Thanks everyone for all the helpful responses! It sounds like voluntary retirement and unemployment benefits don't mix, but at least now I know what I'm dealing with. Time to explore other options for covering the gap until social security kicks in.

I'm in a similar boat - considering early retirement but worried about the income gap before I can access my 401k and social security. From what I've learned researching this, Washington ESD is pretty strict about the "involuntary separation" requirement. Even if you're burned out or have health concerns, if you choose to leave rather than being laid off or fired, it's still considered voluntary. One thing I've been looking into is whether there are any bridge insurance options through my employer that might help with healthcare costs during the gap years. That's often one of the biggest expenses people don't think about when planning early retirement.

Good luck with everything! Being laid off sucks but at least Washington has a decent unemployment system compared to some states. Just stay on top of your weekly filings and job search requirements and you should be fine.

One thing I'd add - make sure you file your initial claim as soon as possible after your layoff date. There's no benefit to waiting, and you can't get benefits for weeks before you file. I made that mistake when I first got laid off years ago and lost out on a week of benefits because I waited too long to apply. Also, keep all your layoff paperwork handy when you file - they'll ask for details about your last day of work, reason for separation, etc.

Bottom line - file your claim ASAP and don't stress too much about the exact amount until you get your determination letter. The online calculator will give you a ballpark figure to work with.

Just wanted to add that if you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD by phone to ask questions about your benefit calculation, there's a service called Claimyr that can help. They actually connect you with real ESD agents without having to wait on hold for hours. You can check out their demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ to see how it works. I used them when I had questions about my base period wages and it saved me so much time and frustration compared to trying to call directly.

One last thing to check - make sure you filed your weekly claims for those disqualified weeks, even if they were showing as disqualified at the time. If you didn't file because you saw the disqualification, you'll need to request a backdate for those weeks, which is a separate process that can take longer.

I went through almost the exact same thing last month! My claim was wrongly disqualified for "insufficient work search" when I had documented everything properly. After they admitted the error and fixed it, it took exactly 4 business days for my status to change from disqualified to paid, and the money hit my account 2 days after that. The key thing is that they process corrections in batches, usually on Tuesdays and Thursdays. So depending on when they made the fix, you might catch the next batch or have to wait for the one after. Since you're cutting it close with rent, I'd suggest calling back today or tomorrow and specifically mentioning that you're facing eviction - they do have expedited processing for hardship cases, but you have to ask for it directly. Also, keep screenshots of your account status changes as proof of the timeline in case your landlord needs documentation. Hope it gets sorted quickly for you!

One last tip - if you have any questions during the process, the Washington ESD website has pretty good FAQs and tutorials. Also check WorkSource for job search help since that's required.

Just wanted to add - when you're gathering your employment history, make sure to include ALL employers from the last 18 months, even short-term or part-time jobs. Washington ESD uses this to calculate your base period wages, so leaving out any employment could actually hurt your benefit amount. Also, if you worked for any temp agencies or contractors, include those too with the agency name as the employer, not the client company where you actually worked.