I'm going through something very similar right now. Filed my appeal in September after being wrongly denied for "job abandonment" when I was actually terminated. My hearing was in early October and went well - I had documentation showing I was let go, not that I quit. But it's been over 8 weeks now and still no decision. The financial stress is really getting to me. Seeing everyone mention claimyr.com is encouraging though - I think I'll try that tomorrow to see if I can get any updates. Thanks for sharing your experience, it helps to know I'm not the only one dealing with these ridiculous delays.

I'm dealing with almost the exact same situation. Filed my appeal in late September after being denied for "voluntary quit" when I was actually laid off due to company downsizing. Had my hearing in November and it went really well - provided all my layoff paperwork and the judge seemed convinced. My former employer also didn't participate in the hearing. It's been about 7 weeks now and I'm still waiting for the decision. The uncertainty is killing me financially and emotionally. I've been continuing to file my weekly claims but getting $0 each week. Reading through all these responses is both reassuring and frustrating - reassuring to know the timeline I'm experiencing is unfortunately normal, but frustrating that the system is so backed up. I think I'm going to try that claimyr service everyone's mentioning to see if I can at least get a status update. Thanks for posting this - it really helps to know others are going through the same ordeal.

Just an FYI - ESD recently completed a large audit of 2023 claims to ensure compliance with federal guidelines. Several people I know received retroactive payments as a result. Check if you had any pending issues or appeals from your previous claim that might have been resolved in your favor. If you can't reach ESD by phone, try emailing them through your eServices secure message center with specific details about the payment. They usually respond within 3-5 business days.

I had something similar happen to me about 6 months ago! Got a random $1,200 deposit from ESD and was totally confused since I hadn't claimed in over a year. Turned out it was legit - they had done an audit of my 2023 claim and found that I was actually entitled to additional benefits due to some wage calculation error on their end. The determination letter showed up in my eServices account about a week AFTER the deposit, which was weird timing. My advice would be to check your eServices daily for the next week or two, and if no explanation appears, definitely contact them. But don't panic - in my case it was actually money I was owed!

UPDATE: I got through to ESD finally! The agent confirmed that yes, I can get backpay for the weeks I was waiting in adjudication IF my appeal is successful. She also said I should definitely keep filing weekly claims until the appeal is decided (even after I start working) and just report any new income accurately. She said the appeal is likely to take 6-8 weeks, which isn't great but at least I know now. Thanks everyone for your help!

Awesome that you finally got through to someone! That's such a relief to get official confirmation. Just wanted to add - when you do start that new job, make sure to keep really detailed records of your hours and pay for those weekly claims. I learned the hard way that being super precise with reporting earnings helps avoid any delays or complications if your appeal goes through. Also, even though 6-8 weeks sounds long, that's actually pretty reasonable for appeals right now. Fingers crossed your interview goes well and your appeal is successful!

One last tip - if you're having trouble reaching Washington ESD to verify your benefit amount for the marketplace application, I've had good luck using that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier. Much faster than trying to call directly.

Bottom line: yes, unemployment counts as income for health insurance marketplace purposes. Report it accurately, keep your documentation handy, and update your application if your situation changes. You should still qualify for subsidies at your income level.

I'm a newcomer here but dealing with this exact same frustrating situation! Just filed my third weekly claim and all three weeks show "disqualified" with zero explanation letters anywhere in my account. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly helpful - it's such a relief to know this is a widespread system issue and not something I messed up on my application. I'm definitely going to try the 8:02 AM calling strategy that Emma mentioned and use the specific wording about "disqualified weeks with zero decision letters." It's ridiculous that we have to jump through all these hoops just to talk to someone about a system glitch, but at least now I know what to expect when I call. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this thread is way more helpful than anything on the official ESD website!

I'm new to this community but currently dealing with this EXACT same issue! Filed my first claim three weeks ago and all my weeks are showing "disqualified" with absolutely nothing in the letters section. I've been stressing out thinking I somehow messed up my application, but reading through all these responses is such a huge relief - clearly this is a widespread system problem with ESD's February update. The 8:02 AM calling strategy and specific wording that Emma shared sounds like a solid plan. It's honestly ridiculous that we have to become experts on navigating their broken system just to get the benefits we're entitled to, but I'm grateful for everyone sharing their experiences here. This thread has been way more helpful than hours of searching the ESD website! Going to try calling tomorrow morning and will definitely update with results.