Thanks for posting about this. I just checked my credit report after reading your post and found some suspicious activity I need to investigate. Sometimes these things are connected.

This is such a helpful thread - thank you everyone for sharing your experiences and advice! I'm feeling much more prepared to tackle this now. It sounds like the key steps are: 1) Call Washington ESD fraud hotline immediately, 2) Get an employment verification letter from my HR department, 3) Document everything with case numbers and timestamps, 4) Check credit reports and freeze them, 5) Contact IRS about potential tax issues, and 6) Consider using Claimyr if I can't get through by phone. I really appreciate this community having each other's backs on these scary situations.

Remember you have to file your weekly claim every week even if you haven't received your first payment yet. Miss a week and you lose those benefits permanently.

I was in a similar situation last year - part-time restaurant work and wondering if unemployment was worth the hassle. For someone making $18/hour part-time, you'll probably get somewhere between $250-400 weekly depending on your highest earning quarter. The application process is actually pretty straightforward online, and even if it seems like a lot of work upfront, the benefits can really help while you're looking for something better. Just make sure you have all your employment dates and employer info ready before you start the application. The job search requirements aren't too bad either - 3 activities per week which can include applying for jobs, updating your resume, or even networking. Definitely worth applying if you qualify!

Thanks for the detailed step-by-step instructions! I'm dealing with the same issue right now and was also looking in eServices instead of SAW. Just to clarify - after I upload my documents through the SAW portal, should I expect any kind of confirmation message or receipt? I want to make sure they actually received my files before I stop worrying about it. Also, has anyone had experience with what happens if one of your documents gets rejected - do they tell you specifically what's wrong or do you have to start the whole process over?

Just went through this whole process last week! One thing I'd add to all the great advice here - if you're having trouble with the file size (they want under 5MB), try using a PDF scanner app on your phone instead of just taking regular photos. Apps like CamScanner or Adobe Scan compress the files automatically while keeping them crystal clear. Also, I noticed that the SAW system sometimes logs you out randomly during the upload process, so make sure to save your progress and don't navigate away from the page until you see that confirmation message. The whole verification took exactly 6 business days for me once I got the documents uploaded correctly.

Been through this exact situation. The key is treating your resignation like you're building a legal case - document everything, follow proper procedures, and be prepared to clearly articulate why a reasonable person would have quit in your circumstances. Good luck!

This is such a difficult situation to navigate, especially when you're already stressed from a toxic work environment. One thing I'd add is to make sure you keep copies of everything in a safe place outside of work - don't rely on your work email or computer since you might lose access once you resign. I'd also suggest consulting with an employment attorney if possible, even just for a brief consultation to understand your rights. Some offer free initial consultations and can help you understand whether your situation truly meets the "good cause" standard before you take the leap. The financial uncertainty during the adjudication process is real, so having a solid emergency fund and a clear job search plan is crucial.

As another newcomer to this community, I'm absolutely blown away by this thread! @Angelina Farar, your persistence through that 7-week nightmare is truly inspiring - the fact that you had to make 23 calls in one morning just to learn about an identity verification issue they never told you about shows how fundamentally broken ESD's communication system is. But your success story gives real hope! What strikes me most is how this thread has become the ultimate ESD survival guide that should honestly be part of their official resources (if they actually cared about helping people). The collective wisdom here - the 8:00am calling strategy, contacting state reps, proactive document uploads, even the Claimyr service - these are the real-world solutions that actually work but you'd never find through official channels. It's both infuriating and amazing that we have to crowdsource basic information about accessing benefits we've already been approved for. The identity verification black hole seems to be trapping so many people based on all the stories shared here - clearly this is a systemic issue ESD needs to fix ASAP. I'm bookmarking this entire thread because the step-by-step strategies documented here are pure gold for anyone facing ESD's bureaucratic maze. Thank you for sharing your complete journey and proving that persistence really does pay off when you know the right approaches. Congratulations on finally getting those 7 weeks of backpay - you absolutely earned it through sheer determination!

This thread is absolutely incredible and has become the most valuable ESD resource I've ever found! As someone who just joined this community while dealing with my own unemployment claim issues, reading through @Angelina Farar's complete journey from 7 weeks of pending hell to finally getting backpay is both infuriating (at ESD's broken system) and deeply inspiring (at her persistence). The identity verification issue that they never bothered to communicate about seems to be affecting so many people - it's clearly a massive systemic problem that ESD urgently needs to fix. The fact that you had to make 23 calls in one morning just to discover a problem that should have been flagged weeks earlier is absolutely ridiculous. What amazes me most is how this thread evolved into the ultimate ESD troubleshooting guide. The strategies everyone shared - calling at exactly 8:00am, contacting state representatives, proactive document uploads, using Claimyr, documenting everything - these are the real-world solutions that actually work but you'd never find in official ESD guidance. It's both maddening and incredible that we have to crowdsource basic information about accessing benefits we've already been approved for, but this community support is exactly what people need when navigating ESD's bureaucratic nightmare. I'm definitely bookmarking this thread and will refer others here who are stuck in similar situations. Congratulations @Angelina Farar on your persistence paying off - your success story gives real hope to everyone else trapped in pending limbo! Thank you all for creating such an invaluable resource that will help countless people fighting this same battle.