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This thread was super helpful. I'm in a similar situation with a job starting in April. Going to file for Washington ESD benefits tomorrow.
Just to recap for anyone else in this situation: it's called frictional unemployment academically, but Washington ESD treats it as regular UI. Key things are documenting the job offer, the delay, and continuing to meet all eligibility requirements including job search.
One thing to remember - if you find part-time work while collecting unemployment, you can still get partial benefits. Just report all your earnings on your weekly claim. Don't let perfect be the enemy of good when it comes to job opportunities.
I'm at week 8 of my 26 weeks and honestly the weekly claim filing is pretty straightforward once you get the hang of it. Just don't miss any weeks or you'll have to call Washington ESD to fix it, and we all know how fun that is.
This is another situation where Claimyr came in handy for me - fixing a missed week filing. Much easier than trying to get through the regular way.
update: tried calling at 8am sharp like suggested and actually got through! was on hold for 90 minutes but finally talked to someone. they explained my adjudication delay and what i need to do next. persistence really does pay off sometimes
This has been really helpful reading everyone's experiences. I'm dealing with the same issue and it's good to know I'm not alone in struggling to reach Washington ESD. Going to try some of these suggestions and maybe look into that Claimyr service too.
Amara Nnamani
Bottom line is that real people (adjudicators) make the decisions on complicated cases, they work in specialized units, and there's oversight to ensure consistency. The problem is just that there aren't enough of them to handle the volume quickly.
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Anastasia Fedorov
•Perfect summary! That's exactly what I was trying to understand. At least now I know my case is with a real person who specializes in separation issues, not just sitting in some automated queue.
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Mateo Hernandez
•Exactly right. The system has its flaws but the decision-making process itself is pretty thorough when you understand how it works.
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Giovanni Mancini
Hope everyone gets their claims resolved soon. This waiting game is rough but at least we're all in it together!
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Anastasia Fedorov
•Thanks! This thread has been incredibly helpful. I feel like I actually understand the process now instead of just wondering what's happening with my claim.
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Liam Fitzgerald
•Agreed! Sometimes just understanding the system makes the wait a little more bearable.
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