Washington Unemployment

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Will ESD cut my benefits after getting fired, taking low-paying job, then switching jobs?

I'm in a complicated situation with ESD and need advice. I was fired from my restaurant manager job (not for misconduct) after 8 months and qualified for unemployment. After 6 weeks on UI, I took a part-time job at a retail store making only $18/hr for 25 hours a week - way less than my previous $28/hr full-time job. I'm still getting partial unemployment benefits to make up some of the difference. Now I've been offered a job at another restaurant for $24/hr but only 30 hours a week. If I quit my current retail job for this better-paying restaurant position, will ESD cut off my partial benefits completely? Would this count as voluntarily quitting without good cause? I can't afford to lose the partial UI that's helping me stay afloat, but I also can't pass up a better opportunity. Anyone dealt with job transitions while on partial benefits?

When I called ESD about my job change situation, they told me to include a detailed note in the comments section of my weekly claim explaining: - That I'm quitting for a better paying position - The exact wage difference - The hours at both jobs - The date of job change This creates a record in their system. But I still recommend actually speaking with an agent if possible, as they can add notes directly to your file that might prevent an automatic adjudication hold.

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btw make sure u got proof of both wages like offer letters or paystubs. my cousin had to appeal when they didnt believe his new job paid more and he won cuz he had the offer letters showing the different pay rates

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Amina Sy

Author

Good tip, I'll get everything in writing from the new employer. I already have pay stubs from my current retail job. Better to have too much documentation than not enough.

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ESD marked claim as paid but money not showing up on debit card - how long is normal?

I'm stressing out right now because my ESD unemployment payment is showing as 'paid' on the website since this morning around 9am, but nothing has shown up on my ReliaCard yet. It's already past bank closing hours now. I had this happen once before and it only took like 2-3 hours for the money to appear, but now it's been almost a full day. Does anyone know if there's some kind of processing delay happening? With rent due in 3 days, I'm getting seriously anxious. I wish ESD would at least put a note on the website if they're doing extra fraud checks or if there's a system delay instead of leaving us hanging. Has anyone else experienced longer than normal delays between their claim showing 'paid' and actually receiving the funds recently? How long did it take to finally post to your account?

this whole system is just designed to torture us honestly. like why does it say PAID if it's not actually PAID??? just another example of how the unemployment system is broken. i've had the same thing happen like 5 times in the past year and each time it's a different waiting period. sometimes 12 hours, sometimes 3 days. makes no sense.

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UPDATE: The money just posted to my ReliaCard this morning at 4:30am! So it took about 20 hours from when it showed as 'paid' on the ESD site. For anyone else having this issue, definitely check the ReliaCard website directly as someone suggested - the pending transaction showed up there before the money was available. Thanks everyone for the help and support!

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Glad it worked out! That timing is pretty typical for the ACH transfer process. For future reference, most ESD payments follow this pattern: 1. Claim processed & approved: Usually happens the day after you file your weekly claim 2. Payment marked 'paid' in ESD system: Usually within 24 hours of approval 3. Payment received by ReliaCard: Usually 1-2 business days after 'paid' status Banking delays can sometimes extend this timeline, but as long as your weekly claims are filed correctly and your ESD account shows 'paid', the money is on its way.

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Will ESD continue payments while new employment hours are in adjudication?

I've been on unemployment since February after being laid off from my warehouse job. I recently picked up some part-time hours at a local grocery store (about 15 hours a week) and reported it on my weekly claim like I'm supposed to. Now my claim shows it's in adjudication for "employment hours missing" even though I included everything they asked for! I'm still eligible for partial benefits since I'm not working full-time yet, but my question is - will ESD keep paying me my partial benefits while they sort out this adjudication thing, or will everything stop until it's resolved? My rent is due next week and I'm seriously stressing about this. Has anyone dealt with this situation before?

After you get this resolved, I'd recommend keeping detailed records of your work hours and pay stubs for at least 5 weeks after starting any new job. Take photos of schedules and save all communications about your hours. Having this documentation ready can help if you need to request an expedited adjudication review. And remember that once this is sorted out, you'll likely receive backpay for any weeks that were eligible during the adjudication period.

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I'm definitely going to start keeping better records. I thought I was doing everything right by reporting the hours, but clearly that wasn't enough. I really hope I get backpay - that would be a huge relief.

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I just went through this EXACT situation last month!!! Here's what happened: I got a part-time job at a restaurant, reported my hours, and boom - adjudication. My payments stopped for 2 weeks, then suddenly started again BEFORE the adjudication was even resolved! The ESD agent I finally reached told me sometimes they'll restart payments if initial verification looks good, even before final determination. So don't lose hope - it might not be the full 3 weeks without pay!

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That's encouraging to hear! Did you do anything special to get them to restart your payments early? Or did it just happen automatically?

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It just happened automatically! I checked my account one day and there was a payment. The adjudication was still showing as in progress, but they paid me anyway. The agent said something about a "continue to pay" flag that can get added to certain types of investigations. Not guaranteed, but possible!

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Won an ESD appeal for misconduct termination with minimal documentation?

I'm freaking out right now and could use some success stories. My employer fired me claiming 'misconduct due to carelessness' after I made a few inventory errors at the retail store I managed. They only have ONE written warning from 3 months ago documenting a previous error. My unemployment claim was denied and now I have to appeal to the OAH. The denial letter says I demonstrated 'willful disregard' for my employer's interests, but these were honest mistakes! Has anyone successfully appealed a similar misconduct disqualification with minimal documentation against them? What evidence helped your case? The hearing is scheduled for next week and I'm terrified I'll lose 4 months of benefits I desperately need.

My hearing is next month for something similar. Anyone know if these hearings are still being done by phone because of COVID or are they in-person now? The notice wasn't clear.

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They're still doing most hearings by phone. You'll get a call at the scheduled time. Make sure to have ALL your evidence submitted beforehand through their online portal. Have your documents in front of you during the call. And BE ON TIME - they won't reschedule if you miss it without a really good reason!

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Update: I finally managed to get through to someone at ESD! Turns out my employer also submitted some email exchanges showing they had verbally warned me about inventory issues before the written warning. This makes my case harder, but at least now I can prepare better for the hearing. Thanks for all the advice everyone.

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This is really good that you found this out before the hearing. Now you can prepare to address these emails specifically. Focus on whether these were actually clear warnings or just normal work communications. Also consider if there were extenuating circumstances like staff shortages, system issues, or inadequate training that contributed to the problems. Don't forget to emphasize any positive feedback or performance reviews you received during the same time period.

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Benefits exhausted in Dec - Do we have to reapply despite missed ESD deadline email?

I'm in a confusing situation with my husband's unemployment. His benefits completely ran out the last week of December. We just noticed we received an ESD message with a deadline to reapply, but we missed it because he doesn't check his email frequently. Now I'm wondering if we actually need to submit a new claim even though we weren't planning to continue claiming benefits? The message made it sound mandatory, but we're not sure if it matters since he's not seeking more benefits. I tried calling ESD but kept getting disconnected. Has anyone dealt with a similar situation with exhausted benefits and missed deadlines? What happens if we just ignore it since he's not claiming anymore?

I experienced this frustration with ESD last year. If you're certain your husband won't need to claim additional benefits, you can ignore the notice. However, if there's any chance he might need unemployment again soon, it's better to submit the application even if it's late. The most important thing is getting clarity directly from ESD about your specific situation. I struggled for weeks trying to reach someone until I discovered Claimyr (claimyr.com). They helped me get through to an ESD representative in under 20 minutes when I'd been trying for days. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3. Definitely worth it to get an official answer about your specific situation.

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is this a legit service? sounds sketchy tbh

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For clarity on the technical aspects of your question: 1. If your husband has exhausted his benefits (used all available funds) AND is not seeking additional unemployment compensation, there is no requirement to respond to the reapplication notice. 2. The notice you received is about the end of the benefit year (the 52-week period from when he first applied), not about the exhaustion of funds. 3. If he's now employed, there's even less reason to respond to the notice. 4. If he might need unemployment again within the next few months, filing a new application now might actually complicate things, as he would need to report his new employment income. 5. The only possible consequence of not responding would be if he was still attempting to claim weekly benefits while having an exhausted claim. Since that's not your situation, you should be fine.

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Thank you for breaking it down so clearly! This really helps us understand the whole situation better. He's working now and we don't anticipate needing benefits again anytime soon, so it sounds like we made the right call by not responding. The ESD notices and requirements can be so confusing sometimes!

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