I'm currently a WGU student in their IT program and went through this exact situation just 2 months ago! The great news is that WGU's competency-based model actually works strongly in your favor compared to traditional universities. When ESD contacted me about my student status, I made sure to highlight these key points: 1. WGU has ZERO scheduled class times - no Zoom meetings, no mandatory attendance, nothing that would conflict with a work schedule 2. All coursework is 100% self-paced - you can complete assignments and exams literally any time of day or night 3. WGU is specifically marketed to working professionals - most students maintain full-time jobs while enrolled 4. The program is designed around competency, not seat time - if you know the material, you can accelerate through courses I also mentioned that I was using my unemployment time productively by advancing my skills to be more competitive in the job market, which seemed to resonate well with the adjudicator. My claim was approved after a brief phone interview where I simply reiterated these points. The flexibility of WGU is honestly a huge advantage here - just make sure you clearly communicate that to ESD. You should be fine! Let us know how it goes.

I'm also a WGU student and just went through this process last month! One additional tip that really helped my case - I printed out pages from WGU's website that specifically describe their competency-based model and flexible scheduling. Having that official documentation from the school itself seemed to carry a lot of weight with the ESD adjudicator. You can find this info in their "How WGU Works" section where they explicitly state there are no set class times or schedules. I also made sure to mention that WGU actually requires students to commit to working at least 15 hours per week on coursework, which demonstrates you can easily balance it with full-time employment since most people work way more than 40 hours total per week when you include evenings and weekends. The adjudicator approved my claim right on the phone after I walked through these points. Don't let the stress get to you - WGU's model is actually perfect for this situation once ESD understands how it works!

I just went through this exact same confusion a few weeks ago! The wording of that question really threw me off too - it does seem like a circular question when you're applying FOR benefits. After reading through everyone's explanations here, I finally understand they're asking about your current unemployment spell specifically. In my case, I had been unemployed for about 6 weeks before I finally got around to filing my claim, so during those 6 weeks I obviously hadn't collected any benefits yet since I hadn't applied. So my answer was "no." But if someone had been getting benefits earlier in their current unemployment period and then had to file again for some reason, they'd need to report those. The key is really focusing on "during your unemployment period" meaning THIS current stretch of being unemployed. Thanks everyone for breaking this down - Washington ESD really needs to work on their form wording!

This thread has been such a lifesaver! I just encountered this exact question on my Washington ESD forms and was completely stumped by the wording. Like Jessica said, it really does seem like a circular question when you're applying FOR benefits in the first place. After reading through everyone's explanations, I now understand they're asking specifically about your current unemployment period - so if you've been unemployed for 2 months but only just now filing your claim, they want to know if you received any benefits during those 2 months (which would be no for first-time filers). The distinction between your "unemployment period" versus your overall unemployment history is key. I also appreciate the advice about using the comments section to clarify your situation if you're unsure - that's such a smart approach. It's frustrating that Washington ESD uses such confusing language, but at least we have this community to help decode their forms!

I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago with Washington ESD. Was suspended for 10 days pending investigation and filed for unemployment benefits. The key thing is to be completely transparent about your employment status when you file. They'll ask if you worked and earned wages - answer honestly that you were suspended without pay. My claim was approved within about 2 weeks once they verified the details with my employer. The investigation outcome didn't affect my eligibility since I wasn't being paid during the suspension period. Just make sure you're ready to provide documentation if they request it.

I was in a similar situation a few years ago - suspended without pay for 3 weeks while they investigated a safety incident. Washington ESD approved my benefits after about 10 days of review. The key things that helped me were: 1) I filed immediately when the suspension started, 2) I was completely upfront about being suspended (not terminated), and 3) I had all my documentation ready including the suspension notice from HR. During my weekly certifications, I just reported zero wages and explained I was suspended without pay each week. Once the investigation cleared me and I returned to work, I stopped filing claims. The whole process was actually pretty smooth once I got past the initial worry about eligibility.

I'm in almost exactly the same situation! Filed my unemployment claim about 3 weeks ago and it shows "active" but zero payments have come through. Reading through all these experiences has been both a relief and super frustrating - relief that this seems to be a common issue and not something uniquely wrong with my claim, but frustrating that the system is so opaque about what's actually happening. The tip about checking whether weekly claims show "submitted" vs "processed" is incredibly eye-opening - I just checked and all mine say "submitted" too! I had no idea there was even a difference to look for until reading this thread. I'm definitely going to try the secure messaging approach through eServices that @Mateo Gonzalez mentioned since the phone system has been completely useless. Also planning to call my former employer tomorrow to see if they received any verification requests from ESD that they haven't responded to yet. The financial stress is bad enough without the added anxiety of not knowing what's happening with your claim. This thread has been more helpful than anything on ESD's actual website! I'll report back on what I discover and hopefully we can all get our situations resolved soon. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and solutions! 🙏

I'm going through this exact same nightmare! Filed about 2 weeks ago, claim shows "active" but no payments yet. The "submitted" vs "processed" distinction everyone mentioned is huge - just checked and all mine say "submitted" too! After reading everyone's experiences, I'm realizing how broken the communication is in this system. We shouldn't have to become detectives to figure out why our benefits aren't coming through when we're already stressed about finances. Definitely going to try the secure messaging approach through eServices that @Mateo Gonzalez mentioned - I've been calling for days with zero luck. Also calling my former employer tomorrow to see if they're sitting on some ESD verification request. This thread has been more helpful than ESD's entire website! The community knowledge-sharing here is incredible. I'll report back on what works - hopefully we can all get unstuck soon. The waiting is brutal when bills are due! 🤞

Just want to emphasize again - do NOT go without health insurance while on unemployment. Even if you think you can't afford it, check all your options first. The financial risk isn't worth it.

Also worth checking if your county has any local health programs or clinics that offer services on a sliding fee scale based on income. Even with marketplace coverage, you might find cheaper options for routine care and prescriptions while you're on unemployment. Some counties in Washington have really good programs that can supplement your insurance coverage.