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ESD appeal advice for wrongly reporting retirement pay - can we win after missing response deadline?
I'm seeking advice about my daughter's unemployment situation. She accidentally checked 'yes' on the retirement pay question when filing her weekly claim (she doesn't receive any retirement). ESD sent her a questionnaire letter about this, but unfortunately the deadline passed before she could respond. Now she's been denied benefits with an overpayment notice. We're planning to file an appeal explaining it was just a mistake when answering the weekly claim questions. Has anyone successfully appealed a similar situation after missing the initial response deadline? What are her chances of winning this appeal? This is causing her a lot of stress since she really needs these benefits.
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Training Benefits with ESD while transitioning from caregiving to animal-related work - eligibility questions
I'm trying to figure out how Training Benefits through ESD actually work. Been on unemployment for about a month after working as a family caregiver for the last 4 years (not licensed). Before that, I worked in veterinary medicine for several years and I'd really like to get back to working with animals somehow. I'm considering my options and wondering if I could qualify for Training Benefits to go back to school? Does it have to be a specific approved program or can it be general college courses? Would something animal-related like vet tech certification or animal management be eligible? Has anyone here successfully gotten Training Benefits for a career change? Any advice would be super helpful!
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do u still get the same amount of money with training benefits as regular unemployment?? and do they pay for the school too or just the weekly benefits??
Training Benefits provides the same weekly benefit amount as your regular unemployment. However, it does NOT pay for your tuition or school expenses - it only continues your unemployment benefits while you attend training and waives the job search requirements. For tuition assistance, you'd need to explore other options like: - Worker Retraining funds through the community college system - Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) grants through WorkSource - Pell Grants and financial aid by completing the FAFSA - Various scholarships for career changers Many people combine Training Benefits with these other funding sources to cover both living expenses and tuition. WorkSource can help you navigate all these programs simultaneously.
Thank you everyone for the helpful advice! I've scheduled an appointment with a WorkSource career counselor for next week to discuss my options. I'm going to research vet tech and animal shelter management programs in my area before the meeting. I had no idea there were so many considerations with Training Benefits, so I'm really glad I asked here first before making any decisions. I'll update once I learn more about which programs are approved and if I qualify!
Can I get ESD unemployment if my brother laid me off from his construction company?
So my situation is kinda complicated and I'm not sure what ESD will say. I've been working for my brother's small construction company for about 2 years (full-time, on the books with actual paychecks and taxes taken out). Business has been really slow lately and he had to let me go last week because he can't afford to keep me on. He said I should file for unemployment, but I'm worried because we're family. Will ESD deny my claim because he's my brother? Has anyone dealt with this family business situation before? I really need the income while I look for something else since construction jobs are scarce right now.
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Just to update you - I checked the most current ESD guidelines, and for 2025, family employment exclusions only apply to certain business structures:\n\n1. Sole proprietorships: Employment of spouses, parents, or children under 18 may be excluded\n2. Partnerships: Employment of partners or their spouses, parents, or children under 18 may be excluded\n3. LLCs and Corporations: Family relationships generally don't matter - employees are employees\n\nSo if your brother's construction company is an LLC or corporation, you should be fine. If it's a sole proprietorship or partnership, there could be issues. You can find this in the ESD Employer Handbook on their website.
ESD adjudication after quitting twice - sick child and part-time return complications
I'm completely stuck in this weird unemployment situation and don't know if I'll qualify anymore. I originally quit my full-time warehouse job (went into adjudication) but then my manager called asking me to come back part-time. I agreed thinking I could balance it, but I'm only getting 16hrs a week now. My daughter has serious health issues requiring constant care, and I just can't maintain this schedule while looking for better work and being her caretaker. I've already used up all my Paid Medical Family Leave. I reported the 16hrs on my weekly claim but I'm probably going to have to quit again because I need a swing shift position that can accommodate my caregiving schedule. It'll be at least a month before I can work normal hours again. I've messaged ESD and called multiple times but can't get through to anyone. Will quitting a second time completely disqualify me? Does anyone know if having a sick child counts as 'good cause' in this situation?
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just to share my experience - my claim was denied because I quit "voluntarily" even though it was for childcare. ESD said I should have "explored all other options" first. The appeal took FOREVER and I still got denied! The system is totally rigged against parents who need to care for sick kids!!!! Ugh so frustrating.
That's unfortunate about your claim. For others reading: when quitting for caregiving, ESD requires documentation that you explored ALL alternatives - like asking for schedule changes, taking leave, finding alternative care, etc. It's not enough to just say you needed to care for your child - you have to prove there were no other options. Document every conversation and alternative you explored.
Update: I tried the Claimyr service mentioned above and actually got through to ESD! The agent said I should formally request accommodation from my employer in writing first (asking for a temporary leave or shift change) and keep their response. She said I should continue working part-time while the first adjudication resolves if possible. If I absolutely need to quit, I should get detailed medical documentation showing why my daughter needs care during my current work hours specifically. She also suggested applying for Standby status with a specific return-to-work date when my daughter's treatment schedule changes. Thanks everyone for your help!
This is excellent news! The agent gave you perfect advice. Having that formal accommodation request (and likely denial) documented will significantly strengthen your case. Make sure to follow through with the medical documentation as well - be specific about the hours care is needed and why alternative care isn't possible. Glad you were able to get through and get solid guidance!
Weekly claim phone system glitch after time change - can't file claim
Has anyone else had trouble filing their weekly claim by phone this morning? I called as usual but instead of giving me the option to file my claim, the system only asked if I wanted to check when my address had been updated. Nothing else. I tried hanging up and calling back three times with the same result. Is this a daylight saving time glitch? The system was working fine last week! I need to file today since I already have two job interviews lined up for tomorrow. Anyone else experiencing this or know how to get around it? Getting nervous about missing my filing deadline...
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UPDATE: Just wanted to let everyone know I was able to file my weekly claim online through my eServices account with no problems! The site is working fine even though the phone system is still glitchy. Thanks for all the advice everyone!
Great! Online filing is definitely more reliable. For future reference, if you ever need to speak with an actual ESD agent about a claim issue, try calling right when they open at 8:00 AM or during the last hour before they close (around 3:00-4:00 PM). The wait times are usually shorter during those periods.
this reminds me of when my claim got stuck for 3 weeks last year because of some computer error on their end... had to drive all the way to the worksource office just to get someone to help me because the phone system kept saying my social security number was invalid even though i'd been claiming for months with no problems before that.... anyway hope you got it fixed
Thanks - yes, got it fixed by using the website! Sorry to hear about your troubles though, that sounds way worse than what I experienced.
Demi Hall
One more important thing - when your daughter has her appeal hearing (which will likely be by phone), she should: 1. Be very organized with dates and facts 2. Speak clearly and calmly 3. Answer only what is asked, don't volunteer extra information 4. If she doesn't know something, just say "I don't know" rather than guessing 5. Explain simply that it was a mistake clicking the wrong box, not an attempt to claim benefits inappropriately The Administrative Law Judges generally understand honest mistakes happen, especially with the confusing weekly claim questions.
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Rosie Harper
THIS!!! The judge asked me like 50 questions and I started rambling and it almost hurt my case. Just answer exactly what they ask!!!
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Elliott luviBorBatman
The whole system is ridiculous. ESD makes their questions intentionally confusing so people make mistakes, then punishes them for honest errors. I've seen so many cases where people check the wrong box accidentally and then get hit with "fraud" accusations. Why don't they have a simple verification process before jumping straight to denial and overpayment?! It's not like retirement income is a secret - they could easily verify this information with other government agencies! The entire UI system is designed to deny benefits rather than help people who actually need assistance.
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Darren Brooks
While I understand your frustration, I don't think it's intentionally designed to trick people. The questions do need to be clearer though. For anyone reading this thread who's filing weekly claims, always double-check your answers before submitting, especially for the questions about: - Work and earnings - Retirement pay - School attendance - Availability for work - Ability to work These are the areas where most accidental reporting errors happen.
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