One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is what happens if you have a really good donation week and earn significantly more than usual. Last month I had a week where promotional bonuses pushed my plasma income to $200 instead of my usual $80-100. I was nervous about reporting such a large jump, but I did it anyway and had no issues. Washington ESD just wants accurate reporting - they don't penalize you for legitimate income fluctuations. Also, for anyone worried about getting in trouble for past unreported income, I've heard that being proactive and contacting them yourself usually results in more lenient treatment than if they discover it during an audit. The key is showing good faith effort to comply with the rules.

I've been donating plasma for about 4 months now while on unemployment and this thread confirms I've been doing everything right by reporting it as other income each week. One tip I'd add is to screenshot or save confirmation pages when you submit your weekly claims - I had a situation where Washington ESD claimed they never received my income report for one week, but I had the screenshot showing it was submitted. Having that proof saved me from a potential overpayment issue. Also, if anyone is hesitant about starting plasma donation because of the reporting requirements, don't be - it's really straightforward once you get into the routine, and that extra $400-500 per month has been a lifesaver while job hunting.

FINAL UPDATE: Just got the notification that 4 weeks of payments were processed and will be deposited tomorrow! Total relief. For anyone else stuck in pending status - definitely try to speak with an actual ESD agent, it made all the difference.

Congratulations on getting your claim resolved! Your experience really highlights how broken the ESD phone system is - the fact that you had to use a third-party service just to reach a human who could fix something in minutes is ridiculous. It's great that you kept updating this thread though, because your story will definitely help other people who find themselves in the same situation. Four weeks of back payments must be such a huge relief after running low on savings. Thanks for sharing what worked!

Quick update for everyone following this thread: The ESD website is currently showing a banner that they're experiencing higher than normal processing times for initial payments after approval. They're estimating 7-10 business days for new claims to process the first payment. This might explain why so many of us are seeing longer pending periods recently.

To answer your previous question about the different pending statuses: "Pending" typically means the claim is in the general processing queue. "Pending - web" specifically indicates it was submitted through the online system rather than by phone or in person. They're essentially the same status in terms of payment timeline. One more thing - make sure you've completed all your job search activities and documented them properly. Sometimes claims stay pending if your job search log isn't complete. You need 3 job search activities for each week you claim.

If all else fails and you can't figure it out from the website, that Claimyr thing really does work. My sister used it when she couldn't reach anyone at Washington ESD and got her questions answered same day.

Isabella, based on what you've described, it sounds like you're approved! The key indicators are: 1) Your claim status shows "Valid" 2) You can see your weekly benefit amount ($385) 3) You're able to file weekly claims without issues. The fact that you haven't received payment yet is totally normal - first payments typically take 2-3 weeks after approval. Since you filed 10 days ago and can see your benefit amount, you should expect your first payment within the next week or so. Just make sure to keep filing your weekly claims on time and check that your direct deposit info is correct. The Washington ESD system definitely doesn't make it obvious when you're approved, but you've got all the right signs!

Bottom line: Regular UI for most people (with job search requirements), Standby for specific temporary layoffs with written recall dates. When in doubt, go with regular UI since it's more flexible.

I just went through this same situation a few months ago and it was definitely confusing at first! One thing that helped me was understanding that if your employer is being vague about the callback timeline (like saying "maybe in a few weeks"), you're almost certainly better off filing for regular UI. The standby requirements are really strict - they need to give you an exact date in writing, and like others mentioned, you can't do any other work while you wait. I ended up going with regular UI even though my employer hinted they might call me back, and I'm glad I did because it gave me the flexibility to apply for other jobs and do some freelance work to make ends meet. The job search requirement isn't too bad - just 3 activities per week and you can count things like updating your resume or networking.