After struggling with the ESD phone lines for weeks, I finally got through last month and asked this exact question about temp work. The agent told me that taking temporary work is actually ENCOURAGED by ESD and will not negatively impact your existing claim. When the temp job ends, you'll need to reopen your claim. The claims agent will ask if you're still unemployed through no fault of your own, and a scheduled end to temporary work fits that criteria perfectly. Regarding the commute - the agent said they consider reasonable commutes to be up to 1 hour one-way in the first 8 weeks of unemployment, then up to 30 minutes after that. So timing matters too!

i think ur overthinking this. if the temp job pays ok just take it. they might even hire u permanent if u do good. unemployment is only like max $1100 a week anyway and dealing with esd is SUCH a pain!!

Is your husband on regular UI or on some special program? Sometimes the requirements are different. Also make sure he's answering all the job search questions correctly - I think you need to report 3 job search activities each week now. If he missed answering one of those questions on the phone, it might be why the system is acting weird.

Just following up - did the website update for you? Sometimes it takes until the next business day for everything to sync properly in their system.

what happens with ur fmla? is it paid or unpaid? cuz if unpaid maybe u shud keep unemployment?? jus curious

Update: I called ESD this morning and they confirmed what most of you said. I don't need to formally cancel anything, just don't file weekly claims. The representative did make a note in my file about the FMLA situation, which she said would help if I need to reactivate my claim later. Thanks everyone for your help!

I'd like to clarify something important: when you receive a monetary determination after a denied claim, you should check two key things: 1. Look at the "Effective Date" on the new determination - if it's different from your original claim date, it could be a completely new claim period being evaluated. 2. Review the "Potential Benefits" section - even if it shows a weekly benefit amount, this doesn't mean you're eligible. It just shows what you would receive IF you qualified based on wages alone. The monetary determination is just one part of eligibility. If you were denied for insufficient hours initially, but this new determination shows different hours/wages, you might want to check if something changed in your wage record. Don't ignore this letter - either way, it's an official determination that could be appealed if incorrect.

One more thing to consider - if you applied for regular UI and were denied, but might qualify for another program like PIT (Paid Internship Training) or certain trade-specific benefits, the system sometimes automatically evaluates you for those. The new determination might be for a different type of benefit program entirely.

Don't forget to document EVERYTHING - take photos of the checks, save all emails, keep a log of all your calls and attempts to contact ESD. Write down dates, times, and who you spoke with. This will be important if you need to prove you acted promptly and didn't cash the fraudulent checks.

That's great advice. I'll start keeping detailed records of everything. I actually just got through to ESD using that Claimyr service someone recommended. They confirmed it's fraud and are opening an investigation. They're sending me paperwork to complete and told me to write VOID across the checks and return them.