Washington Unemployment
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Partial ESD approval but 'disqualified' for payments - can I get back pay for multiple employer confusion?
After 8 excruciating weeks stuck in adjudication, my claim FINALLY got processed but I'm totally confused about what's happening now. When I check eServices, it shows my claim as 'approved' but all my weekly payments are marked as 'disqualified'?? Here's what happened: I was working two jobs - my main 40hr/week position at a marketing agency, and a weekend gig teaching community art classes one day a week. In March, I got laid off from my marketing job during a company restructure (no misconduct). That SAME WEEK, the art studio also let me go because they scheduled mandatory weekend training during hours I was supposed to be at my main job (which I didn't have anymore, but they didn't know that yet). ESD approved my claim for the marketing job but denied it for the art studio job. The determination letter says something about 'voluntary quit' for the art position which is NOT true - I literally got fired from both places in the same week! I'm supposed to be eligible for $876/week and I'm owed like $7,000 in back payments at this point. Will I actually see any of that money or am I screwed because of this weird split decision? Do I need to appeal the art studio part even though it was just a tiny part of my income?
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ESD asking for response to termination after 7 weeks - will missing weekly updates disqualify me?
I've been waiting 7 weeks on my unemployment claim with zero decision and finally got some movement today. ESD is now asking me to provide a response to why my employer terminated me. According to them, I was fired because I "missed turning in weekly updates and had missed a few in the past." Here's the thing - the last weekly update I missed (which triggered the firing) was because I was legitimately sick. I have a doctor's note proving it which I've already uploaded to my claim. I had missed a couple others previously (maybe 2-3 over 8 months), but always with valid reasons. I'm freaking out because I really need these benefits. Will ESD consider this misconduct and deny my claim? Does having the doctor's note for my last absence help my case? I've worked for this company for almost 3 years with mostly positive reviews until this happened.
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THE WORST PART is how they make us wait for WEEKS while bills pile up!!!! Why does it take 7+ weeks just to ask a simple question they could have asked day ONE?!?! The whole system is designed to make people give up. FIGHT FOR YOUR BENEFITS!!!!
so true... my neighbor gave up after 5 weeks and took a job paying way less than her old one just because she couldnt deal with esd anymore
ESD sent 1099-G tax form for $430 from 2025 but I haven't received benefits since 2020
Just got a 1099-G form in the mail saying I received $430 in unemployment benefits in 2025 with only $12 withheld for federal taxes. I haven't been on unemployment since 2020!! Has my identity been stolen? Is this a mistake by ESD? Anyone else dealing with this? I'm totally freaking out that someone has been claiming benefits in my name or that ESD has somehow reactivated an old claim without my knowledge. Do I need to report this to someone?
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After you report the fraud, you'll want to get a copy of your full ESD account record. You can request this through a public records request on their website. This will show all claim activity under your SSN, including what address and bank account information was used for the fraudulent claim. This evidence is super helpful for clearing things up with the IRS too.
Weekly UI claim stuck in 'Processing IVR' status - rent due but payment delayed
I'm panicking a bit right now. Every Sunday I file my weekly unemployment claim by phone (using the IVR system), usually around noon. Yesterday I couldn't do it until 5pm, and now it's still showing 'processing IVR' status in my account. Normally by this time it would be processed already! I was counting on this money to pay my rent TODAY and my landlord isn't exactly the understanding type. Is this normal when filing later in the day? Does the system just take longer to process evening claims? Has anyone experienced this before? Really stressing out that I might have done something wrong or that there's a problem with my claim.
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THE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO MAKE US WAIT!!! They PURPOSELY delay payments at end of month because they know rent is due!!! I've tracked this for MONTHS and ALWAYS slower at month-end! They want people to get evicted so they don't have to pay benefits anymore!!!
That's not actually how it works. The system processes claims in batches based on volume and staffing. Month-end might be slower because more people file then, creating higher volume, but it's not a conspiracy to cause evictions. ESD wants people to receive their benefits - that's literally their job.
OH SURE, believe whatever they tell you! I've been through 3 claims over 5 years and EVERY TIME the same pattern. Why would month-end have more claims when everyone files WEEKLY? Explain THAT!
UPDATE: My payment just processed! It switched from "Processing IVR" to "Paid" about an hour ago. Such a relief! Thanks everyone for the reassurance. I'll definitely be filing early on Sundays from now on. Lesson learned!
Great news! Glad it worked out. And yes, filing early is definitely the way to go, especially if you have time-sensitive bills.
yay!!! told u it would be fine :) the system just takes foreverrrrr sometimes
Waiting 7+ weeks for first ESD payment - no check yet, normal or problem?
I filed my initial unemployment claim 7 weeks ago and haven't received a single payment yet. My weekly claims all show as 'processed - pending' in the system but no money has hit my account. I verified my identity through ID.me right away and uploaded all the required documents. The only communication I've gotten was an automated email saying my claim needed additional review, but that was 5 weeks ago. I'm starting to panic because my savings are almost gone. Is this normal processing time in 2025 or is something wrong with my claim? Anyone else waiting this long for their first payment?
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has anyone gotten backpay for all the weeks they waiting? im on week 5 of waiting
Yes, as long as you've been filing your weekly claims during the waiting period, you will receive payment for all eligible weeks once your claim is approved. This is true even if it takes months to resolve. Just make sure you don't miss any weekly certifications while waiting.
UPDATE: Finally got through to ESD this morning using Claimyr! The agent found that my claim was flagged for manual review because my employer reported a slightly different last day of work than what I entered (I put my last day in the office, they put the official termination date which was 2 days later). The agent updated it and said my payments should process within 48-72 hours. Such a relief to finally know what was happening! Will update when money arrives.
UNBELIEVABLE how a tiny 2-day discrepancy can hold up your benefits for nearly 2 MONTHS!!! This system is BROKEN but glad you're finally getting somewhere!!!
This is actually a very common issue. The system automatically flags any discrepancy between claimant and employer information, even minor ones. Glad you got it resolved! For anyone else reading this - always use the official last day of employment from your separation notice, not your last physical day at work, to avoid these delays.
Diego Chavez
I'm an unemployment advocate, and I've seen this exact issue many times. The problem is that the ESD computer system sometimes incorrectly applies a disqualification from one employer to the entire claim. This is especially true when both separations happened close together. Two important points: 1. You are absolutely entitled to benefits based on your eligible employment (the marketing job). 2. This is 100% a technical issue that requires a claims specialist to manually review and correct in the system. The fastest resolution would be speaking directly with a claims specialist who can see both determinations and fix the payment status. Once corrected, your back payments should be processed within 48-72 hours typically. If you can't get through on the phone, try the Technical Support line (different from the regular claims line) early in the morning (right when they open). They often have shorter wait times and can transfer you to a claims specialist.
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NeonNebula
AuthorThank you for confirming this! It's reassuring to know I'm not misunderstanding my eligibility. I'll try the Technical Support line first thing tomorrow morning. If that doesn't work, I might try the Claimyr service someone mentioned above - at this point I'm desperate enough to try anything that might work.
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NeonNebula
UPDATE: I finally got through to ESD this morning using the Claimyr service someone recommended here. The claims specialist confirmed exactly what you all suspected - the system incorrectly applied the disqualification from my art studio job to my entire claim! The specialist was able to fix it right on the call and said my back payments should process within 3-5 business days. She also said I should see the status change from "disqualified" to "paid" in eServices within 24 hours. Thank you all SO MUCH for your help and advice. This has been such a stressful two months, and I'm incredibly relieved to know I'll finally be receiving the benefits I'm entitled to.
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Ravi Malhotra
congrats!! did u have to appeal anything or they just fixed it right away?
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NeonNebula
AuthorNo appeal needed! They fixed it immediately when the specialist saw both determinations in my file. She said it was clearly a system error in how the decisions were applied to my payments.
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