When my unemployment was ending last year I was panicking too. My brother told me his friend got an extension but that turned out to be from 2021 during covid which doesn't help now lol. I ended up taking a part-time job at Starbucks while I kept looking for something in my field. You might qualify for partial unemployment if you work part-time but don't earn too much. Just sharing what worked for me while I was transitioning!

One more thing to consider - if you've worked ANY job (even part-time or temporary) during your current benefit year and earned enough hours, you might be eligible to file a new claim rather than seeking an extension. The threshold is 680 hours of work since your last valid claim. This creates a new benefit year rather than extending the current one. Worth checking your work history to see if this might apply to you.

wait im confused... if u were laid off from the first school and then worked at a second school and then got laid off again, shouldn't your unemployment claim have been updated? like the second school would be the one responsible for ur benefits after u worked there right? something seems off with how esd calculated this. did they think u were still claiming benefits while working at the second school maybe?

After reading all the details you've shared, I think there's a critical technical issue that might help your case. It sounds like there's been a failure to properly segment your claim periods between employers. Each period of unemployment should be treated as a separate claim event with different base year employers. If most of your benefits came after being laid off from the second school, then the first school should have no standing to contest those benefits. I'd recommend specifically requesting a "segregation of claim periods" review when you contact ESD or the Unemployment Law Project. This is a technical distinction that sometimes gets overlooked in complicated multi-employer cases. Also, if you have any pay stubs or hire/termination documentation from the second school, make sure those are front and center in your appeal. The dates of employment at the second school are crucial to establishing that the first school's testimony should only apply to a small portion of your total benefits, if any.

hey did u get the form yet? the one they should send u is called ESD 8028. if they didnt tell u that then call back and ask for it specifically!!

Just to follow up on my earlier comment - make sure you're specifically asking to speak with the Office of Special Investigations (OSI) when you call ESD about fraud issues. Regular agents often don't have the authority to address these cases properly. And for clarity - there are two separate issues you need to resolve: 1. Getting the fraudulent 2020 claim properly documented and removed 2. Having your current claim properly processed once the fraud block is removed These often require speaking with different departments, which is why it's so frustrating. The fraud documentation has to be fully processed before your current claim can move forward.

my sister works at a credit union and she said sometimes there are payment processing delays that aren't even ESD's fault - like ACH system stuff that affects all kinds of direct deposits. happened to me once with my tax refund too

Just to follow up - my roommate's unemployment hit his account this morning (Thursday) instead of yesterday like usual, so there definitely seems to be a one-day delay for some people this week. Hope yours came through too!

Went through an appeal back in January for something similar. One thing nobody mentioned yet - take notes during the entire hearing! The judge might make important comments or your employer might contradict themselves. Having detailed notes helped me when it was my turn to give closing remarks. Also, dress professionally even though it's probably going to be over the phone. It puts you in the right mindset. And have a glass of water nearby - your mouth gets dry when you're nervous talking for that long!

Thank you everyone for the incredibly helpful advice! I'm feeling much more prepared now. I've got all my evidence organized, written out my opening statement, and prepared questions based on your suggestions. Will update after the hearing tomorrow to let you know how it goes!

btw if ur browser keeps freezing try using ur phone instead. the mobile version worked when my laptop kept having problems

Update: I tried calling the 800-318-6022 number right when they opened at 8am. Was on hold for about 1.5 hours but finally got through! The agent told me they really prefer online applications, but she did help me troubleshoot my issue. Turns out I was entering too much detail in the job separation reason box and that was causing the system to freeze. For anyone having similar issues - keep your explanations brief and you can always provide more details later if they ask for them. Thanks everyone for your help!

Just to follow up on what I wrote earlier - it's important to understand that there's a difference between your: 1. Benefit year (the 12-month period your claim is valid) 2. Maximum benefits amount (the total money you can receive during that year) 3. Weekly benefit amount (what you get each week) You can exhaust your maximum benefits (26 weeks worth) before your benefit year ends. The system often continues to allow weekly claims filing throughout your benefit year even with a $0 balance. This is actually by design, not a glitch. If you're worried about creating problems, calling ESD to confirm is the safest approach.

Did you get this resolved? Were you able to reach ESD? I'm curious what they said about your situation.

Did anyone have to provide any special information when calling the governor's office? Like, do I need my claim ID, social security number, etc.? I want to be prepared before I call tomorrow. Also, should I mention that someone on a forum recommended calling, or just explain my situation?

What's the difference between "approval" and "pending payment"? Mine has said pending for like 3 weeks now but I haven't received any money. Will it actually pay out or is this just another step where it can get stuck?

Just to clarify some of the information in this thread: 1. The current ID verification timeframe is averaging 2-4 weeks (not 6-9 weeks like last year) 2. Standby status approval requires employer verification and is good for up to 8 weeks for most industries, but construction/building trades can get up to 12 weeks 3. Sheet metal workers fall under the construction category, so your husband should qualify for the 12-week standby period 4. Make sure he files his initial claim within 7 days of being laid off 5. He should file weekly claims even while waiting for approval 6. The new SecureID+ option is significantly faster if he's eligible (WA state ID required) 7. Having his union representative contact ESD can sometimes help expedite the process Hope this helps!

one more thing - tell him to check his spam folder everyday!! my wifes approval notice went straight to spam and she almost missed the deadline to respond to something

Glad you got some clarity! Just a heads up - during adjudication, they may ask if you brought up your concerns about the new contract to your employer and attempted to resolve the issue before refusing to sign. Make sure you have documentation of any conversations about trying to negotiate or express concerns about the new terms. This demonstrates you took reasonable steps to preserve the employment relationship before it ended.

That's great advice - I have emails showing I tried to negotiate the PTO and non-compete issues. I'll make sure to keep those organized and ready. Thanks again for all the help!