Washington ESD unemployment appeal won - when do payments start?

Thanks! I kept filing my weekly claims even though they weren't being paid. Hopefully that helps speed things up.

That's smart - filing continuously definitely helps. They won't make you refile for the weeks you already submitted.

The employer didn't show up to the hearing so I doubt they'll appeal. Fingers crossed it's straightforward!

Yeah when employers don't participate in the hearing they rarely appeal afterwards. You should be good to go.

Never heard of that service - does it actually work for getting through to Washington ESD?

Worked for me - they handle the calling and waiting so you don't have to sit on hold for hours. Worth it when you need actual answers about your claim.

Interesting, might have to try that if my situation gets complicated. The hold times are absolutely ridiculous.

I had to submit my work schedules and text messages between me and my supervisor. The hearing was mostly me explaining what really happened versus what the employer claimed.

Good to know - I've been gathering everything I can find. Thanks for sharing your experience!

Good point - I'll definitely double check the math. Should be about 8 weeks worth of benefits plus the regular weekly amount going forward.

Yes, keep your own records of what you should receive. Washington ESD makes calculation errors more often than they should.

Yeah I've been doing my job searches and logging them in WorkSourceWA the whole time. Don't want to give them any reason to cause more problems.

Smart approach - keeping up with requirements during the appeal process shows good faith effort.

Stay calm and stick to the facts. I was nervous too but the hearing officer was fair and let me tell my side of the story. Having documentation helped a lot.

Thanks - I've got everything organized and ready. Hopefully it goes as well as yours did.

You can do this! Even with a lawyer, if the facts are on your side, you have a good chance. The hearing officers see through employer BS all the time.

Good to know - I'll give it two weeks before I start calling. Hopefully the manual processing doesn't add too much delay.

Yeah the manual processing is annoying but necessary. They have to make sure everything is calculated correctly after the reversal.

About 6 weeks from when I submitted the appeal request to the actual hearing date. Then another 2 weeks to get the written decision.

That's not too bad considering how backed up they are. Gives me hope for my own timeline.

Already printed multiple copies and saved the PDF. Not taking any chances after going through all this.

Smart move - I learned that lesson the hard way when they couldn't find my appeal decision in their system months later.

I represented myself but did a lot of research beforehand. There are free resources available if you need help - WorkSource has some guidance materials.

You can also contact legal aid organizations if you qualify. They sometimes help with unemployment appeals.

Will definitely update once I see the money hit my account. The waiting is the worst part after already waiting so long for the appeal decision.

I bet! At least you're over the biggest hurdle now. The payment processing should be much more straightforward.

No, Washington ESD doesn't pay interest on delayed benefits even when they're wrong. You just get the principal amount you would have received originally.

That's frustrating but not surprising. At least you get the full back pay amount.

Good advice! I kept a log of all my attempts to get information during the process. Probably helped show I was trying to resolve things.

Exactly - it shows you were acting in good faith throughout the process.

How much does something like that cost? Seems like it might be worth it if it actually works.

I'd rather spend a little to get actual answers than waste days trying to get through myself. The peace of mind was worth it during the appeal process.

I got lucky and won at the first level, but I was definitely prepared to take it further if needed. If you think the hearing officer made a mistake, it might be worth pursuing.

The Board of Appeals is a different process with stricter requirements, but it's definitely an option if you have grounds to appeal the hearing decision.

It was a misconduct disqualification that was completely wrong. My employer claimed I was fired for performance issues but it was actually a layoff due to lack of work. Had the documentation to prove it.

That's exactly the kind of situation where appeals work well - when you have clear evidence the employer's claim was wrong.

Happy to help! I know how stressful it is when you're going through it. Feel free to ask if you have specific questions about the process.

I really appreciate that. It's nice to know there are people willing to help others navigate this system.

Awesome news! That's right in the typical timeframe. So glad it worked out for you.

This is so encouraging! My hearing is tomorrow and seeing your success story helps calm my nerves.

YES! So happy to hear you got your money. That must be such a relief after everything you went through.

Fantastic! Thanks for coming back to update us - it's really helpful for others going through the same process.