


Ask the community...
Just to follow up on the job search activities question - yes, you still need to complete and document 3 job search activities for both weeks, including the week where you returned to work. It might seem pointless since you already have a job, but it's required if you're claiming any benefits for that week. Once you stop claiming benefits entirely, you can stop doing job search activities.
Got it, thanks. What a pain to do job search activities when I'm already back at work, but I understand the rules are the rules. I'll make sure to do all 3 activities for both weeks.
anybody know how long it takes to get the partial payment for the week you go back? my last partial took FOREVER compared to my regular claims
my cousin had to wait almost a year for his waiver and then they denied it anyway lol just saying dont get your hopes up too much the system is rigged
I had a similar issue but with a different timeline. For anyone dealing with overpayment waivers, here's what worked for me: 1. Request a Statement of Overpayment Account to verify exactly how much they say you owe and how much they've already recouped 2. Submit a hardship reduction request (Form ESD 640-001) to temporarily reduce the weekly amount they take 3. Check if your waiver was actually denied already - sometimes the notices go to spam or get lost 4. If it's been over 6 months, file a complaint with the ESD Commissioner's Office directly The hardship reduction form specifically asks about your income and expenses, and they can reduce the recoupment to as little as 10% of your weekly benefit rather than the default 50%.
This is incredibly helpful information, thank you! I didn't know about the Statement of Overpayment Account or that there was a specific form for hardship reduction. I'll be requesting both of these tomorrow. Reducing from 50% to 10% would make such a huge difference while I'm waiting.
my neighbors cousins boyfriend works for esd and he says they've been super backlogged since they updated their computer system in march so lots of claims from then are still waiting to be processed manually
This is actually true - they did implement system updates in March that caused processing delays, but 5+ weeks is still excessive. That's why reaching out to representatives is important - they can help identify if your claim is legitimately stuck in a technical issue or just buried in the backlog.
Update: I contacted my state rep this morning with all my claim info and received an email response within hours saying they've reached out to their ESD liaison! They said to expect contact within 5-7 business days. Also tried the Claimyr service mentioned below and actually got through to an ESD agent who confirmed my claim needs manual review due to my previous employer contesting it (something I wasn't told before). Thanks everyone for your advice - feeling more hopeful now!
Great news! The fact that your employer contested the claim explains the delay. Those always require adjudication, which is taking longer than usual right now. Keep documenting all communications and follow up with your state rep if you don't hear anything within their timeframe. Glad you're making progress!
That's awesome! Glad you were able to get some answers finally. The not knowing is sometimes the worst part.
my friend waited too long to file her last week and lost it completely so def do it right away on sunday!
One additional note: if you're starting a new job soon after your benefit year ends, remember to report any earnings properly for that final week if applicable. If your new job starts during that Nov 3-9 week, you need to report those earnings when you file, even if you haven't been paid yet. Earnings are reported for the week the work was performed, not when you get paid.
Rachel Clark
I don't understand why people waste time with WorkSource when you could just CALL ESD directly!!! I got through after only 5 attempts and resolved my issue in one call. All these "shortcuts" people keep suggesting sound more complicated than just being persistent with the main phone line!!
0 coins
Chris King
•wow ur lucky then. i called 32 times in 1 day last month and never got thru. ended up having to use that claimyr service someone mentioned here just to talk to someone after trying for a week
0 coins
Royal_GM_Mark
Update: I went back to the WorkSource in Everett today and got more info about the UI Liaison schedule. Turns out they're only there Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9am-3pm. The woman I spoke with confirmed they can see the same things the phone reps can see but don't have to deal with the massive call volumes so they can spend more time explaining things. I also signed up for 2 workshops while I was there (resume building and interview skills) which will count for my job search activities. So even if you can't see the UI Liaison, still worth checking out WorkSource for the workshops!
0 coins
Carter Holmes
•Their resume workshop is actually really good! I thought it would be basic but they helped me completely restructure mine for construction jobs and I've gotten way more callbacks. Good luck!
0 coins