my brother works at esd (not supposed to say that but whatever) and he says clean applications with clear documentation are getting processed pretty quickly right now. its when people have multiple employers or unclear separation reasons that things get messy. if you have a simple work history and clear RIF documentation you should be fine. they're actually caught up on processing for once!

One last thing - make sure you sign up for your SAW (SecureAccess Washington) account before you start your application. Then link your ESD account to it. This seems small but it trips up a lot of people and leads to delays. And once you file, check your ESD account every day for messages or alerts. They sometimes add questionnaires or requests for information, and if you miss responding to those, your claim can be delayed or denied. Good luck! The system can be frustrating, but with proper documentation and attention to detail, you should get through it without major issues.

Contested claims are the worst - that's why you're having a different experience than OP. When an employer contests, it automatically goes into the deeper adjudication queue that WorkSource can't help with. Those honestly need a full ESD agent who can review the evidence from both sides. But yeah, I've noticed WorkSource chat is hit or miss depending on who you get and what your specific issue is.

That makes sense. Wish they'd just tell me that upfront rather than keeping me in the dark. Thanks for explaining!

Has anyone else noticed that the ESD website has been acting weird lately? Sometimes statuses show up incorrectly and then fix themselves a few days later. Maybe try clearing your browser cache or using a different browser to check your claim status again?

Based on everything you've shared, it sounds like you have multiple factors that could be causing the disqualification: seasonal work, partial week of work before layoff, and potentially a new employer who hasn't responded yet. This is exactly the kind of complicated situation where speaking directly with an ESD agent is necessary. Make sure to continue filing your weekly claims even while showing as disqualified. If your claim is eventually approved (which sounds likely based on what you've described), you'll be paid retroactively for all eligible weeks you've claimed. The important thing is maintaining an unbroken claim history while you get this sorted out.

Just wanted to follow up - were you able to get through to ESD? What did they say about the reapplication request? Others might benefit from knowing the resolution.

glad u got it figured out! esd systems r so frustrating sometimes!!

Ugh I know this feeling! My identity was stolen last year and it was a NIGHTMARE getting ESD to sort it out. Took me three months and I had to send in my passport, birth certificate, AND utility bills twice because they "lost" the first set. The adjudication is actually separate from the identity verification - they're two different departments. For the identity issue, you might need to go to a WorkSource office in person with your documents. That's what finally worked for me.

Thanks everyone for your help and advice. I'm going to try that Claimyr service tomorrow morning. I called WorkSource and they said they could see me next Tuesday for help with the identity verification, so at least that's something. I'm still submitting my weekly claims even though I can't log in (using the phone system). This whole experience has been so demoralizing - I've never needed unemployment before and had no idea it would be this complicated. I'll update once I hopefully get through to someone who can help.