Final thoughts for anyone reading this later: Plan for 3-4 weeks from filing to first payment if everything goes smoothly. Keep filing weekly claims, maintain your job search log, and don't panic if it takes the full expected time. The system works, it's just slow.

I'm in a similar situation - filed my claim about 10 days ago and the waiting is really stressful. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly helpful though. It sounds like 3-4 weeks total is pretty normal, which gives me some peace of mind. I've been keeping up with my weekly claims and started a job search log after seeing the advice here. The hardest part is definitely not knowing exactly where things stand, but at least now I have realistic expectations instead of just worrying constantly. Thanks to everyone for sharing your timelines and experiences!

I'm in almost the exact same situation - my benefits just exhausted last month but my benefit year doesn't end until September 2025. Reading through all these responses has been super helpful! I was also confused by the ESD website language about record keeping. Sounds like the consensus is to keep everything for one year after the benefit year ends, not when benefits exhaust. I've been keeping physical folders but scanning everything sounds like a much better approach. Thanks for asking this question - I was literally wondering the same thing and almost posted about it myself!

I've been dealing with this same confusion! Just got off the phone with ESD yesterday after waiting 2 hours, and the rep confirmed what others have said here - you need to keep records for one year after your benefit year ending date, not when benefits exhaust. She also mentioned that if you get selected for an audit, they typically give you about 10 business days to submit your documentation. For scanning, I've been using Adobe Scan (free app) and it works great - automatically crops and enhances the documents. Just make sure to organize everything by week claimed so you can find specific records quickly if needed. The rep also said they're seeing more audits lately, so definitely worth keeping everything organized!

My advice would be to call Washington ESD before you quit and ask about your specific situation. They can give you guidance on whether your circumstances would likely qualify as good cause. Better to know before you quit than find out after you're denied.

I went through something similar last year - my hours got cut from 30 to 12 per week at a restaurant job. I documented everything with pay stubs and ended up quitting and filing for UI. The adjudication took about 4 weeks but I was approved because the hour reduction was so significant it made the job basically unsustainable. My advice is to definitely document the hour cuts with pay stubs and any written communication about it. Also try to have some savings if possible because even if you get approved, there will be a waiting period before benefits start. The good news is that going from 40 hours to 15 hours is a pretty substantial reduction that would likely qualify as good cause.

Just remembered - some car dealers have special financing programs for people in transition situations. Might be worth calling around and asking if they have any programs for people on unemployment who are actively job searching.

I was in almost the exact same situation a few months ago - car broke down while on Washington ESD benefits and desperately needed transportation for job searching. What ended up working for me was joining a local credit union (BECU specifically) and being completely transparent about my situation. I brought all my paperwork - benefit determination letter, recent payment history showing consistent UI deposits, my active job search log, and even references from potential employers I'd interviewed with. The loan officer was really understanding about the catch-22 situation and approved me for a used car loan at a reasonable rate. The key was showing them I was actively working toward getting back into employment, not just sitting on benefits. Also, I kept my loan amount conservative - went for an $8k reliable Honda instead of anything flashy. Having that documented job search activity from Washington ESD requirements actually helped prove I was serious about getting back to work. Good luck!

UPDATE: I actually got approved at a credit union today! Had to put down $2000 and the rate is 12.9% but I got a 2018 Corolla with 60k miles. Thanks everyone for the advice about trying credit unions first - it definitely paid off. Now I can get to job interviews without worrying about transportation.

I'm in a similar situation - been on Washington ESD benefits for about 6 weeks now and really need a reliable car for job interviews. Reading through all these responses is super helpful. I'm planning to try the local credit union first since so many people had success there. Also going to look into that Navy Federal option since my grandfather was in the military. One thing I'm wondering about - has anyone had luck explaining to lenders that unemployment benefits are actually pretty stable income for the duration you're approved for? Like, I know exactly how much I'll get each week for the next several months, which seems more predictable than some jobs. Anyway, thanks for posting this question OP, the responses have given me a much better roadmap for approaching this.