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Based on what you've described - 8 months full-time at $18/hour - you should definitely qualify. You're well over the hour requirement and your wages should easily meet the minimums.
One more thing - keep documentation of everything. Save confirmation numbers, print out important pages, screenshot your claim status. If anything goes wrong you'll need proof of what happened and when.
Based on everyone's advice here, sounds like I should stop overthinking this and just apply. Thanks everyone for all the helpful information. Going to gather my employment documents and file online today.
And remember, if you need help reaching Washington ESD agents for any reason, that Claimyr service is there as an option.
All unemployment benefits are taxable income, regardless of the type. You can choose to have taxes withheld from your benefits or pay them when you file your tax return. The benefit type doesn't change the tax treatment.
This thread has been really helpful! I feel like I have a much better understanding of the different types of unemployment benefits now. Thanks everyone for the detailed explanations.
Glad it helped! The main thing to remember is just to file your claim honestly and completely. Washington ESD will determine what you're eligible for, and you can always call them if you have questions about your specific situation.
One last thing - if your former employer contests your unemployment claim for any reason, having documentation about your severance package could be important. Keep all the paperwork just in case.
This whole discussion reminds me why I love reddit for this kind of practical advice. Way more helpful than trying to navigate Washington ESD's website alone.
Emma Bianchi
The reality is that Washington ESD is swamped and response times are unpredictable. Some people get callbacks in days, others wait months. There's no rhyme or reason to it. If you absolutely need to speak with someone urgently, you might want to consider using a service like Claimyr to bypass the normal queue.
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Brian Downey
•Thanks for the honest assessment. I think I'm going to look into that Claimyr service since several people have mentioned it.
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Lucas Kowalski
•good call. sometimes you have to take matters into your own hands when the system isn't working
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Olivia Martinez
UPDATE: I ended up using Claimyr after seeing it recommended here multiple times. Got connected to a Washington ESD rep within 30 minutes and they were able to resolve my adjudication issue on the spot. Wish I had known about this service weeks ago!
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Olivia Martinez
•They needed additional documentation about my job separation that I had already uploaded. The rep was able to see it and process it immediately.
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Charlie Yang
•similar thing happened to me. sometimes the documents get stuck in the system and need manual processing
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