One thing that helped me was creating a strict budget and cutting out everything non-essential while on unemployment. Every dollar counts when you're getting that little. Also check if your utilities have low-income assistance programs.

I'm in a similar situation - getting $340/week from Washington ESD and my rent alone is $1,350. It's really frustrating because I paid into this system for years thinking it would actually help if I ever needed it. Now I'm having to choose between paying rent and buying groceries. The whole thing feels broken when you can't even afford basic necessities while actively looking for work. Has anyone had luck finding roommates or other ways to reduce housing costs while on unemployment?

I went through this exact same situation a few months ago and it was so stressful! Like others have said, you definitely need to wait for the reopened claim to process first - usually 1-3 business days. The good news is that once it processes, you'll be able to backfile for that partial week where you only worked one day. I was worried I'd lose out on those benefits too, but the system does allow you to file for previous weeks once your claim is active again. Just keep checking your eServices dashboard daily and the "File weekly claim" option should appear. Don't panic if it takes the full 3 days - the system is just slow sometimes!

I went through almost the exact same situation last month! The waiting period after reopening your claim is definitely the most confusing part. What helped me was setting a reminder to check my eServices account every morning for 3 days after submitting the reopen request. On day 2, the "File weekly claim" option finally appeared on my dashboard. When I filed for that partial week, I made sure to report my one day of work earnings (gross amount) and answered all the work search questions. I ended up getting paid for the 4 days I was unemployed that week. The key is just being patient with their processing time - I know it's stressful when you're not sure if you did everything right! You should be all set once the system updates.

Thanks everyone for all the advice and support. I feel a lot more confident about my claim now. Will update when I hear back from Washington ESD!

I just went through this exact situation last month - got fired for "performance issues" but really felt like they were just cutting staff. I was honest on my Washington ESD application and put "terminated for performance" and kept the explanation brief and factual. Got approved within 2 weeks! The key is showing you weren't doing anything intentionally wrong. If you were genuinely trying your best but struggling with unrealistic expectations or lack of proper training/support, that's usually not considered misconduct. Don't stress too much - most performance-related terminations still qualify for benefits as long as there wasn't willful misconduct involved.

I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago when my startup laid off half the team. One thing that really helped me was having my W-2 from last year handy when filling out the application - it made it easier to remember exact wage amounts and dates. Also, don't stress too much about getting every single detail perfect on the first try. I had to call and make a small correction to one of my employment dates and it wasn't a big deal at all. The Washington ESD folks were actually pretty helpful once I got through to them. Just make sure you file as soon as possible after your last day - I waited a few days thinking I needed to "get organized" first and realized I was just delaying my own benefits for no reason.

I just went through this process a few weeks ago after getting laid off from my marketing job. The biggest thing that helped me was doing it early in the morning when the website was less busy - I tried filing around 7 AM on a Tuesday and it went much smoother than when I attempted it during peak hours. Also, if you're in tech, you might want to double-check if your company offered any severance packages that could affect your benefit timing. My company had a 2-week severance that I had to account for in the application. The whole thing took me about 45 minutes once I had everything ready, and I got my monetary determination letter in exactly 10 days. Don't let the government website intimidation get to you - it's actually pretty user-friendly once you get started!

UPDATE: OP, any luck reaching Washington ESD about your backdating request? I'm curious how it worked out.

I went through something similar last year when I got furloughed. The key thing that helped me get backdating approved was having documentation from my HR department showing they advised employees to wait before filing because they expected to bring people back within 2-3 weeks. Washington ESD considered that "good cause" for the delay. Make sure to gather any emails, texts, or written communication from your employer about the potential callback - that's going to be your strongest evidence. Also, be persistent with calling. I had to try for about a week straight before I finally got through to someone who could help with the backdating request.