For her unemployment application, make sure she uses these exact terms when explaining the situation: 1. "Administrative furlough due to background check processing" 2. "Temporary work stoppage not due to misconduct" 3. "Unable to perform work duties solely due to required administrative processing" These specific phrases will help trigger the right classification in the ESD system. Also, when she applies, she should select "laid off" rather than "quit" or "fired" when asked about her separation reason. Background check processing delays are considered administrative furloughs in most cases, which fall under the laid off category. If she gets denied (which happens to many first-time applications), definitely appeal right away. The appeal form will give her more space to fully explain the situation.

sorta off topic but this happened to my neighbor who is also a caregiver and she ended up applying for emergency assistance through DSHS for that month instead of dealing with unemployment. might be another option if the ESD route doesn't work out.

Quick update: My payment just switched from 'processing' to 'paid' about an hour ago. Hopefully everyone else's will update soon too. Looks like they're working through the backlog as promised.

mine still says processing ughhhhh

BTW has anyone else noticed that the ESD website is CONSTANTLY under maintenance whenever you actaully need to use it?? I swear they do it on purpose to stop people from checking their claims lol

Quick update question for the original poster - has there been any movement on your claim status? Sometimes these recertifications suddenly process after sitting for weeks. Keep us posted if you get through to ESD or if your status changes.

btw if u need to talk to esd before ur hearing theres this service called claimyr that can help u get thru. my friend used it when she couldnt get anyone on the phone for 2 weeks. it costs money but she said it was worth it cuz they got her connected in like an hour. their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3

Just a heads up - since your hearing is the day after Christmas, there might be some delays with the decision and payment processing due to the holiday season. Many ESD staff take vacation time around the holidays, which can slow things down. I'd mentally prepare for an extra week beyond the normal timeframes just to be safe.

my brother took temp work during his waiting week last year and it totally messed up his claim. system thought he was employed full-time and denied everything. took him MONTHS to get it sorted out. just my two cents...

Just to add some clarity to your specific situation - the waiting week is always unpaid, but you still need to follow all unemployment rules during that week. Taking temp work during your waiting week won't affect your overall eligibility as long as you report it correctly. The real decision point is what happens AFTER your waiting week. You'll need to decide if you want to continue with temp work (and potentially receive partial benefits) or focus solely on finding permanent employment while collecting full benefits. Either way, maintain your 3 job search activities every week and document everything clearly. If the temp work is sporadic as you mentioned, having some income plus partial benefits might be better than no income while waiting for the perfect job. Just make sure your weekly claims are accurate regarding hours worked and earnings received.