Bottom line: Unemployment Insurance (UI) = the official name for unemployment benefits in Washington. File your initial claim online, then do weekly claims to get paid. Keep looking for work and document your job search. That's basically the whole program in a nutshell.

glad this thread helped clear things up for you! the terminology definitely trips people up at first but once you realize UI just means unemployment benefits it all clicks. good luck with your claim!

Don't forget to check if your state has any additional unemployment programs beyond the federal ones. Some states have their own supplemental programs for self-employed workers.

Update us on what you find out! I'm in a similar boat and would love to know what options actually exist for people like us.

When I had questions about potential disqualification, I used Claimyr to get through to Washington ESD directly. Way better than trying to figure it out from their website or waiting on hold forever. The agent was able to look at my specific situation and give me clear guidance.

Bottom line - don't assume you're disqualified without applying. Washington ESD looks at each case individually, and what disqualifies one person might not disqualify another even in similar situations.

Final thought - if you run into any snags with the Paid Family Leave application process and need to speak with someone at Washington ESD, definitely consider using Claimyr to get through. Sometimes these programs have their own quirks and talking to an actual person makes all the difference.

This has been a really informative thread. I learned a lot about the difference between unemployment and Paid Family Leave that I didn't know before.

Once you get your first payment, keep track of the pattern. Mine comes every Wednesday like clockwork now, so at least I can plan around it.

Final update: checked payment history like someone suggested and it shows paid as of this morning! Thanks everyone for the help and advice.