honestly the whole system is broken. been unemployed for 4 months and still havent gotten a single payment. at this point im looking into legal options

Update: I tried the Claimyr service that was mentioned earlier and it actually worked! Got connected to an agent in about 30 minutes. Turns out they needed additional employment verification that I never knew about. Finally got my claim moving again. Thanks everyone for the suggestions!

This is such an important thread for people to see! I had no idea that ESD was supposed to pay interest on money they incorrectly collected during overpayment disputes. I went through an overpayment appeal in 2019 that took over a year to resolve, and I won completely, but I never received any interest payment or was even told that was something I should expect. Reading through everyone's experiences here, it sounds like this is a widespread issue where ESD just hasn't been properly handling these interest payments. I'm definitely going to call them and ask about "post-appeal interest payments" for my case. For anyone else reading this who won an overpayment appeal in the past few years - it might be worth checking if you're owed interest too. Based on what people are sharing, it seems like ESD is finding these cases through their own audit process, but they're not being proactive about notifying people. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and especially to Ryan for following up with the resolution!

This thread is a goldmine of information! As someone new to this community, I'm shocked to learn that ESD has apparently been failing to pay interest on money they incorrectly collected during overpayment appeals. It makes me wonder how many other people are walking around not knowing they're owed hundreds or even thousands of dollars. What really strikes me is how this seems to be a systemic issue - multiple people sharing similar stories of winning appeals but never receiving the interest they were legally entitled to. And the fact that ESD is only discovering these cases through their own internal audit rather than having proper systems in place from the beginning is pretty concerning. For anyone reading this who has won an overpayment appeal in recent years, it definitely seems worth making that phone call to ask about "post-appeal interest payments." Based on what people are sharing here, the amounts can be substantial, especially if your appeal process took many months to resolve. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this is exactly the kind of information that can really help people!

I went through something similar when I was laid off from my logistics job last year. I enrolled in online Excel and data analysis courses while collecting unemployment. The key is definitely transparency - I reported it every week and emphasized that the courses were completely flexible and wouldn't prevent me from accepting work. What really helped me was creating a simple document that outlined my weekly schedule showing how I balanced job searching, the online courses, and maintaining full availability for employment. I never had to submit it, but having it ready gave me peace of mind and clear talking points if ESD ever called. The courses ended up being super valuable - I actually got hired at a company that was impressed I used my unemployment time productively to build relevant skills. Just make sure you're still hitting all your job search requirements and can honestly say you're available to start work immediately if offered a position. Sounds like you've got the right approach!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! As someone who's currently on unemployment and considering online courses myself, I really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences - both positive and negative. The consensus seems clear: be completely transparent with ESD, report the training every week, and make sure you can demonstrate that the courses won't interfere with your availability for work. @McKenzie Shade's overpayment story is a perfect example of why honesty upfront is so crucial, even if it seems like extra hassle. One thing I'm wondering about - for those who successfully reported online training, did you notice any impact on how quickly your weekly claims were processed? I know @Natalie Khan mentioned being in adjudication for 10 days initially, but curious if there were any ongoing delays once ESD approved the training situation. Thanks again to everyone who shared their experiences and advice. This is exactly the kind of real-world guidance that's so hard to find in the official ESD materials!

I'm dealing with a similar disqualification issue right now and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I just want to add that if you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD by phone, try calling right when they open at 8:00 AM - that's when I had the most luck. Also, when you do get through, ask them to email you a copy of your determination letter if you haven't received it yet. Sometimes the mail gets delayed but they can send it electronically. Don't get discouraged - the appeal process really does work if you have the documentation to back up your case. Keep all your paperwork organized and make copies of everything before you submit it!

I just want to echo what others have said about not giving up if you know you were legitimately laid off. The same thing happened to my brother - he was part of a company-wide layoff but his employer reported it as job abandonment to avoid paying unemployment taxes. He was initially disqualified but won his appeal after providing his layoff notice and getting statements from other employees who were laid off the same day. The whole process took about 2 months but he received full back pay. Make sure to document everything - dates, conversations with supervisors, any written notices you received. Even if you don't have formal paperwork, witness statements from coworkers can be really powerful evidence. The hearing officers understand that some employers try to game the system, so they're usually pretty thorough in reviewing the evidence. Good luck with your appeal!

UPDATE: Payment finally switched to 'paid' this morning! Took exactly 8 business days from when I filed. Still don't know what caused the delay but at least it's resolved. Thanks everyone for the advice and reassurance.

So glad to hear your payment finally cleared! I've been following this thread because I'm dealing with the exact same issue right now - filed Sunday, still pending as of today. Your timeline gives me hope that mine should resolve soon too. It's crazy how stressful these delays can be when you're counting on that money. Thanks for updating us with the good news!