Just saw ur other comments - if u didn't document the HR convo ur gonna have a hard time. My friend went thru this and the employer straight up LIED about what they had told him. Its ur word against theirs... try to find any coworkers who might have overheard anything?

Regardless of how strong your case is, appeal and continue filing weekly claims while you're waiting. The appeal process in 2025 is taking about 6-8 weeks right now from filing to hearing date. That's a long time to go without income, so you should also look into emergency assistance programs like basic food benefits and HEN referrals for housing assistance while you wait. If you're dealing with substance use issues, there might be additional support services available to you.

One important thing that hasn't been mentioned: if you participated in any skills development or training related to your job search, include documentation of that as well. This includes online courses, certifications, or workshops that improve your employability. ESD considers these as evidence you're preparing yourself for suitable work opportunities. Also, if you had any circumstances that temporarily limited your availability (like a brief illness), it's better to disclose this with documentation rather than have ESD discover it later. You're allowed brief periods of unavailability without losing benefits as long as you report them properly.

Just wanted to follow up - did you get everything submitted? Let us know how it goes. These verification reviews typically take 1-2 weeks to process, so don't panic if you don't hear back immediately.

does anyone know if you have to report mileage when u start a new job? i drove like 30 miles each way and idk if thats something esd cares about lol

To answer your follow-up question - you should continue filing weekly claims until your earnings exceed your weekly benefit amount. When you report full-time work or earnings higher than your benefit amount, the system will automatically stop your claim. This is important because if your job doesn't work out during the first few weeks (which happens sometimes), you won't have to restart your claim from scratch. Once you're stable in your new job, your claim will just become inactive automatically.

have u tried using a diffrent browser? sometimes internet explorer works better for goverment sites (weird i kno). my husbands esd account only works on his phone not on our computer for some reason.

Update on this issue: ESD just published a technical bulletin about this exact problem. They're aware of the email association errors happening after their March 2025 security update. They recommend waiting 24 hours between email updates to allow their system to fully process changes. For those still struggling, they've also added a specific option in their phone tree for this issue - when you call the main number, press 2, then 4, then 1 for "account association errors" which should connect you to specialized technical support. Glad to hear the OP got their issue resolved using the method I suggested!

they always do this its how they save money by making it so complicated ppl give up

Update: I finally managed to get through to ESD! The agent confirmed what several of you suggested - my employer reported that I quit voluntarily when I was actually laid off in a department restructuring. The agent added detailed notes to my file with my explanation and said an adjudicator will contact me within 2-3 weeks. They recommended I continue filing weekly claims and said if the decision is in my favor, I'll receive back payments for all weeks. Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions!

wait can someone explain why his claim is pending for so long? mine was approved in like 5 days. did you guys make a mistake on the application maybe??

To answer your follow-up question - yes, he absolutely must continue doing and documenting 3 job search activities each week until he actually starts working (not just until he gets the offer). Once he works his first day at the new job, then he can stop doing job searches but should still file for that partial week and report his earnings. After he starts working full-time, he'll no longer need to file weekly claims. ESD will eventually process his backpay for all eligible weeks where he properly filed claims and met job search requirements. Just be patient as this can sometimes take several weeks after the claim moves from pending to approved status.

BE CAREFUL!!!!! ESD is super picky about this stuff and will hit you with an overpayment if you mess up. My cousin got a $2,300 overpayment bill because he answered the full-time work question wrong. Make sure you answer NO tomorrow (since you haven't started yet) and YES next week (after you've started). And keep all your paystubs from the new job in case they ask for verification later. They randomly audit people all the time!

To clarify what others have said: 1. File tomorrow for this week (where you worked 0 hours) 2. File next Sunday for your first partial work week 3. Answer the "returned to full-time work" question as NO on tomorrow's claim 4. Answer the "returned to full-time work" question as YES on next week's claim 5. Report all hours and wages accurately on next week's claim 6. Continue completing 3 job search activities until your very last claim ESD calculates your eligibility for partial benefits using this formula: If your gross earnings for the week are less than 1.33 times your weekly benefit amount, you may receive partial benefits. The system automatically makes this calculation based on what you report. Congratulations on your new position!

mine took 2 weeks then everything was fine. dont listen to all the horror stories not everyone has problems!

Update: It's been 9 days since I filed my subsequent claim and I just got a notification that my new benefit year was approved! The weekly amount is actually $42 higher than before, which is a nice surprise. Looks like I'll get paid for these two weeks tomorrow. Thanks everyone for your help and advice. For anyone finding this thread later - there was no waiting week, but it did take about 9 days for the system to process my subsequent claim. Make sure you keep filing your weekly claims during this time!

Since no one has mentioned it - you don't need documentation ready when you first apply. ESD will verify your hours and wages with your employers based on what they've reported for unemployment tax purposes. BUT keep your paystubs handy in case there's a discrepancy you need to dispute.

I just rememebrdd another thing!!! Make sure you file your weekly claims even while waiting to find out if you qualify!! I didnt know this and missed out on 3 weeks of payments because I wasnt claiming while my application was processing. SUCH a stupid rule but that's how they do it!!

I don't understand why people waste time with WorkSource when you could just CALL ESD directly!!! I got through after only 5 attempts and resolved my issue in one call. All these "shortcuts" people keep suggesting sound more complicated than just being persistent with the main phone line!!

Update: I went back to the WorkSource in Everett today and got more info about the UI Liaison schedule. Turns out they're only there Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9am-3pm. The woman I spoke with confirmed they can see the same things the phone reps can see but don't have to deal with the massive call volumes so they can spend more time explaining things. I also signed up for 2 workshops while I was there (resume building and interview skills) which will count for my job search activities. So even if you can't see the UI Liaison, still worth checking out WorkSource for the workshops!