Just curious - did you verify your identity with ID.me yet? That's a separate step that trips up a lot of people. The waiting week is normal as everyone has mentioned, but make sure you've completed identity verification too, otherwise you might face payment delays on your second week and beyond.

This thread is so helpful! I'm actually going through the same thing right now - filed my first claim last week and saw that dreaded "Disqualified" status this morning. Was about to have a panic attack until I found this post. It's crazy how ESD uses such scary terminology for what's basically just a standard waiting period. Really wish they'd change it to something like "Waiting Week" or "Unpaid Week" instead. Thanks everyone for explaining this - you probably saved me hours of stress-calling the ESD phone line!

One more thing - if you're driving to your new state, make sure you save receipts for moving expenses. Some of that might be deductible on your taxes, and if you find work quickly, some employers offer relocation reimbursement even for local moves.

I went through this exact same situation last year! Moved from Bellingham to Denver while collecting Washington unemployment and it was completely fine. The key things I learned: 1) Update your address immediately in your online account, 2) Make sure you can still receive mail at your new address for any important notices, and 3) Keep documenting your job search activities in your new location. I was paranoid about it too but honestly Washington ESD makes it pretty straightforward. The only time I had to call was when I had a question about work search requirements, and even then the agent was helpful and didn't give me any grief about being out of state. Portland is a great choice for tech jobs too - you'll probably have better luck there than staying in Seattle! Just make sure you're genuinely looking for work and you'll be totally fine.

Update: I used that Claimyr service and actually got through to ESD today! The agent told me that my case was flagged because my employer initially contested the layoff (what the heck??) but they just received confirmation from HR that it was indeed a legitimate reduction in force. She said the adjudicator should make a decision within a week. Fingers crossed!! Thanks everyone for your help.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm currently dealing with a similar situation - my claim has been in regular adjudication for about 2 weeks now after being laid off from my retail job. Reading everyone's experiences makes me feel less alone in this process. @Dmitry Smirnov I'm so glad you finally got some real answers! It's insane that your employer contested a legitimate layoff, but at least now you know what was causing the delay. I'm definitely going to check out that Claimyr service if I can't get through to ESD soon. Also really appreciate everyone mentioning the job search requirements during adjudication - I had no idea about that and have been slacking on documenting my applications. Going to get on top of that immediately! Keeping my fingers crossed for you that the adjudicator approves everything quickly now that the employer contest is resolved. Please update us when you hear back!

One more thing to consider - make sure your new employer knows you're currently on unemployment. Some companies want to coordinate start dates to help employees transition smoothly off benefits.

I went through this exact same situation a few months ago with Washington ESD. You're absolutely fine to continue claiming during the gap period - just be completely transparent on your weekly claims about accepting the offer and your availability status. I documented everything (offer letter, start date confirmation emails) and had zero issues. The key thing Washington ESD cares about is honesty, not penalizing people for normal employment transitions. Congrats on the job offer and don't stress about it!

Just to follow up on my earlier comment - even though this is a common scenario, it's still important to be proactive. Continue filing your weekly claims, and consider contacting ESD for status updates. If this drags on longer than 2 weeks, you might want to reach out to your state representative's office as they sometimes can help expedite unemployment issues. And remember that having documentation of your rescheduled appointment and completion is crucial. Most WorkSource appointments that are properly rescheduled and completed shouldn't cause benefit denials.

I went through something similar last year! Had to reschedule my WorkSource appointment due to a family emergency and panicked when I saw the adjudication status. But honestly, if you rescheduled properly and completed it within your deadline (which you did), you should be fine. The adjudication is just their way of double-checking that everything was done correctly. In my case, it took about 12 days to resolve and I got all my back payments at once. The most important thing is to keep filing your weekly claims even while it's pending - don't skip any weeks or you could lose those payments entirely. Also, make sure you're continuing to do your job search activities and documenting them properly. Sometimes when they're already reviewing your case, they'll look at everything with a fine-tooth comb. Stay consistent and you should be good!