One last thing - if you're a student or recent graduate, you might need information about your school enrollment. Washington ESD has specific rules about student eligibility for unemployment benefits. Have your enrollment dates and class schedule ready just in case.

This is such a comprehensive thread! I'm also preparing to apply and reading through everyone's responses has been incredibly helpful. One thing I wanted to add that I don't think was mentioned yet - if you've received any severance pay or vacation payout from your employer, you'll need those details too. Washington ESD asks about any payments you received after your last day of work, and it can affect when your benefits start. Also, make sure you know your highest quarter of earnings from the past year - they use this to calculate your weekly benefit amount. I found this info on my most recent pay stub, but you might need to dig through a few months of stubs to find your highest earning quarter.

I just wanted to add that Washington ESD also has a pension offset calculator on their website that can give you a rough estimate of how your Social Security will affect your benefits before you file. It's under the "Calculate Your Benefits" section. Not perfect but gives you a ballpark figure to work with while you're planning your finances during the job search.

Just went through this exact situation myself! At 62 I was collecting early Social Security ($1,623/month) when I got laid off from my retail management job. Washington ESD treated my SS as pension income, which reduced my weekly unemployment by about $200 but I still received $340/week. The key things that helped me: 1) Report your SS amount accurately every single week - don't skip this step, 2) Keep your Social Security award letter handy for verification, and 3) Use the pension offset calculator on the ESD website first to estimate your benefits. The whole process was much smoother than I expected once I understood the rules. You'll be fine as long as you're upfront about everything from day one!

Just to follow up on the earlier comments - based on what you've said, I would recommend submitting: 1. Your COBRA notice (this is excellent verification) 2. The emails about returning equipment 3. A personal statement explaining the layoff situation Upload all three together and title the documents clearly like "Separation Verification - COBRA Notice" etc. If you haven't already, make sure you're regularly completing your weekly claims while waiting for the verification to be processed.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet - if you're having trouble getting documentation from your employer, you can also check if your state's Department of Labor has any record of mass layoffs or WARN notices for your company. Sometimes this can serve as additional supporting evidence that there were legitimate layoffs happening. Also, when you do submit your documents, I'd recommend calling the ESD customer service line the same day to confirm they received everything. Even if you can't get through immediately, keep trying - sometimes they can flag your account to prioritize processing once they see you have the right documentation uploaded. Good luck with your claim!

Dmitry, that's such a relief that you finally got some concrete information! Employer contests are unfortunately more common than people realize - sometimes it's automatic on their end when someone files for unemployment, even for legitimate layoffs. The fact that HR confirmed it was a reduction in force should definitely work in your favor. One thing to keep in mind - since there was a contest, make sure you have any documentation from your layoff saved (layoff notice, final payday stub, etc.) in case the adjudicator needs additional verification. And definitely continue filing your weekly claims even if they show as disqualified until this resolves. Really hoping you get good news within the week! The "in progress" status combined with the employer contest being resolved sounds very promising.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm currently dealing with a similar situation - my claim has been in regular adjudication for about 2 weeks now after being laid off from my retail job. Reading everyone's experiences makes me feel less alone in this process. @Dmitry Smirnov I'm so glad you finally got some real answers! It's insane that your employer contested a legitimate layoff, but at least now you know what was causing the delay. I'm definitely going to check out that Claimyr service if I can't get through to ESD soon. Also really appreciate everyone mentioning the job search requirements during adjudication - I had no idea about that and have been slacking on documenting my applications. Going to get on top of that immediately! Keeping my fingers crossed for you that the adjudicator approves everything quickly now that the employer contest is resolved. Please update us when you hear back!

Just wanted to add my experience - I had the exact same issue when I first started filing! The worst part is that the pamphlet they mail you shows screenshots that look nothing like the actual website interface. I ended up bookmarking the direct URL (secure.esd.wa.gov/home) after logging in successfully the first time, which saves me from having to navigate through all the confusing menus each week. Also, pro tip: the weekly claim filing usually takes about 10-15 minutes if you have all your job search info ready beforehand. Keep a simple spreadsheet or notes on your phone with employer names, positions, and dates - it makes the whole process so much smoother!

I went through this exact same frustration when I first got approved! What really helped me was creating a step-by-step cheat sheet after I figured it out. Here's what I do every week now: 1) Go directly to secure.esd.wa.gov/home (bookmark this!), 2) Sign in with SAW account, 3) Click "Unemployment Insurance" section, 4) Look for "File Weekly Claim" or "UI Claim" button, 5) Have my job search log ready before I start. The key thing that tripped me up initially was trying to use the main esd.wa.gov site instead of the secure portal. Also, I file every Sunday morning so I never forget - the anxiety of potentially missing a week was killing me too! Once you get the hang of it, it becomes routine and only takes about 10 minutes each week.