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As someone who just started receiving benefits last month, this is really helpful information! I had no idea about this change and was wondering why the job search section disappeared from my weekly claim. I've been keeping my own informal notes but clearly need to switch to the official form. Does anyone know if there's a grace period for people who are new to the system and didn't know about this requirement? I'm worried I might have already messed up my first few weeks by not using the proper documentation format.
@Amara Adeyemi - I wouldn t'worry too much about the first few weeks if you were genuinely doing job search activities and just keeping informal notes! The key is that you were actually doing the work. If you do get audited later, you can explain that you were new to the system and didn t'know about the official form requirement initially. ESD usually looks at whether you made a good faith effort to comply. I d'recommend downloading the official form now and starting to use it going forward, and maybe try to recreate your previous activities on the proper form if you can remember the details. The important thing is showing you re'making the effort to follow the requirements once you know about them!
I'm in the exact same boat as you! Just discovered this change when I filed my claim this week and was totally blindsided. I've been scrambling to figure out what I'm supposed to do differently now. The lack of clear communication from ESD about this change is really frustrating - they should have sent out notices or at least put up some kind of announcement on the website explaining the new process. I'm going to download that official form everyone's mentioning and start tracking everything properly from now on. Thanks for posting about this because I was starting to think something was wrong with just my account!
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Hope everything works out for you OP. Mental health struggles are real and valid reasons for needing support.
Thanks, that means a lot. This community has been really helpful.
I went through a similar situation about 8 months ago with severe anxiety that was making it impossible to function at work. The documentation process was definitely overwhelming at first, but Washington ESD did approve my claim. The key thing that helped me was having my psychiatrist write a very detailed letter explaining not just my diagnosis, but specifically how my symptoms (panic attacks, inability to concentrate, sleep disruption) prevented me from performing basic job functions. It took about 5 weeks for adjudication, but I got approved retroactively. Make sure you're completely honest about your limitations - they can tell when people are downplaying or exaggerating. Also, keep detailed records of all your treatment appointments and medications. The process is stressful when you're already struggling, but it's absolutely worth pursuing if you genuinely can't work right now.
This is really encouraging to hear! I'm especially glad you mentioned the importance of being specific about how symptoms affect job functions - that seems to be a common theme in successful claims. Did your psychiatrist have experience writing these types of letters for ESD, or did you have to guide them on what to include? I'm wondering if I should give my therapist some guidance on what Washington ESD typically looks for in the medical documentation.
My psychiatrist actually wasn't familiar with ESD requirements initially, so I had to do some research and guide her on what to include. I found that ESD looks for specific things like: functional limitations (can't concentrate for extended periods, frequent panic attacks interrupt work tasks), treatment timeline, medication effects/side effects, and prognosis for return to work. I also brought her examples of language other people had used successfully. It might help to call ESD directly (or use something like Claimyr if you can't get through) to ask specifically what medical documentation format they prefer. Having that conversation with your therapist beforehand definitely made the process smoother.
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I'm going through almost the exact same thing right now! My bank closed my account last week while I was waiting for my back payments (around $6,200). I reopened it immediately but ESD hasn't processed the returned payment yet. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been SO helpful - I had no idea about the automatic hold or needing to specifically ask for a "financial specialist." I'm definitely going to follow Andre's advice about deleting and re-entering all my banking info in eServices, and I'll be calling at exactly 8 AM Monday using Nia's strategy. It's frustrating that we have to become experts in their broken system just to get our own money, but at least now I feel like I have a game plan instead of just waiting around hoping for the best. Thanks to everyone who shared their timelines and specific steps - this community is honestly more helpful than ESD's own customer service!
I'm so glad this thread is helping you too! It's honestly ridiculous that we have to piece together information from other people's experiences because ESD can't give us straight answers. I've been taking notes on everyone's advice here and it's already more comprehensive than anything I got from calling ESD directly. Good luck with your call on Monday - hopefully between Andre's banking update tip and Nia's 8 AM strategy, we can both get this mess sorted out quickly. Keep us posted on how it goes!
I'm dealing with a very similar situation right now and this thread has been a lifesaver! My bank closed my account two weeks ago while I was waiting for $7,300 in back payments from ESD. I managed to reopen it, but like everyone else here, I've been getting the runaround from ESD about what happens next. Based on all the advice here, I'm planning to: 1. Delete and re-enter my banking info in eServices today (thanks Andre!) 2. Call at exactly 8:00 AM Monday and ask specifically for a "financial specialist" about returned payments 3. Use the phrase "reprocess the returned payment" when I talk to them 4. Document everything with confirmation numbers It's absolutely insane that we have to become experts in their internal processes just to get our benefits, but I'm grateful for everyone sharing their experiences. This community has given me more useful information in one thread than I got from three different ESD agents. I'll update everyone on how the 8 AM call strategy works out on Monday!
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I had this exact same issue a couple weeks ago and it was driving me crazy! Turns out I was overthinking it completely. Like others have mentioned, you only need the 4-digit PIN if you want to file your weekly claims by phone through their automated system. If you're comfortable using the online portal (which sounds like you are since you're trying to access your account online), you can just keep filing through your SAW account without ever needing that PIN. I ended up never even bothering to get my PIN reset because the online system works so much better anyway. Don't stress yourself out over it - just file online and you'll meet your deadline no problem!
Thank you so much for this! I was totally overthinking the whole situation and getting myself worked up for nothing. You're absolutely right - I can just keep filing online like I always have. It's amazing how stress can make you forget the obvious solutions. I really appreciate everyone in this thread sharing their experiences and helping me realize that the PIN issue isn't as urgent as I thought it was. This community is incredibly helpful!
I just want to echo what everyone else is saying here - you really don't need to stress about the PIN if you can file online! I made the same mistake a few weeks ago and spent way too much time worrying about it. The 4-digit PIN is only for the telephone filing system, which honestly isn't as convenient as the online portal anyway. As long as you can log into your SAW account on the website, you can file your weekly claims there without any PIN required. Save yourself the headache of trying to get through on those phone lines and just stick with online filing. The most important thing is meeting your deadline, and you can absolutely do that through the website!
Mary Bates
I'm going through the exact same thing right now - filed 4 weeks ago and just found out yesterday that I have a separation issue too. My former employer is claiming I was "terminated for attendance" when I was actually dealing with documented medical issues and had provided all the proper paperwork to HR. Reading through everyone's experiences here is both terrifying and reassuring - terrifying because of how long this can take, but reassuring because it sounds like most people with good documentation do get approved eventually. I've already started uploading everything I can think of - doctor's notes, FMLA paperwork, emails to my supervisor about my medical situation. One thing I'm wondering - has anyone dealt with a case where the employer's HR department seems to have "forgotten" about documented medical accommodations? I'm worried they're going to act like they never received my paperwork, even though I have email receipts showing I sent everything properly. The financial stress is already starting to hit hard, but this thread gives me hope that persistence and good documentation really do pay off. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it helps so much to know we're all fighting the same fight!
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Aisha Rahman
•@Mary - Your situation with documented medical issues and FMLA paperwork puts you in a really strong position! The fact that you have email receipts proving you submitted everything properly is huge - that's exactly the kind of evidence that can expose when employers try to "forget" about accommodations they don't want to deal with. Make sure to upload those email receipts along with all your medical documentation. If you have any responses from HR acknowledging receipt of your paperwork, even better. The adjudicator will be able to see the timeline and determine whether your employer properly handled your medical situation or just decided to terminate you instead of dealing with accommodations. Terminating someone for "attendance issues" related to documented medical conditions is a classic ADA violation, and ESD adjudicators are trained to recognize these patterns. Your case sounds very similar to others in this thread who eventually got approved. At 4 weeks you're still early in the process, but being proactive with documentation now will definitely help. Keep filing those weekly claims and don't let the financial stress get to you too much - you have strong legal protections on your side here. The waiting is awful but your case sounds really solid!
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Danielle Mays
I'm in a very similar situation - currently at 5 weeks waiting for my separation issue to be resolved. My employer claimed I was "terminated for violation of company policy" when I was actually let go after I refused to work mandatory overtime that conflicted with my childcare responsibilities (single parent with no backup care options). Reading through everyone's stories here has been both eye-opening and nerve-wracking! It's clear that having solid documentation is absolutely critical. I've uploaded emails showing I tried to work with my supervisor to find alternative solutions, my childcare provider's schedule showing the conflict, and even my employee handbook that doesn't actually specify mandatory overtime as a job requirement. One question for those who've been through the adjudicator interview - do they typically ask about your efforts to resolve the situation before termination? I'm hoping the fact that I tried to find compromises will work in my favor, but I want to make sure I present it clearly when they call. The financial strain is definitely real, but this thread gives me so much hope. It sounds like most separation issues do get resolved fairly when there's good documentation. Thanks @Freya for starting this discussion - it's incredibly helpful to see we're not alone in navigating this stressful process!
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