The terminology can be confusing, but there's an important distinction here: your claim being approved means you're eligible for the program, but each weekly certification can still be disqualified for various reasons. Check if you've answered any of these questions in a way that would trigger disqualification: - Did you report being unavailable for work on any day? - Did you refuse any job offers? - Did you report being unable to work due to illness? - Did you travel outside your job search area? If you can get through to ESD, ask them to review your weekly claim answers specifically.

Update us once you figure out what the issue was! It will help others who might run into similar problems in the future.

Great news! Thanks for updating the thread - this will help future claimants who search for similar issues.

YAY!!! So happy for you!!! Time to celebrate!!!

One more thing - since you mentioned relocating for a spouse's job transfer, make sure you understand the exact legal standard for that exception. Under WAC 192-150-120, it's considered good cause to quit if your spouse's employer required the transfer, it's outside your normal commuting area, and you stayed employed as long as was reasonable prior to the move. Focus your testimony on these specific elements and you'll have a much better chance of success.

By the way, don't forget to check your mail/email obsessively after the hearing. I kept checking the ESD website for my decision, but it actually came by regular mail about 10 days later. The judge didn't tell me the decision during the hearing - apparently they almost never do. Good luck with everything and let us know how it goes!

just be prepared for how SLOW the waiver process is!! took 4+ months for them to review mine and then they denied it anyway 😡 they don't make it easy on purpose

I want to thank everyone for all this helpful information. I finally reached an ESD agent this morning using that Claimyr service someone recommended, and they confirmed I can pursue both the Commissioner's Review and a waiver simultaneously! The agent actually emailed me all the necessary waiver forms while we were on the phone and walked me through what documentation I'll need to provide. They also said that even if everything gets denied, I can still set up a payment plan as low as $50/month if I demonstrate financial hardship. I feel like I finally have a path forward instead of just panicking. Will update once I hear back about either process. Thank you all again for sharing your experiences!

APPLY NOW!!! if u wait ur only hurting urself!! even if it takes long to get approved theyll backpay to when u first applied. dont listen to ppl saying u wont get it, nobody here knows ur exact situation. its FREE to apply so why not do it????

One important detail to remember: when you file your weekly claims while waiting for a decision, make sure you accurately report any job search activities. ESD has become stricter about verifying these, and you need at least 3 qualifying activities each week. Keep detailed records including company names, contact information, job titles, and application methods. This will save you headaches later if they audit your job search activities.