Why is my Washington ESD unemployment claim on hold - need answers

I checked everywhere in my account and there's literally nothing. No pending issues, no correspondence, nothing. It's so frustrating.

That's weird. Usually there's at least some indication of what they need. You definitely need to call them to find out what's going on.

Oh no, how long did it take to resolve once you found out what the issue was?

about 3 weeks total from when it went on hold to when payments resumed. but at least I got all the back pay

I've never heard of that service before. Is it legit? I'm willing to try anything at this point because I can't get through on my own.

Yeah it's totally legitimate. They basically handle the calling and waiting for you, then connect you when an agent picks up. Saved me hours of frustration trying to get through myself.

That sounds too good to be true. How much does something like that cost?

I'd rather not get into pricing here but it was worth every penny for the time it saved me. The peace of mind of actually talking to someone was huge.

I've been doing my work searches every week and reporting them properly. My identity was already verified when I first applied. This is so confusing.

It could still be an employer protest that happened after your initial approval. That's actually pretty common - employers sometimes don't respond to the initial notice but then dispute later.

I feel the same way. The whole system seems designed to frustrate people into giving up.

I understand the frustration but there are usually legitimate reasons for holds. The problem is just the communication and how hard it is to get information.

Where exactly would I look for that? I've been through every section of my account.

Look under 'Claim Status' and then 'Determinations' - sometimes there's stuff there that doesn't show up in the main dashboard.

What kind of additional documents did they need?

They wanted pay stubs from my last employer to verify my wages matched what was reported. Took about a week to process once I uploaded them.

This is so ridiculous. How are we supposed to survive while they take their sweet time figuring things out?

This is exactly why I used Claimyr - I was getting nowhere with regular calling. Might be worth checking out their service.

I've tried calling at all different times. Early morning, late morning, lunch time, nothing works.

Yeah the phone system is definitely broken. Keep trying though, eventually you'll get through.

That would be just my luck. A computer error that I have to suffer for because I can't get anyone on the phone.

I've seen that happen before. Usually gets resolved quickly once you actually talk to someone who can look at your account.

Yeah I've been doing that. At least the system still lets me file them, just not getting paid obviously.

Good, that's the most important thing. You should get back pay for all those weeks once the hold is lifted.

How did you find out that's what was happening? Did someone finally tell you when you called?

Yes, once I got through to an agent they could see the employer dispute in the system and explain exactly what I needed to do to resolve it.

That's what I'm worried about. What if it's their mistake and I'm suffering for it?

She did get all her back pay eventually, but yeah it was stressful. Definitely try to get through to someone as soon as possible.

Wow, they really don't give you any breaks do they? I'll definitely keep filing.

Nope, the system is pretty unforgiving about stuff like that. Better to be safe and keep filing even if it feels pointless.

At this point I'm seriously considering it. I can't afford to wait much longer for answers.

I was skeptical at first too, but when you're desperate you'll try anything. Turned out to be exactly what I needed.

I've been really careful about my work searches. Using WorkSourceWA and everything. But maybe there's something I'm missing?

It's possible. Sometimes they want more specific information about your job search efforts. An agent would be able to tell you exactly what they're looking for.

4 weeks?! I don't know if I can wait that long. My savings are already running low.

I know it's tough, but once you know what the issue is, you can at least work on resolving it. The worst part is not knowing what's wrong.

I hadn't thought of that. Do they actually help with unemployment issues?

Yes, their constituent services departments often help people navigate state agency problems. Might be worth a try if you can't get through to Washington ESD directly.

Glad you were able to get answers! That's exactly what I went through. Once you provide your side of the story with documentation, it should get resolved pretty quickly.

See, I told you Claimyr was worth it! At least now you can move forward instead of being stuck in limbo.

Good luck with the documentation. Make sure to include anything that shows you quit for good cause or that the misconduct claim is false. Pay stubs, emails, witness statements, whatever you have.

Thanks everyone. I have emails from my supervisor about the issues I was dealing with, so hopefully that will be enough to prove my case.