for the first time in my life, and my credit score is tanking. I've called over 50 times and either get disconnected or told 'just keep waiting.' Is anyone else dealing with this? Seriously, if you're planning to apply for WA unemployment, make sure you have AT LEAST 3 months of expenses saved up because the system is completely broken.
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Max Knight
Unfortunately, this is more common than it should be. ESD has serious backlogs in their adjudication department. Have you tried contacting your state representative? That sometimes helps move things along. Make sure you're still filing your weekly claims correctly even though you're not getting paid - you'll eventually get backpay for all approved weeks once adjudication is complete.
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Madeline Blaze
•Thanks for the tip about contacting my rep - I hadn't thought of that. And yeah, I'm definitely still filing weekly claims religiously. It's just so frustrating not knowing if I'll ever see that money or if I'm just wasting my time each week.
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Emma Swift
LOLOLOL welcome to the wonderful world of ESD!!!! 8 weeks? That's nothing. Try 14 WEEKS with no payment and no explanation! The system is DESIGNED to make people give up. They don't WANT to pay you. I had to sell my car just to make ends meet while they "reviewed" my perfectly legitimate claim. The whole thing is a sick joke.
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Isabella Tucker
•Omg 14 weeks is insane!! Did u ever get paid eventually??
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Emma Swift
•Yeah, finally. But only after I contacted my state senator AND filed a formal complaint. Suddenly my "complex issue" that needed "thorough review" was magically resolved in 48 hours. Funny how that works!
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Jayden Hill
Have you tried Claimyr? I was in the same boat last month - couldn't get through to anyone at ESD no matter how many times I called. A friend told me about claimyr.com and it actually worked. They got me connected to an ESD agent within about 30 minutes. The agent explained that my claim had an identity verification flag that nobody had bothered to tell me about. Got it fixed that day and my payments started a week later. They have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3
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Madeline Blaze
•I've never heard of Claimyr before. Does it actually work? I'm desperate enough to try anything at this point if it means I can finally talk to a real person at ESD.
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Jayden Hill
•It worked for me! The thing is, ESD's phone system is completely overloaded, but Claimyr has some way of getting through the busy signals. I was skeptical too but getting my issue resolved was worth it. My claim had been sitting for weeks with no movement until I actually spoke with someone.
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LordCommander
Exactly why i tell everyone to have AT LEAST 6 months living expenses saved up!!! Never rely on govt assistance coming thru when u need it, system is broken beyond repair
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Lucy Lam
•That's easy to say but most people can't save 6 months of expenses! The average person lives paycheck to paycheck. Unemployment insurance is something we PAY FOR through payroll taxes - it's not some handout, it's literally insurance we've already paid premiums for.
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Aidan Hudson
Has anyone tried the eServices Message Center to ask about their claim? I'm in adjudication too (only 3 weeks so far) and wondering if messaging is better than calling? So confused about what to do next.
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Max Knight
•The Message Center works for simple questions, but for solving adjudication issues, you really need to speak with a claims specialist by phone. Messages about complex issues often get generic responses or take weeks for a reply. Keep trying both methods, but phone is usually more effective for getting adjudication resolved.
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Isabella Tucker
What got you stuck in adjudication? Was it a job separation issue or something else? Sometimes theres specific things u can do depending on why ur claim is held up
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Madeline Blaze
•They won't even tell me why! That's the most frustrating part. My separation was a standard layoff with no issues or disputes from my employer. I think it might be because I worked a few days of contract work during my base year, but that's just a guess because nobody will actually explain what's happening.
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Lucy Lam
When i was in adjudication for 5 weeks last year I finally got through to someone who told me they needed additional income verification that they never bothered to request from me! Check your notices tab on eServices and see if there's anything there you missed. Sometimes they send requests for info but don't make it obvious.
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Madeline Blaze
•Just checked again and there's nothing there except the initial monetary determination. No requests for additional info at all. It's like my claim just went into a black hole.
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Jayden Hill
One thing I learned the hard way: even though your employer has 10 days to respond to ESD about your claim, they can actually contest it MUCH later, which can trigger adjudication weeks after you start receiving benefits. Make sure you're carefully tracking your available balance in case you suddenly get disqualified and have to pay everything back. I've seen it happen to coworkers.
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Madeline Blaze
•Well that's terrifying. I hadn't even thought about the possibility of getting benefits and then having to pay them back. This whole system feels designed to stress people out when they're already dealing with job loss. I'm definitely going to try that Claimyr service tomorrow.
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