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Quick question - does it matter if some of your work was contract/1099 vs regular employment? I had a mix of both last year.
Just want to say thanks for asking this question OP - I learned a lot from reading all these responses. Was worried about the same thing myself.
I'll be honest with you - the whole process is pretty intimidating when you've never done it before. But thousands of people file every week so it can't be that impossible. Just take it one step at a time and don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it.
Last tip - keep track of all your passwords and login info for SecureAccess Washington. If you get locked out of your account it's a huge pain to get back in, and you need to file those weekly claims every week without fail.
The most important thing is don't panic. Yes, there's paperwork and yes, there might be a delay, but if you're eligible you'll get your benefits. Just start the process early and stay on top of it.
I'm in Washington too and got my back pay exactly 4 business days after approval. Came to $3,200 for 8 weeks of waiting. Life saver when it finally hit my account!
One more tip - make sure your direct deposit info is correct in your ESD account. If there's any issue with your bank info, it could delay the payment significantly while they try to process it.
Dmitry Kuznetsov
If you run into any issues getting through to Washington ESD during the process, don't hesitate to use services like Claimyr to help you connect with agents. Sometimes these complex cases need direct communication to get resolved quickly.
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Nia Davis
•I'll definitely keep that in mind if I need to speak with someone directly. Thanks for the tip!
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Ava Thompson
•Yeah, trying to get through on your own can be a nightmare with their phone system.
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Miguel Ramos
One last thing - make sure you file your claim for the correct week. Don't backdate it to when your disability ended if you weren't actually available for work until after your doctor's clearance.
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Miguel Ramos
•Exactly. The effective date should be when you were both able and available to work, which sounds like it was after your doctor's appointment.
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Zainab Ibrahim
•This is really detailed helpful stuff. Thanks for sharing your experience OP!
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