Why can't I get unemployment benefits approved by Washington ESD?

What's a base period? Nobody ever explained this to me when I filed.

The base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you filed your claim. So if you filed in January 2025, your base period would be January-December 2024.

How do you even get through to them? I've been calling for weeks and either get busy signals or hung up on after waiting forever.

It's honestly a nightmare trying to reach them. The phone system is completely overwhelmed.

Is that legit? Sounds too good to be true honestly.

I was skeptical too but it actually worked. They got me through in about 30 minutes when I'd been trying for weeks on my own.

Might be worth trying at this point. I'm getting desperate here.

I just checked and it looks like my last employer isn't showing up at all in the system. Is that why I'm getting denied?

That's definitely a problem. Your employer has to report wages to Washington ESD quarterly. If they didn't report or reported late, it won't count toward your eligibility.

It's not broken, it's just complicated. The quarterly system exists for a reason - to ensure people have sustained work history.

whatever, still doesn't help when you're broke and need benefits

Your employer needs to file corrected wage reports immediately. Contact Washington ESD's employer services division and explain the situation. They can help ensure the wages get properly reported.

This is exactly why I used Claimyr to talk to someone at Washington ESD about my wage issues. They helped me understand what documentation I needed from my employer.

Agreed. I spent months trying to figure out my eligibility online before finally getting through to an agent who sorted it out in 20 minutes.

How did you finally get through? I'm willing to try anything at this point.

I used that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier. Worth every penny to avoid the phone hell.

I definitely worked long enough - 8 months straight. The problem seems to be that my wages weren't reported properly.

That makes sense. Unreported wages are a common cause of denials.

How do I request that? Do I need to file a new claim?

You don't file a new claim, but you need to specifically request the alternate base period calculation. This is something you'd need to discuss with a Washington ESD representative.

That's encouraging to hear. I'm going to push my old employer to get this fixed.

Yeah definitely stay on them about it. Some employers are lazy about wage reporting until you make it their problem.

I have all my pay stubs saved. Should I mail them to Washington ESD or is there a way to upload them?

You can upload documents through your online account, but for wage verification issues, you'll probably need to speak with someone directly to explain the situation.

Right?? It's like being punished for your employer's mistakes. So unfair.

seriously considering using that calling service too because I can't get through to anyone at Washington ESD

My employer said they'll "look into it" but I don't trust them to actually follow through. What can I do to make sure they actually file the reports?

You can contact Washington ESD's employer services division yourself and report the issue. They'll follow up with your employer directly.

That's terrible! Did you eventually get back pay for those months?

Yes, they back-dated everything once the wages were properly reported. But the waiting period was brutal.

Good advice. I'm going to start keeping a log of all my calls and emails about this.

Smart. Also screenshot your online account showing the missing wages - that's useful evidence.

Seems like a lot of people have had success with that service. I think I'm going to try it tomorrow.

Good luck! The agent I talked to was really knowledgeable about wage reporting issues specifically.

Great news! Once the wages are properly reported, your claim should be processed pretty quickly.

This gives me hope for my own situation. Going to try calling them tomorrow.

Keep us posted on how it goes! This whole process is so confusing but at least there's light at the end of the tunnel.