Washington Unemployment
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What does 'disposition reversed' in OAH hearing portal mean for my ESD appeal?
I've been fighting with ESD since they denied my benefits 7 weeks ago claiming I quit voluntarily (I definitely didn't - I was laid off when my department got outsourced). I filed an appeal right away and finally had my hearing with an Administrative Law Judge last Tuesday. I've been obsessively checking the OAH online portal since then, and today it changed from 'decision pending' to 'disposition reversed.' Does this mean I won my appeal? Will ESD have to pay me the back benefits now? How long before I actually see any money? I'm so stressed trying to interpret all this legal terminology!
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ESD denied my claim after being laid off while on medical leave - what can I do?
I'm completely stressed out. I was on medical leave for severe back injury when my company laid off our entire department. Now ESD is saying I'm not eligible for benefits because I was 'not able and available for work' when the layoff happened. I have medical documentation showing I was cleared to return to work the week after the layoff occurred, but my adjudicator won't accept it. It's been 6 weeks with no income and my savings are nearly gone. Has anyone dealt with this situation before? Can you appeal a denial based on medical availability if you're now cleared for work? The determination letter mentions something about 'standby status' but I don't understand what that means in my case.
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sry to go off topic but did anyone elses esd account get locked after they updated the website last month?? i cant even log in to file my weekly claim now and when i call it just disconnects me
That happened to me too. You need to go through the SecureAccess Washington (SAW) account recovery process. There's a separate help line for SAW technical issues: 855-682-0785. They're actually much easier to reach than the regular ESD line.
Just wanted to follow up - how are you doing with your appeal? Have you requested the hearing yet? Remember there's a strict 30-day deadline from the date on your determination letter!
Yes! I submitted my appeal yesterday through the online portal and got a confirmation number. Now just waiting for them to schedule the hearing. I'm gathering all my documentation as suggested. I'm still worried but feeling more hopeful with all the advice here. Thank you everyone!
ESD denied new claim with old 'not able/available' dates - maternity leave confusion?
I'm completely baffled by my son's unemployment situation. He was laid off in May 2025 and filed a new claim in June. ESD just sent him a disqualification notice saying he wasn't 'able and available' for work during March-April 2022! The crazy thing is, he was actually on paternity leave during those months (his daughter was born in February 2022). His previous unemployment claim ended January 31, 2022, well before the dates they're citing. Is ESD somehow using his old claim info to deny his new claim? Has anyone dealt with this kind of date mix-up before? He already filed an appeal but I'm worried this will drag on for months. The disqualification letter literally references dates from over 3 years ago to deny a brand new claim. How does that make any sense??
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My friend went through almost the exact same thing last year. It was because the ESD system was trying to reactivate his old claim instead of properly processing the new one. The able and available dates were from that old claim but were being erroneously applied. His case manager eventually fixed it but it took almost 2 months.
2 months?! That's insane! Did he get backpay for all those weeks once it was fixed?
Just wanted to update everyone - my son FINALLY got through to ESD this morning after using that phone service someone mentioned. The rep confirmed it was indeed a system error where his old claim information was incorrectly attached to his new claim. They're correcting it, but said it will take 3-5 business days to update in the system. They told him to keep filing his weekly claims, and once the correction processes, he'll receive payment for all eligible weeks. His appeal hearing is still scheduled for next month, but the rep said that would likely be dismissed once the system correction goes through. Thanks everyone for your help and advice!!
That's great news! Glad to hear he got it resolved. And smart move to keep the appeal in place until everything is fully processed and paid.
ESD WorkShare timing question - can I apply Friday and claim the same week?
Really confused about the WorkShare program timing here. My hours just got cut from 40 to 20 starting this week. If I apply for WorkShare on Friday (after already working my reduced 20 hours for the week), can I still claim this week when the Sunday claim period opens? Or does my WorkShare application need to be approved BEFORE the week I'm trying to claim? I understand this first week would be my waiting week anyway, but I don't want to mess up the timing and lose a week of benefits. My employer already submitted their portion of the WorkShare plan last month, if that matters.
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One more important thing to remember - make sure you complete your job search activities even while on WorkShare (unless your employer has been approved for standby). A lot of people miss this requirement and end up having issues with their claims later.
Wait, I thought WorkShare was different from regular unemployment and didn't require job search activities? My HR department told us we wouldn't need to do that part since we're still employed, just with reduced hours.
Your HR department is correct. WorkShare participants are NOT required to complete job search activities. This is one of the key differences between regular unemployment and WorkShare. Since you remain employed with your current employer (just with reduced hours), the job search requirement is waived. You still have to file your weekly claim, but you won't need to report job search activities.
You're right - I confused WorkShare with Standby status for regular UI. Thanks for the correction! WorkShare participants indeed don't have to do job search activities.
Will brief 2-week employment affect ESD claim when laid off again? Union worker situation
My husband just got temporarily laid off again after only 2 weeks of work. He's union (actually carded in 2 different unions) and was originally unemployed for several months before getting this short job. He properly reported his employment and wages on his weekly claims during those 2 weeks to keep his claim active. Now the contractor has temporarily laid him off for 1-2 weeks while waiting for materials to arrive at the jobsite. I'm panicking about whether this brief employment period will mess up his unemployment benefits. Will his claim just return to normal when he reports zero hours/wages on his next weekly claim? Or will this trigger some kind of adjudication that could delay payments for weeks? We're already behind on bills from the previous layoff period, even with me working full-time. Both his unions have been extremely slow this year with so many members out of work. Jobs are finally starting to pick up, but we absolutely cannot handle any gap in benefits right now. Any advice from someone who's dealt with temporary employment during an active claim?
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Have your husband call the hall tomorrow morning and make sure they have him listed as available for work!! Sometimes they forget to move you back to the available list when you get laid off again. Also get him signed up for dispatch text alerts if his local offers them.
That's a good reminder - I'll make sure he calls both halls tomorrow to update his status. I don't think he's set up for text alerts yet so we'll look into that too.
Just want to clarify something important: Make sure your husband continues to meet job search requirements during this 1-2 week temporary layoff period, unless he's specifically granted standby status. Even if he expects to return to the same employer soon, he technically needs to complete and document three job search activities each week unless ESD has formally approved standby status. Having the employer specifically state in writing that they expect to recall him on a specific date can help with this. Many people miss this detail and end up having benefits denied for insufficient job search activities, even during brief layoffs.
Thank you for mentioning this! I don't think he has formal standby status. So even for this very brief 1-2 week period, he still needs to do the 3 job search activities per week? Is contacting his union hall for dispatch opportunities considered a valid job search activity?
Yes, he still needs the 3 activities per week without formal standby. Contacting the union hall absolutely counts as a job search activity! Also, checking the union job board and attending any union meetings about work opportunities all count as separate activities.
Kevin Bell
wait does anyone know what happens with the appeal if you start working again before they make a decision? i also got denied and appealed and have a hearing next week but i just got a new job. do i still get the back unemployment money if i win?
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Miguel Harvey
Yes, even if you're working now, you can still receive back benefits for the weeks you were eligible and properly filed claims. Just make sure to report your new employment and earnings correctly on any weekly claims you file going forward. Congratulations on the new job!
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Kevin Bell
thx! thats a relief, i was worried they would say nevermind since i have a job now lol
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Finnegan Gunn
Update: Got the official decision in the mail today! The ALJ totally sided with me and said ESD was wrong to deny my benefits. The letter says I'm eligible from my original filing date and ESD is ordered to pay all my back benefits! Now just waiting for the money to actually show up in my account. Feeling so relieved!
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Savannah Glover
Congrats!! It's such a relief when they actually get something right for once! I went through something similar last year and it took about 10 days after I got the decision letter for the $ to hit my account.
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