I'm going through this exact same frustration right now! Just filed my claim 6 days ago and have been completely lost trying to navigate the Washington ESD system. Like everyone else mentioned, the website feels like it was designed to be as confusing as possible - there's no clear "approved/denied" status anywhere obvious. After reading through all these helpful responses, I finally know to look for the monetary determination letter in the correspondence section. Haven't received mine yet, but at least now I understand that "determination pending" doesn't necessarily mean something's wrong. It's honestly crazy that we need community discussions like this just to understand basic information about our own claims. The fact that so many people are dealing with identical confusion shows this is clearly a systemic UX problem, not user error. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this thread is way more useful than anything on the official ESD website!

I'm dealing with this exact same confusion! Filed my claim about a week ago and have been refreshing my eServices account multiple times a day trying to figure out what's happening. The "determination pending" status had me panicking that I messed something up in my application. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been so reassuring - it's clear this is just how the Washington ESD system works, not that we're doing anything wrong. I finally found my monetary determination letter in correspondence after reading this thread, and it shows I'm approved for $302/week. Still waiting on that first payment but now I know that's totally normal. It's honestly ridiculous that in 2025 we need community threads like this just to understand basic benefit status information. The website UX is genuinely terrible - there should be a simple dashboard showing "APPROVED" or "PENDING" right when you log in, not this treasure hunt through multiple sections!

This whole conversation has been incredibly reassuring! I'm actually in a very similar situation to the original poster - been collecting for about 5 weeks and just got offered a part-time retail position. What really stands out to me from reading everyone's experiences is how the system is actually designed to encourage part-time work rather than penalize it. The formula seems straightforward once you understand it, and the key theme I'm seeing is just being completely transparent about everything. I'm feeling much more confident about accepting this job offer now. One small thing I wanted to add that I learned from my own research - make sure you save copies of your weekly claim confirmations that show you reported work. I read somewhere that having that documentation can be helpful if there are ever any questions down the road about what you reported and when. Thanks to everyone who shared their real experiences here - it's so much more helpful than trying to decipher the official ESD website!

As someone who just went through this exact process, I can confirm that Washington ESD actually makes it pretty straightforward once you get the hang of it. I was terrified at first too, but after working part-time for the last 8 weeks while collecting, I've learned it's really not as scary as it seems. The key things that helped me: 1) Set up a simple spreadsheet to track every shift - date, hours, gross pay before taxes, 2) Report everything on the week you actually worked (not when you got paid), 3) Don't stress about small calculation errors - just be honest and ESD will figure out the math. The partial benefit reduction actually worked out better than I expected financially. My weekly benefit is $380, and when I work about 12-15 hours and earn around $200, I still get about $180 in unemployment benefits. So I'm actually bringing in more total income than just unemployment alone. Just take that part-time job and be meticulous about reporting - you've got this!

UPDATE: After trying everything suggested here, I finally got through to ESD using the Claimyr service. The agent confirmed my ID docs were fine and just needed review. She expedited my case and THREE HOURS LATER my account updated to "paid"! All 4 weeks of backpay should hit my account tomorrow. For anyone dealing with this - keep filing weekly claims, be persistent about calling, and document everything. Thanks everyone for your help and advice during this stressful time.

Wow, Carmen, congratulations on getting your claim resolved! Your experience gives me hope. I'm currently on week 3 of ID verification adjudication and getting really anxious about my finances. It's reassuring to hear that the agent was able to expedite your case once you actually got through to them. I've been hesitant to try third-party services but seeing your success story makes me think it might be worth it. Did the Claimyr service cost anything? And for others still waiting - Carmen's story proves that sometimes the documents are just sitting there waiting for review, not because there's actually an issue with them. Keep pushing!

Glad we could help. Remember, the work search requirement is there to support your job hunting efforts, not make your life harder.

This is such a helpful thread! I'm also new to the unemployment work search requirements and was feeling overwhelmed. One thing I wanted to add - I've found that creating a simple spreadsheet with columns for date, company name, position applied for, method (online, email, in-person), and any follow-up actions has been really helpful for staying organized. It makes it so much easier when I'm filling out my weekly claim and I don't have to try to remember what I did earlier in the week. Plus having everything in one place helps me track which applications I should follow up on.

I'm a benefits counselor who works with displaced workers, and I see this confusion all the time. Let me give you some clarity on your situation. Based on what you've described - a one-time $8,500 withdrawal from your 401k for emergency medical bills after being laid off from construction - this should NOT be considered reportable income for unemployment purposes in Washington state. Here's why: 1. It's a one-time withdrawal, not regular pension payments 2. It's from YOUR own contributions (construction jobs rarely have significant employer matching) 3. It's not "new income" - it's your own previously-earned money accessed early due to emergency The 6 weeks you've already claimed without reporting it shouldn't be a problem since you weren't intentionally hiding anything - you were just confused by unclear guidance (which happens to almost everyone). I strongly recommend calling ESD to get official confirmation. Use this exact phrasing: "This is a one-time early withdrawal of my own 401k contributions due to emergency medical expenses - not regular pension payments." Ask for a supervisor if the first agent seems uncertain, as they have better training on these distinctions. Don't second-guess the medical emergency withdrawal - that's exactly what these funds are for when facing urgent situations with no other viable options. Focus on getting the ESD question resolved so you can have peace of mind moving forward. You're going to be fine - this is a common situation with a clear resolution once you get the right ESD representative on the phone.

I just wanted to follow up and say THANK YOU to everyone who shared their experiences and advice in this thread! As a newcomer to this whole unemployment process, I was really overwhelmed and scared about potentially messing up my benefits over something I didn't understand. After reading through all your responses, I finally worked up the courage to call ESD this morning. I used the exact phrasing several of you recommended: "This is a one-time early withdrawal of my own 401k contributions due to emergency medical expenses - not regular pension payments." The first agent I spoke with seemed uncertain, so I politely asked to speak with a supervisor (thanks for that tip!). The supervisor was incredibly knowledgeable and confirmed that my $8,500 withdrawal should NOT be reported as income for unemployment purposes since it was my own contributions from previous paychecks, not new income. She also assured me that the 6 weeks I'd already claimed without reporting it was completely fine since I wasn't trying to hide anything - just genuinely confused by the rules (which she said happens all the time). I documented everything - got her name, ID number, date and time of the call - so I have it all on record now. This community is amazing! The fact that so many people took time to share their personal experiences and professional expertise really made all the difference. I went from panicking about potential fraud accusations to having complete peace of mind. You all are lifesavers! 🙏