One other thing - if you're receiving these referral fees via 1099, remember you'll owe self-employment tax on them. Might be worth setting aside about 30% of what you receive for taxes (15.3% self-employment tax plus income tax). Just something to consider when calculating whether the larger commissions are worth forgoing your UI benefit for that week.

Just wanted to add - make sure you're crystal clear on the timing of when you report these commissions. Report them in the week you actually RECEIVE the payment, not when you make the referral or when the deal closes. I made this mistake early on and it created a mess with my claim timing. Also, if your former employer is cutting you checks or direct deposits for these referrals, keep copies of everything - pay stubs, deposit records, emails confirming the referral arrangements. ESD may ask for documentation during their periodic claim reviews, and having everything organized will save you major headaches if they ever audit your claim.

good luck with everything! the first few weeks are always the most stressful

Just wanted to share my experience as someone who's been on Washington ESD for about 8 months now. The payment timing really does follow the pattern everyone's described - mostly Tuesdays and Wednesdays. One thing I learned the hard way is to always file your weekly claim as early as possible on Sunday. I used to wait until Sunday evening and sometimes my payments would get pushed to Wednesday or Thursday. Now I file first thing Sunday morning and consistently get paid on Tuesday. Also, if you're with a credit union, they sometimes process deposits faster than big banks. Hope this helps ease some of the uncertainty!

Hopefully this thread helps other people going through appeals. It's good to see real timelines and outcomes instead of just the official Washington ESD information that doesn't tell you what really happens.

Congrats on winning your appeal! I went through a similar situation last year with Washington ESD - they initially denied my claim for misconduct but I won on appeal. The timeline they give you is actually pretty accurate. In my case, it took exactly 8 business days from the judge's decision to when I saw the money in my account. The back pay came first (all at once), then my regular weekly payments resumed automatically. Just make sure you keep filing your weekly claims during this waiting period. Also, double-check your payment amounts when they start - sometimes there are calculation errors after appeals get processed. The waiting is nerve-wracking but you're almost there!

Absolutely, knowing the timing helps with budgeting and planning

I've been on unemployment for about 3 months now and can confirm the timing is very consistent. I have US Bank and my deposits always show up between 2-4 AM on Tuesday morning. The only time it was different was during Memorial Day weekend when it came a day later due to the holiday. Washington ESD is actually pretty reliable with their payment schedule once you get used to the routine.

I really appreciate all this information! I just filed my back weeks and set a calendar reminder to file every Sunday morning from now on. Such a relief to understand how this all works now. Thank you everyone for your help!

Just wanted to add one more tip for anyone going through this process - make sure to check your bank account or debit card balance regularly after filing your first weekly claim. Sometimes there can be small test deposits or the full payment might arrive earlier than expected. Also, if you're using direct deposit, double-check that your routing and account numbers are entered correctly in eServices. I've seen people wait weeks for payments only to discover they had one digit wrong in their bank info. The system won't always notify you immediately if there's a problem with your payment method, so it's worth verifying everything is set up properly before you expect that first payment to hit your account.