Washington ESD unemployment class action lawsuit - how to join?

It's ridiculous how they can just ignore us like this. There has to be some legal recourse.

Have you tried calling first thing in the morning? I know it's hard but sometimes you can get through at 8am sharp.

But surely leaving people without income for months while claims sit in limbo has to violate due process somehow?

It's frustrating but unfortunately delays alone usually aren't enough. The courts generally give state agencies wide discretion on processing times.

That's so messed up. How can they just ignore their own timeline requirements?

Never heard of that. Is it legit? How much does it cost?

Yeah it's real. They basically call Washington ESD repeatedly until they get through, then conference you in. I was skeptical too but it actually worked.

Sounds like a scam to me. Why should we have to pay a third party to reach our own state agency?

What kind of settlements are we talking about? Even a little money would help at this point.

Usually just changes to procedures, not individual payouts. And it takes years to resolve.

I actually did email my rep's office last week but haven't heard back yet.

Keep following up with them. They have direct lines into Washington ESD that regular citizens don't.

This is good advice. My cousin got her claim moved after her rep's office made some calls.

Same here. I keep track and I've made over 400 calls in the past month.

This is exactly why I ended up using Claimyr. I was spending hours every day trying to call and getting nowhere.

I've been documenting everything already. Have spreadsheets of every call attempt with timestamps.

Good. That's exactly what you'll need if you do decide to pursue legal options later.

How long do we have to wait before the administrative remedies are considered exhausted?

That's a good idea. Do you know any specific organizations I should contact?

Northwest Justice Project handles some unemployment cases. Columbia Legal Services too.

That's exactly how I feel. Like they're hoping I'll just disappear.

It's deliberate. Make the process so difficult that people stop trying to claim benefits they're entitled to.

I've sent probably 10 messages through their secure messaging. Only got one response that was just a form letter.

Ugh that sucks. The messaging system used to actually work a few years ago.

How much did you pay for that though?

Rather not say the exact amount but it was way less than I would have lost waiting weeks for my benefits.

At this point I'm willing to try anything. Going to check out that video link.

It just says 'verification needed' but doesn't specify what kind of verification. I've uploaded my ID, social security card, everything I can think of.

That's so vague. You really need to talk to someone to find out what specific document they want.

Good idea. I'll add that to my list of things to try.

Yeah I'm starting to realize that. I need money now, not in 3 years after a lawsuit maybe wins.

Exactly. Focus on getting your own situation fixed first, then worry about systemic change later.

Wow, so it really does work? I'm definitely going to try it.

Yeah I was surprised how fast it was once I actually got to talk to someone. The hard part is just getting through.

Still think it's wrong we have to pay for this when it should be free.

Will do. Going to try the Claimyr thing first since several people here had success with it, then pursue other options if that doesn't work.

I haven't used Claimyr myself but based on what others are saying here, it seems like it might be worth trying if you're desperate to get through. As for the state auditor route, I filed a complaint about a month ago regarding similar processing delays and got an acknowledgment email, but no real action yet. Have you tried reaching out to multiple state representatives? Sometimes casting a wider net helps - I contacted both my house rep and senator's offices. The key seems to be being persistent with follow-ups since they get tons of requests.

I used Claimyr about 3 weeks ago when my claim got stuck in identity verification limbo. Was skeptical at first because it felt weird paying someone to call a government agency, but honestly it was worth every penny. They got me connected within about 6 hours and the ESD agent was able to resolve my identity issue immediately - turned out they just needed a clearer photo of my driver's license. The whole call took maybe 15 minutes once connected. Cost me around $40 but considering I was about to lose my car payment, it was a no-brainer. Just make sure you have all your documents ready before they call you back so you can resolve everything in one shot.