What time does Washington ESD unemployment office open for calls?

So I should be calling right at 8 AM sharp? I've been trying around 9 or 10 AM thinking that would be better.

Yeah definitely try right at 8 AM, but even then it's really hit or miss. The system gets overwhelmed fast.

I tried that yesterday and still couldn't get through. How long should I keep trying?

Sometimes it takes 30-40 redials in the first hour. The system is overwhelmed right now with all the claims.

That's what I've been doing but I never get through! Is there a better time to call?

I've had better luck calling right at 8:00 AM sharp or around 11:30 AM when some people take lunch breaks from calling.

That's what I was afraid of. This is so frustrating when you need to talk to someone about your claim.

Same experience here. The system is overwhelmed and they don't have enough staff to handle the call volume.

This is so frustrating! How are we supposed to resolve issues with our claims if we can't even talk to anyone?

I know, it's really stressful especially when you need the money and your claim is just sitting there pending.

What's your claim status showing? Mine's been stuck on 'pending' for a month now.

says adjudication in progress but no idea what thats even about

I tried calling exactly at 8am this morning and still couldn't get through. Is there any other way to contact them?

You can also try the online messaging system through your SecureAccess Washington account, but response times are slow there too.

That explains why I keep getting disconnected! Do they have any other contact methods?

You can try the SecureAccess Washington messaging system, but response times are usually 7-10 business days right now.

Is that legit? I'm desperate at this point but don't want to get scammed.

Yeah it worked for me. I was skeptical too but after weeks of not getting through the regular way I figured I'd try it. Got connected to an Washington ESD agent within a few hours.

Hmm never heard of this service before. How much does it cost?

Is that legit? How much does it cost?

Yeah it's real. I was skeptical too but it worked for me when I needed to resolve an issue with my weekly claim certification. Way better than spending hours redialing.

I used them too when my claim got disqualified by mistake. Got connected within an hour instead of calling for days myself.

That's exactly what happened to me last week! Finally got through after calling for hours and then the call dropped after 2 minutes.

It's like they don't want people to actually get help with their unemployment claims. So frustrating.

That sounds too good to be true. How does it actually work? Do they charge a lot?

It's legit. They basically automate the calling process and notify you when they get an agent on the line. Way better than sitting on hold for hours.

I was skeptical too but tried Claimyr last month when I needed to check on my disqualification appeal. Got connected to an agent in about 30 minutes instead of wasting my whole day calling.

Exactly! And then they penalize us if we don't respond to their requests fast enough.

The irony is that we're supposed to be actively job searching but also available to call them during work hours.

They do have that online messaging system but I never get responses to my messages either.

Yeah the messaging system is useless too. Takes weeks to get a response if you get one at all.

Good tip! I'll try that tomorrow morning. How long do you usually wait on hold once you get through?

Usually 1-3 hours if you're lucky. Sometimes longer. That's why I just let my phone sit on speaker and do other stuff while waiting.

Is that legit? I'm so desperate at this point I'll try anything but I don't want to get scammed.

Yeah it's totally legit. They don't ask for your login info or anything sketchy. You just give them your callback number and they call you when they get an agent on the line.

How much does something like that cost though? I'm already struggling financially.

Same here! Got through once and they hung up on me when I asked about my job search requirements.

That's why so many people are using callback services now. The regular phone system just can't handle the volume.

Good point. I have my weekly claim confirmation number but wasn't sure what else I might need.

Also have your Social Security number, alternate ID if you have one, and any correspondence from Washington ESD available.

That makes sense. I was calling on Monday mornings thinking that would be best but maybe that's actually the worst time.

Yeah Monday mornings are probably the absolute worst time to try. Everyone's trying to call about issues from the weekend.

Same here! It's so frustrating. My rent is due next week and I can't even find out why my claim is stuck.

Try calling the Tacoma office directly if you're in that area. Sometimes the regional offices have shorter wait times.

Good idea! I'll try that today. Have you actually gotten through during lunch?

Yeah twice actually. Still took like 45 minutes on hold but at least I got through to a real person.

I'll try those times tomorrow. Anything is worth a shot at this point.

I tried calling at 2pm yesterday and was on hold for 3 hours before giving up.

That's what I've been doing but my phone bill is going to be huge from all these calls.

Most phone plans have unlimited calling now, so that shouldn't be an issue unless you're on a very old plan.

200 calls?! That's insane. I don't have time to make 200 calls, I'm already spending hours every day trying.

yeah its ridiculous but thats what it takes sometimes. or try that claimyr thing the other person mentioned

Ok you've convinced me to at least check it out. My adjudication has been pending for 6 weeks now and I'm getting desperate.

I might try this too. Been calling Washington ESD for a month about my overpayment notice and can't get through.

Oh no, that would make me lose my mind. Did you have to start the whole process over?

Yep, back to square one both times. The second time I almost cried.

This is exactly why the system needs to be fixed. We shouldn't have to go through this just to get basic information about our claims.

Seriously, how is it legal to have a system where people can't access the services they're entitled to?

Right? And meanwhile people are struggling to pay rent and buy food while their claims sit in limbo.

My claim has been pending for two weeks already. I'm worried about missing rent if this drags on much longer.

In that case, definitely keep trying to call. A pending claim for two weeks definitely needs attention.

Ok you've convinced me to at least check out their website. This calling situation is driving me crazy.

Same here, gonna look into this Claimyr thing. Can't be worse than what we're dealing with now.

What number did you call? The main customer service line or a different one?

Main customer service line. I think there might be other numbers but I'm not sure what they are.

That's a good idea! I forgot about the WorkSource offices. Do they handle all types of unemployment issues?

Not all issues, but they can help with job search requirements and sometimes contact Washington ESD for you. Worth a try if you're not having luck with the phone.

I didn't know that was an option. What kind of help can they provide?

WorkSource can help with job search requirements and some general UI questions, but for claim-specific issues you still need to contact Washington ESD directly.

I'll try this sequence tomorrow morning. Do you know if they close the phone lines before 4 PM if call volume is high?

They're supposed to stay open until 4 PM but I've heard they sometimes stop taking new calls around 3:30 PM to clear the queue.

This is helpful but why is it so hard just to talk to someone about unemployment? Other states aren't this bad.

Makes sense since people probably have issues from the weekend to report.

Tuesday isn't much better in my experience. Wednesday seems to be the sweet spot.

My issue isn't something I can fix online though. Need to talk to someone about why my claim is pending.

oh yeah for that stuff you def need to call. good luck!

3 months?! I really hope mine doesn't take that long. I'm definitely going to try Claimyr tomorrow.

yeah dont wait like i did. the longer your claim sits the more complicated it gets to fix