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One more thing - if you've worked in other states recently, you might need to file in a different state depending on where you earned the most wages. Washington has reciprocity agreements with most states though.
Bottom line: file as soon as you're unemployed or have reduced hours. The system is designed to help people who act quickly. Waiting just hurts you financially.
This thread has been super helpful! I had no idea about the misclassification angle. My contract work definitely had a lot of employer-like control. Time to gather my documentation and file a claim.
Update for anyone following - I decided to file my claim and request misclassification review. The online system let me indicate I was a contractor but believed I was misclassified. Now waiting for them to contact me for more info.
One more thing to consider - if you're receiving workers compensation for your injury, that has different rules than regular disability insurance when it comes to UI eligibility.
Bottom line - you probably can collect both if you're medically cleared for some type of work and actively seeking employment within your physical limitations. Just be transparent with Washington ESD and report everything correctly.
washington esd makes this way more complicated than it needs to be. other states just give you a percentage of your last job's pay and call it good
Bottom line: if your benefit amount seems wrong, don't just accept it. Get your pay records together and contact Washington ESD to have them explain the calculation. I've seen too many people miss out on money they were entitled to because they didn't question the initial determination.
Thanks everyone for all the info! I'm definitely going to gather my W-2s and try to get through to someone at Washington ESD to go over my calculation step by step.
If you can't get through the regular way, that Claimyr service I mentioned earlier really does work for getting past the phone queue. Good luck!
Heather Tyson
One more tip - if you do get denied initially, don't give up. You can appeal the decision and sometimes they overturn it, especially if there was missing information or a misunderstanding about your work history. The appeal process gives you a chance to provide additional documentation.
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Freya Ross
•Good to know there's an appeal option. Hopefully won't need it but nice to have that backup.
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Raul Neal
•The appeal process saved me. My initial denial was based on incorrect information from my former employer and I was able to get it overturned.
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Jenna Sloan
Thanks everyone for all this info! Really helpful to understand that it's about total earnings over the base period rather than just how long you've been at one job. Feeling much more confident about my situation now.
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Leslie Parker
•Glad we could help clarify things! Remember to keep all your employment records handy in case you need them for the application.
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Christian Burns
•Good luck with everything! Hope you don't end up needing to file but at least now you know you're likely eligible if you do.
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