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I went through this exact situation about 6 months ago with an $8,500 severance package from my employer. Like many others here, I was initially worried it would disqualify me from unemployment benefits entirely, but that's not how Washington ESD handles it. They use a proration system where they divide your severance by your previous gross weekly wages to determine how many weeks it "covers" - in my case it worked out to about 4 weeks. During those weeks, my UI benefits were reduced by the weekly severance amount, but I still received partial unemployment payments each week. The key things that made the process smooth: 1) I reported the severance immediately when filing my initial claim, even before receiving the money, 2) I kept all documentation from HR about the payment terms and amount, and 3) I was completely transparent about every detail when I finally got through to speak with someone at Washington ESD. The phone system is definitely frustrating, but don't let that discourage you from taking the severance. Even with the temporary reduction in weekly UI benefits, you'll be significantly better off financially having both. Just make sure to get everything about your severance agreement in writing from your employer before your last day.
@Lara Woods Your experience is so similar to what I m'facing! The $8,500 severance amount and 4-week coverage period sounds almost exactly like what I can expect with my $8,000 package. It s'really reassuring to hear that you still received partial UI benefits each week rather than being cut off completely during the severance period. I m'definitely taking your advice about reporting it immediately when filing - that seems to be the consistent recommendation from everyone who had a smooth experience. Did Washington ESD give you any kind of written confirmation about how they calculated the proration, or did you just see it reflected in your weekly benefit amounts? I want to make sure I understand exactly what to expect when I file my claim next month.
I'm currently going through a similar severance situation and this thread has been incredibly helpful! My employer is offering me a $7,200 severance package and I was also worried about how it would impact my unemployment eligibility. Reading everyone's real-world experiences has been so much more valuable than trying to navigate the Washington ESD website alone. It's clear that the proration system they use is pretty consistent - you can definitely receive both severance and UI benefits, just with reduced weekly amounts during the severance coverage period. I'm planning to follow all the advice here: report everything upfront when filing my initial claim, keep detailed documentation from HR, and be completely transparent about the payment structure. One question I haven't seen addressed - does anyone know if the proration calculation changes if you were working part-time versus full-time before the layoff? I was working 30 hours per week, so I'm wondering if that affects how they divide the severance by my weekly wages. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this has transformed my anxiety into actual confidence about handling this properly!
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Wow, this thread has been incredibly informative! I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - got offered a job that's 36 miles away and was really stressed about whether I could decline without losing my benefits. Reading everyone's experiences, it seems like the key is really thorough documentation. I'm going to follow the advice here and create a detailed breakdown of all costs (gas, wear and tear, time, etc.), document my car's reliability issues, and call ESD ahead of time using that Claimyr service someone mentioned. One question for those who have been through this - did anyone have success stories with distances in the 30-35 mile range? Most of the examples here have been 38+ miles, so I'm curious if there's anyone who declined something closer to that 30-mile threshold that gets mentioned and how it went. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this community is so helpful for navigating ESD's complicated system!
I actually declined a job at exactly 32 miles last summer and didn't have any issues! The key for me was really emphasizing the economic impact - even at 32 miles, the gas costs plus wear and tear would have been about 22% of my net pay, which I argued was unreasonable. I also documented that the commute would be 55-65 minutes each way during work hours due to traffic patterns, which put it right at that "1 hour threshold" several people mentioned. ESD approved it without any follow-up questions. I think as long as you can show the economic burden is significant and document everything thoroughly like everyone's suggesting, you should be fine even in that 30-35 mile range. The fact that you're being proactive about calling ahead will definitely help your case!
This entire thread has been so helpful! I'm actually facing a very similar situation - got offered an administrative position that's about 38 miles from my home in Tacoma. My car has been having issues lately (spent $600 on repairs last month) and I was really worried about declining and losing my benefits. Reading through everyone's detailed experiences and documentation strategies has given me a clear roadmap for how to handle this. I'm particularly grateful for the specific examples of economic calculations and the tip about WAC 192-170-050. I had no idea there were actual regulations I could reference! I'm definitely going to use the Claimyr service to speak with an ESD agent before making my decision, and I'll document everything thoroughly - exact mileage, gas costs based on my car's MPG, maintenance concerns, lack of public transit, and the percentage of wages that would go to transportation. It's so reassuring to see that multiple people have successfully declined jobs in similar distance ranges when they presented their cases properly. This community is amazing for sharing real experiences with ESD's process. Thank you all for taking the time to help fellow Washingtonians navigate this stressful system!
I'm so glad this thread has been helpful for you too! It sounds like you're in an almost identical situation to what I was facing. The $600 you just spent on car repairs is actually perfect documentation for your case - that shows your vehicle reliability concerns are legitimate and recent. Make sure to include those repair receipts when you document everything! 38 miles is definitely in the range where multiple people here have successfully declined without issues. With your recent car troubles, that distance would be particularly risky. When you calculate your costs, don't forget to factor in that additional wear and tear could mean even more frequent expensive repairs like the $600 you just had to spend. The WAC regulation number that Sofia mentioned has been a game-changer for giving these conversations more structure. Having specific legal backing really helps when talking to ESD agents. Good luck with the Claimyr call - I'd love to hear how it goes if you're comfortable sharing an update! This community really does help each other navigate ESD's maze.
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One more thing to add: during your WorkSource appointment, ask them specifically about the job search requirements for your industry. Construction often has different considerations because of its seasonal nature. If you already have a return-to-work date, bring documentation from your employer stating when you'll return (exact date is important). This can help you qualify for standby status, which would exempt you from job search requirements for a specific period. The maximum standby period in Washington is normally 8 weeks, but there are sometimes extensions for certain industries like construction.
Thank you! I just texted my foreman and he's going to email me something on company letterhead with my return date. Fingers crossed for standby status!
Hey Sophia! I went through this exact same thing about 6 months ago when I was between construction jobs. The WorkSource appointment is really nothing to stress about - it's basically just them explaining the system and resources available to you. Since you mentioned you're in construction and have work lined up in May, definitely bring documentation of your return-to-work date like others have mentioned. That standby status can be a game changer! Also, don't worry too much about not having done job searches yet - they usually give you a grace period right after approval, but definitely start doing them now just to be safe. The 3 activities per week sounds scary but it can be as simple as creating/updating profiles on job sites, attending virtual job fairs, or even networking contacts. You've got this!
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One more important tip - make sure you print or save digital copies of ALL your weekly claim confirmations, especially the final one. ESD only keeps records accessible to you online for a limited time, and if there's ever a question or audit later, you'll want proof that you properly reported everything. I learned this the hard way!
That's great advice - I hadn't thought about saving all my confirmations. I'll definitely do that right away before anything disappears from the system.
Congratulations on getting back to work! That's such great news after 3 months on standby. Just want to echo what others have said about filing that final weekly claim - it's really important to do this properly. When you file, make sure to answer truthfully about returning to work and report any earnings from your new job, even if it's just a partial week. Also, keep in mind that if your new position doesn't work out for any reason within the first few weeks, you might be able to reopen your existing claim rather than starting completely over. Best of luck with the new job!
Thank you so much Miguel! I really appreciate the encouragement and the reminder about being able to reopen the claim if things don't work out. Hopefully it won't come to that, but it's good to know that option exists. I'm feeling much more confident about the whole process now after reading everyone's advice here. This community has been incredibly helpful!
Keisha Jackson
Just wanted to share my recent experience with this status! I had "Processing-IvR pay" show up last week and was super anxious after reading mixed experiences online. Mine took exactly 4 business days to process and the payment hit my account yesterday morning. What I noticed was that the status stayed the same in the portal right up until the money appeared - so don't worry if it doesn't change to "paid" or anything like that. The automated system they use seems to work in the background without updating the visible status. For anyone currently waiting, I'd say give it the full business week before getting too worried. Hang in there Mason, sounds like you're right on track based on everyone's timeline!
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Reina Salazar
•Thank you so much Keisha! Your experience sounds really similar to what I'm going through. I'm on day 3 now and it's reassuring to hear that the status staying the same is normal. I was worried something was wrong since it wasn't updating, but knowing the system works in the background makes total sense. I'll try to be patient and wait the full week before stressing too much. Really appreciate you taking the time to share your timeline - it helps more than you know!
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Javier Cruz
I'm going through this exact same situation right now! My claim status changed to 'Processing-IvR pay' three days ago and I've been checking my bank account obsessively every few hours. Reading through everyone's experiences here is really reassuring - it sounds like most people do get their payments within that 2-6 business day window. I was so confused when I first saw this status because it's not explained anywhere on the ESD website. Thank you all for sharing your timelines and experiences! It's such a relief to know this is generally a positive sign and not another roadblock. Fingers crossed mine comes through in the next day or two like some of yours did!
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Yuki Nakamura
•Hey Javier! I totally get the obsessive bank account checking - I've been doing the exact same thing! It's so nerve-wracking when you're waiting for money you desperately need. Reading everyone's experiences here has been a huge help for my anxiety too. It seems like we're all in that normal 2-6 day window based on what others have shared. I'm on day 3 as well, so we're probably going through this at almost the same time. Hopefully we both see our payments hit soon! Keep us posted on how it goes - it's really helpful when people share their updates like Makayla did earlier.
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