Washington ESD unemployment appeal was reversed - now what do I do?

Thank you! That's such a relief. I was worried I'd have to file some other paperwork or something.

Just make sure you keep filing your weekly claims if you're still unemployed. The reversal doesn't automatically restart your ongoing benefits.

I have copies of everything but should I call Washington ESD to confirm they received the reversal decision?

You can try calling but honestly their phone system is impossible to get through. If you need to speak with someone about your specific case, I'd recommend checking out claimyr.com - they have a service that can actually get you connected to Washington ESD agents. There's even a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works.

Six weeks?? I was hoping it would be faster than that but I guess I'll just have to wait it out.

Mine only took 3 weeks so it really varies. Depends on how backed up they are with appeals processing.

How can I tell what exactly was reversed? The letter just says 'decision reversed' but doesn't break it down.

Look for a section that talks about 'findings of fact' or 'conclusions of law' - that should explain which specific issues were overturned.

That's pretty rare actually. Once an appeal is reversed, they usually honor it unless there's evidence of fraud or new information comes to light.

maybe rare but it does happen so just saying keep your guard up

It was just document-based for me. I submitted additional proof of my job separation circumstances and that seemed to be enough.

That gives me hope! I submitted a ton of documentation so maybe I won't need to do a phone hearing.

Good point about taxes! I hadn't thought about that. Should I have taxes withheld from the back pay or just handle it at tax time?

You can change your withholding preferences in your Washington ESD account settings. I'd recommend having at least 10% withheld to be safe.

Yeah I've been keeping up with the weekly certifications even during the appeal process, just in case.

Smart move! Some people stop filing during appeals and then have gaps in their benefit weeks.

I got a physical letter in the mail but it also showed up in my SecureAccess Washington account under correspondence.

Thanks! I'll keep checking both places. This waiting is driving me crazy.

If you really need to talk to someone at Washington ESD, try that Claimyr service I mentioned earlier. Saved me hours of calling and getting nowhere.

Thank you! Don't give up on your case - I honestly thought I was going to lose based on how confusing everything was.

That gives me hope. Did you use a lawyer or represent yourself?

I represented myself but I did a lot of research on unemployment law beforehand. The key was having really good documentation.

How would I calculate what I should be getting? I'm not sure how to figure out the exact amount.

Take your weekly benefit amount times the number of weeks you were denied, minus any taxes withheld. Should be pretty straightforward unless there were partial payments involved.

3 months is crazy long even for Washington ESD standards. Have you tried following up on your hearing status?

tried calling probably 50 times and never get through to a human being

That's exactly why people are using services like Claimyr now. Regular calling just doesn't work anymore with their phone system.

I was definitely one of those people posting about problems a few months ago! There is light at the end of the tunnel.

Seriously, this gives me motivation to keep fighting my own case instead of just giving up.

Oh shoot, I completely forgot about the job search requirements! Thanks for reminding me.

Yeah it's easy to forget when you're focused on the appeal. Just make sure you're logging at least 3 job contacts per week going forward.

Did you have to pay for it? Seems too good to be true.

There is a fee but honestly it was worth it to actually get answers about my claim instead of being stuck in phone tree hell.

Good advice! I've been scanning everything and saving it to cloud storage just in case.

Smart! I lost months of documentation in a computer crash and had to start over with my appeal. Digital backups are essential.

Either party can appeal to the Board of Appeals if they disagree with the Administrative Law Judge decision. But most cases end at the ALJ level.

Thanks! I was worried my old employer might try to fight it but sounds like that's not super common.

Glad I could help! That's part of why I posted - figured others might be going through the same thing.

These kinds of success story posts really help when you're stuck in the middle of dealing with Washington ESD bureaucracy.

How do you escalate something like that? Through the normal appeals process or is there a different department?

There's a separate payment dispute process. You'd file a complaint through their customer service system, though getting through to discuss it is the usual challenge.

This is where having a service that can actually get you connected to agents becomes really valuable. Much easier than trying to file complaints through their automated systems.

You're welcome! I know how stressful the whole process is so happy to share what I learned.