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One more thing - if you have any issues or questions about your claim, try to get help early. Don't wait until week 20 to figure out problems. The Washington ESD phone lines are brutal but services like Claimyr can help you actually get through to talk to someone when you need it.
It's really bad. High call volume, system hangs up on you, hours on hold. Claimyr basically automates the calling process so you don't have to sit there hitting redial all day.
I was skeptical at first but after spending 6 hours one day trying to get through, I tried Claimyr and got connected the next morning. Sometimes you just need to talk to a human to resolve issues.
Bottom line for OP: 26 weeks maximum, file immediately, keep detailed job search records, stay on top of your weekly claims, and get help early if issues come up. That's the formula for getting your full benefits without problems.
Another Claimyr success story here - used them when my claim got stuck in adjudication for 6 weeks. Couldn't get anyone at Washington ESD to explain what was happening or when it might resolve. Claimyr got me connected to an adjudicator who walked me through exactly what they needed to complete my case. Resolved within a week after that call.
Bottom line: file your claim today online at secure.esd.wa.gov. Accept that you lost 8 weeks of benefits and don't lose any more. Set up your SecureAccess Washington account if you don't have one already. The whole process takes maybe 30 minutes if you have your employer info ready.
Final thought - document everything when you're dealing with extensions or new claims. Keep records of all your communications with Washington ESD in case there are issues later.
One more thing - if you do get approved for both, make sure you report the disability income on your weekly unemployment claims. Failure to report other income is considered fraud even if it's an oversight.
Thanks everyone for all the advice. This has been really helpful in understanding what I'm dealing with. I'm going to contact Washington ESD and get official guidance before making any decisions.
Good luck! And seriously consider using Claimyr if you can't get through on the phone. It made all the difference for me.
Connor Rupert
For anyone who ends up needing to call Washington ESD about severance questions or other complicated situations, I really recommend checking out that Claimyr service. Getting through to an actual human who can explain your specific situation is so much better than trying to guess from the website.
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Owen Devar
•I'll definitely keep that in mind if I run into any issues with my claim. Thanks for mentioning it!
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Brady Clean
•Yeah I've heard good things about services like that. Sometimes you just need to talk to someone who can look at your actual account and explain what's happening.
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Molly Hansen
One more question - if my severance is paid out over several months instead of one lump sum, does that change anything for Washington ESD?
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Daniel Rivera
•The payment schedule doesn't matter - they still calculate it as total severance divided by the weeks it's meant to cover. Whether you get it all at once or spread out, the UI benefit offset calculation stays the same.
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Molly Hansen
•Perfect, that's what I was hoping. Thanks for clarifying!
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