Just to follow up on the job search activities question - yes, you still need to complete and document 3 job search activities for both weeks, including the week where you returned to work. It might seem pointless since you already have a job, but it's required if you're claiming any benefits for that week. Once you stop claiming benefits entirely, you can stop doing job search activities.

anybody know how long it takes to get the partial payment for the week you go back? my last partial took FOREVER compared to my regular claims

my cousin had to wait almost a year for his waiver and then they denied it anyway lol just saying dont get your hopes up too much the system is rigged

I had a similar issue but with a different timeline. For anyone dealing with overpayment waivers, here's what worked for me: 1. Request a Statement of Overpayment Account to verify exactly how much they say you owe and how much they've already recouped 2. Submit a hardship reduction request (Form ESD 640-001) to temporarily reduce the weekly amount they take 3. Check if your waiver was actually denied already - sometimes the notices go to spam or get lost 4. If it's been over 6 months, file a complaint with the ESD Commissioner's Office directly The hardship reduction form specifically asks about your income and expenses, and they can reduce the recoupment to as little as 10% of your weekly benefit rather than the default 50%.

my neighbors cousins boyfriend works for esd and he says they've been super backlogged since they updated their computer system in march so lots of claims from then are still waiting to be processed manually

Update: I contacted my state rep this morning with all my claim info and received an email response within hours saying they've reached out to their ESD liaison! They said to expect contact within 5-7 business days. Also tried the Claimyr service mentioned below and actually got through to an ESD agent who confirmed my claim needs manual review due to my previous employer contesting it (something I wasn't told before). Thanks everyone for your advice - feeling more hopeful now!

my friend waited too long to file her last week and lost it completely so def do it right away on sunday!

One additional note: if you're starting a new job soon after your benefit year ends, remember to report any earnings properly for that final week if applicable. If your new job starts during that Nov 3-9 week, you need to report those earnings when you file, even if you haven't been paid yet. Earnings are reported for the week the work was performed, not when you get paid.

My neighbor had the same problem when she moved to Japan with her husband (navy). She said the key is to keep filing every week even with no money coming. When she finally got through after 2 months they paid everything at once. But she had to use her parent's address in Washington because technically you have to be available for work in WA state. Are you using a WA address on your claim? That might be causing problems if not.

Update: I managed to get through to ESD! I used a combination of a VPN, Google Voice, and had my claim escalated to a specialist who understood the military spouse rules. They said my claim was held up because the 401k withdrawal triggered an automated review, plus they needed verification of my military spouse status. The agent cleared both issues and said I should see all backpay within 48 hours. THANK YOU everyone for your help!! For others in my situation - definitely keep filing weekly claims even with no payment. And definitely be persistent about reaching someone who understands military spouse provisions.