We set issues based on information from many sources:
- The answers you give us when you apply for benefits and file weekly claims.
- Your employers.
- Federal and state databases.
We may set more than one issue on your claim.
The process of getting more information and deciding if you are eligible is called adjudication.
Watch this video and read this page to learn more about adjudication. The video includes screenshots from eServices.
How adjudication works
We contact you for information
We send you a questionnaire for each issue we set. We send it via eServices or the U.S. Postal Service, based on your communications preference.
Answer all questions completely and accurately. Send the questionnaire back to us by the due date listed in the letter to avoid delays or loss of benefits.
We may contact you again by phone, email or web notice about each issue if we still need more information.
Make sure we can reach you
Make sure you do not miss any messages from us. Update your contact information, if needed. You can update online or by phone. Find details on the update page.
Check your eServices account, your email, your U.S. Postal Service and your phone. Our requests for information include deadlines for your response.
We make a decision
We make decisions about each issue separately. You could be approved for one, but another may cause your claim to be denied.
We send you a separate decision letter for each issue. And we post each decision in your eServices account. To access your account, go to secure.esd.wa.gov.
We base each decision on the information we have. We also base decisions on unemployment laws and regulations. Learn more about how we make decisions.
The adjudication process takes time. It’s difficult to estimate how long. Some issues take longer to research than others.
If you disagree with our decision
You have the right to file an appeal. If your employer got a copy of the decision, they also have the right to appeal. We include appeal instructions in every decision letter. Find more information about filing an appeal.