Just remember that even if everything goes smoothly, it usually takes a week or two to get your first payment after filing.

The hardest part for me was the waiting period and not knowing if my claim was being processed correctly. Having Claimyr available as backup for when I needed to actually talk to someone at Washington ESD was a huge relief.

Remember that even though you're unemployed, you still need to report any income you receive while collecting benefits. This includes things like freelance work, odd jobs, or even selling stuff online if it's regular income.

oh and one more thing - if you get a job offer while on unemployment, you generally have to take it if it's suitable work. they can cut off your benefits if you turn down a reasonable job offer

Just wanted to add that if you do end up using Claimyr, they were super helpful when I had a similar payment issue. Got me connected to someone who could actually see what was wrong with my account.

UPDATE: I ended up using Claimyr and finally got through to Washington ESD. Turns out one of my job search activities was flagged as incomplete because I didn't include enough detail in the description. They're releasing the payment now. Thanks everyone for the help!

One more tip - if you're worried about making mistakes, you can always check with Washington ESD using that Claimyr service people mentioned. I used it last month when I had questions about reporting seasonal work and they were able to give me definitive answers.

For what it's worth, I've never had Washington ESD question my part-time work reporting as long as I was consistent and reported everything on my weekly claims. The system is pretty straightforward once you get the hang of it.

Don't forget that if you get disqualified initially, you can always appeal. A lot of people give up too easily when they get that first denial letter. The appeals process exists for a reason.

I think the most important thing is to be completely honest when you file your claim. Trying to fudge the details about why you're unemployed will just cause problems later when they investigate.