Washington ESD unemployment appeal was reversed when do I get paid?

Thanks! That's reassuring. I was worried something else was wrong since it's been radio silent.

yeah same timeline for me last year, took about 10 business days before I saw the lump sum hit my account

Thanks! 2-4 weeks feels like forever when you're behind on everything but at least there's a timeline.

I had a similar situation and it was closer to 3 weeks before I saw anything. The lump sum was nice though!

Thanks! Did you get all the back pay in one lump sum or was it spread out over multiple payments?

Mine came as one big payment covering all the weeks I should have been paid, then regular weekly payments started after that.

Oh good point! I've been filing them but wasn't sure if I needed to since the appeal was pending.

Definitely keep filing. The back pay and ongoing benefits are processed separately in their system.

Thanks! Did he get all the backpay at once or was it spread out over several payments?

I think it came in chunks, not all at once. But he did get everything he was owed eventually.

I've tried calling but keep getting the busy signal. Is there a better time to call?

Good luck getting through to anyone at Washington ESD. I've been trying for weeks on a different issue.

I've been continuing to file weekly claims the whole time, even during the appeal process. Good to know about the 10-15 day timeframe.

Wait, you're supposed to keep filing weekly claims during an appeal? I stopped filing when I got denied and now I'm worried I messed something up.

@profile8 You should always keep filing weekly claims even if you're appealing. Contact Washington ESD to see if you can backfile for the weeks you missed.

How does that work exactly? I've been trying to call Washington ESD for weeks but can never get through.

Claimyr basically calls Washington ESD for you and gets you connected to an agent. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me hours of trying to call myself.

Never heard of that before. Is it legit? I'm desperate enough to try anything at this point.

I've seen people mention Claimyr on other threads. Seems like it helps with the phone connection issues everyone's having with Washington ESD.

Anything that helps get through to Washington ESD sounds good to me. The phone system is impossible.

How much does that cost though? I'm already broke waiting for my benefits.

They don't charge upfront or anything, it's just to help you get through the phone system. Way better than sitting on hold for hours.

Might try this if I don't see anything by next week. The phone system is impossible.

I have been filing weekly claims this whole time, so that's good. Should I expect any issues with the backpay calculation?

The system should calculate it automatically based on your filed claims. If there are any discrepancies, you can contact Washington ESD to review it.

That's exactly what I'm worried about! I've been trying to call but can never get through.

I ended up using this service called Claimyr that calls Washington ESD for you and gets you connected to an actual agent. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. It was honestly a lifesaver.

Never heard of that before but I'm desperate at this point. Anything is better than hitting redial 200 times a day.

Yes I'm still filing weekly. Good reminder though - I almost forgot last week because I was focused on the appeal.

Definitely keep filing. If you miss weeks while waiting for back pay, it can create additional complications.

3 months for the appeal?? Mine only took about 6 weeks from start to finish. Maybe it depends on the type of case?

probably, mine was more complicated because my employer was fighting it hard and kept submitting more documents

Good tip! I just checked and everything looks clear. Shows my appeal was approved but payment status is still showing 'processing'.

That processing status can take forever to update. The actual payment might come before the website even updates.

Three weeks?? That's so long when you're already behind on bills from being disqualified.

I know, it's frustrating. But once it comes through you get everything you were owed plus interest in some cases.

That's more specific than what I got from the decision letter. Do you know if they pay interest on the delayed payments?

No, Washington ESD doesn't pay interest on delayed unemployment benefits, even if the delay was due to their incorrect initial decision.

Yes, you can appeal most Washington ESD decisions. You should have received an appeal form with your denial notice. You typically have 30 days from the date of the decision to file an appeal.

I think I threw that paperwork away thinking it was just standard stuff. Can I still appeal if it's been like 6 weeks?

You might be able to file a late appeal if you have good cause for missing the deadline. Contact Washington ESD immediately to discuss your options.

It should be automatic. The appeals office sends the decision to the benefit payment system directly.

Yeah I didn't have to do anything extra. Just waiting for the system to catch up.

18 days gives me hope! I'm at day 10 so maybe soon. My SAW account doesn't show any issues right now.

That's encouraging. Did you get any notification before the payment or did it just show up?

It just showed up in my account one morning. No advance notice at all.

Tell me about it. I've been surviving on credit cards for months while fighting this.

It's designed to wear you down so you'll just give up. Glad you stuck with it and won your appeal.

Four months back pay sounds amazing right about now! Fingers crossed mine processes soon.

Good tip about checking SAW first. I'll start monitoring that more closely.

Yeah mine showed up in SAW like 2 days before the actual deposit

Yes, I have direct deposit set up from when I originally filed. Hopefully that will speed things up.

Definitely will. Paper checks can add another week or two to the process.

I had documentation showing my employer's policy violations and witness statements from coworkers. The key was proving I was terminated without just cause.

Thanks, that gives me some hope. I have similar documentation for my case.

Good luck with your hearing! Make sure to be organized and stick to the facts during your testimony.

Oh wow, I hadn't thought about the tax implications. Thanks for the heads up!

You can have taxes withheld from your unemployment payments if you want. There's an option in your account settings.

Tell me about it. The whole thing took 4 months from initial denial to getting the appeal decision.

4 months?? That's insane. How are people supposed to survive that long without income?

I represented myself. Spent a lot of time preparing but it was worth it. The key was having all my documentation organized.

Thanks, that gives me confidence. I'm representing myself too and was worried about it.

I tried to be really careful with those. What kind of mistakes usually cause problems?

Things like reporting work or earnings incorrectly, or not properly documenting your job search activities. Small errors can trigger additional review.

Because Washington ESD's computer system is from the stone age. Everything has to be done manually when there's an appeal reversal.

So ridiculous. People are struggling financially and they make us wait even longer.

I know you're right, it's just frustrating when you've already been waiting so long through the whole appeal process.

Good point. With several months of backpay hitting at once, that could bump me into a higher tax bracket for this year.

Actually unemployment benefits are taxed as regular income so it shouldn't affect your tax bracket calculation that much. But definitely something to plan for.

They initially said I was fired for misconduct but it was really a layoff. I had all the documentation from my employer proving it was due to budget cuts.

That's exactly my situation! This gives me hope for my appeal.

Documentation is key in misconduct cases. Make sure you have everything in writing from your employer.

Is Claimyr expensive? I'm already strapped for cash waiting for my benefits.

I thought it was reasonable for what it does - getting you directly connected to Washington ESD agents without the usual phone runaround. Much better than spending hours trying to call myself.

How much does something like that cost though? I'm already tight on money from being unemployed.

It's worth checking out their site for current pricing. For me it was definitely worth it compared to the time and frustration I was wasting trying to call myself.

Thank you! How long did they say it would take to get the decision?

They said 2-4 weeks but I'm hoping it comes sooner. The waiting is the worst part.