Washington Unemployment
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ESD sending conflicting letters - approved for benefits but now they want medical documentation?
I'm really confused and frustrated with ESD right now. I lost my job on January 18th (Wednesday) and filed my unemployment claim starting January 22nd. Yesterday, I got this weird notification dated March 7th saying ESD thinks I was unable to work for the week of January 15-21. They wanted me to fill out some form, which I did, and I indicated I was able and available to work. I didn't attach any documents because honestly, how do I prove I was unemployed for just those 2-3 days? Plus, my claim actually starts January 22nd, so I'm not even claiming benefits for those days! This morning I woke up to THREE new letters from ESD. The first one is asking for medical information to determine if I qualify for unemployment (what??). The other two are determination letters saying I'm APPROVED for benefits starting January 22nd. I'm completely baffled. I've tried calling multiple times but can't get through. The last time I managed to speak with someone (when they called ME a few days ago), they said they were just then looking at a message I'd sent over a month ago! They said an adjudicator would start reviewing my case in 2-2.5 weeks, but it's only been a day since that call and now I have these conflicting determination letters. Has anyone dealt with this kind of confusion from ESD? Should I respond to the medical information request even though I never claimed any medical issues and I've apparently been approved anyway? I'm afraid if I ignore it, they'll reverse my approval.
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ESD requesting medical documents for standby when workplace flooded?
Is anyone else dealing with bizarre ESD requests? My workplace got hit with a major water main break last week - literally 4 feet of water throughout the facility. Boss told everyone to apply for standby unemployment while repairs happen (probably 3-4 weeks). I submitted my claim explaining the situation, checked the standby box, and included my employer's contact info. Today I got a notification saying I need to upload MEDICAL DOCUMENTS?? What medical documents would I possibly have for a workplace flood? Has the ESD system completely lost it? My coworkers applied too but haven't heard back yet. Anyone know what's going on or how to fix this without spending days trying to reach someone on the phone?
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UPDATE: Finally got this resolved! Used that Claimyr service someone mentioned below and actually got through to ESD in about 30 minutes! The agent confirmed exactly what you all said - the system had incorrectly flagged my standby claim as medical standby instead of employer-requested standby. She fixed it immediately and told me my claim should process normally now. Thanks everyone for the help and advice! For anyone else dealing with this issue, definitely worth paying to get through rather than waiting weeks for them to respond to messages.
Glad you got it resolved! Just a quick follow-up tip: make sure you still complete your weekly claims while waiting for this to process. Even though it should be approved now, it's important to have those weekly claims on file so there's no gap in your benefit payments.
Fired after reporting COVID exposure at school - ESD claim stuck in pending for 4 weeks
I've been waiting nearly 4 weeks with my ESD claim stuck in 'pending' after being terminated from my position with the Renton school district. I was let go without warning on March 15th when I reported that family members in my household had tested positive for COVID. The district admin told me to leave immediately, and later that day, the staffing agency I was contracted through called saying I was being terminated because I had taken two separate sick leaves in February. I had documentation from my doctor for both absences - one for a respiratory infection and another for conjunctivitis. I wasn't given any prior warnings about attendance issues or placed on any improvement plan. Two days after being terminated, I also tested positive for COVID, which I believe I was exposed to at work. This whole situation feels incredibly unfair. Has anyone experienced something similar with school district contracts? How long should a claim stay in 'pending' status before I should start worrying? The ESD website just shows the same status day after day with no updates or requests for additional information.
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be super careful with how u answer the weekly claim questions!! my boyfriend got fired from his warehouse job and his claim was pending forever until we realized he accidentally clicked YES to 'did you refuse any work' when he meant NO. small mistakes can trigger adjudication and then ur stuck for weeks. double check everything!!!
Oh no, I'm going to go back and check my weekly claim responses! I've been doing them half-asleep some mornings, so I hope I didn't make any mistakes. Thanks for the warning!
After reading through your responses, I think you're dealing with a combination of issues: 1) A separation that requires adjudication due to potential misconduct allegations, 2) Possible delays due to involving both a staffing agency and school district, and 3) The normal ESD backlog. One thing worth mentioning - if your claim is approved and you're found eligible, you'll get paid for all those weeks you've been claiming while in pending status. So keep filing those weekly claims! If the Claimyr service helps you reach an agent, ask them to specifically check if your claim needs to be manually moved to an adjudicator's queue, and whether your employer(s) have responded to their separation questionnaire.
Thank you so much for this insight! That's a relief to know I'll get paid for the weeks I've been filing if approved. I'll make sure to ask those specific questions if I get through to an agent. This community has been so helpful - I was feeling completely lost in the ESD system.
ESD claim ends in January 2025 but only got 13 weeks instead of 26 - can I extend my claim duration?
Hi all! Feeling super stressed about my unemployment timeline and hoping someone can help. I started claiming UI at the end of October and just noticed my benefit year says it ends January 28, 2025. But instead of getting the full 26 weeks everyone talks about, I'm only showing about 13 weeks of benefits. The weird thing is, my monetary determination shows I have enough funds in my account to cover more weeks. Is there some way to extend the actual time period of my claim? I'm in healthcare and our hiring seasons are weird, so I'm worried about finding something before my benefits run out. Has anyone dealt with this short timeframe issue before? Any advice on how to get my claim extended for another 8 weeks would be amazing. Thanks in advance!
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i used that claimyr thing someone mentioned above when i couldn't get thru for 3 weeks straight. it worked but just know u gotta pay for it. seemed worth it to me tho cuz i was going crazy trying to talk to someone!
Thanks for confirming it works! I'm definitely considering it if I can't get through tomorrow morning. At this point, getting this fixed is worth the cost to me.
Just to close the loop on your question - yes, a properly filed Combined Wage Claim would potentially give you more weeks if your Oregon wages are substantial enough to impact your total. The good news is that if ESD approves your CWC request, they'll recalculate your claim and potentially backdate the adjustment, so you shouldn't lose any benefits you're entitled to. One more tip: when you get through to ESD, ask specifically for an agent who handles Combined Wage Claims. Not all agents are familiar with the process, and you want someone who knows exactly what to do.
Thank you for this additional information! I'll definitely ask for someone who specializes in Combined Wage Claims. I'm feeling so much more informed now thanks to everyone's help. I'll update here once I get through to ESD and hear what they say about my situation.
ESD confused my work history - wrong employer in my appeal hearing!
I'm completely lost in an ESD nightmare right now. My claim has been a 13-week disaster and I think they've mixed up which employment I'm appealing! Timeline of this mess: 1. Filed for benefits after being TERMINATED from my most recent job (Company B) 2. Had to go through identity verification which took forever 3. ESD claimed they couldn't verify I worked at Company B even though I uploaded pay stubs showing their name right on them! 4. Then they denied my claim saying I QUIT my previous job (Company A) - which yes, I did quit over a year ago before starting at Company B 5. I filed an appeal about the denial based on Company B (where I was terminated) 6. Just got my hearing notice and it says I'm appealing the fact that I quit Company A... which I'm NOT! I'm so confused! The whole point is I was terminated from Company B and eligible for benefits. Why is my hearing about the job I quit over a year ago? Did I mess up the appeal paperwork somehow? Is this normal? The hearing is next week and I'm afraid they're going to be asking all the wrong questions. It's been over 3 months since I filed and I'm running out of savings. Anyone dealt with ESD mixing up employers like this? What should I do at the hearing?
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btw something else to know - in the hearing they record EVERYTHING so speak clearly and don't interrupt the judge. i did that in mine and the judge got super annoyed. also have all your dates memorized because they'll ask specific questions about when you started/ended each job. good luck!!
One last thing to prepare for: Even after you address the voluntary quit from Company A using the purge period evidence, they will still examine whether your termination from Company B qualifies you for benefits. Make sure you're also prepared to discuss: 1. The exact reason for your termination from Company B 2. Any warnings you received prior to termination 3. Whether you violated any company policies 4. Any documentation of the termination reason If you were terminated for misconduct, you could still be disqualified regardless of resolving the Company A issue. Misconduct includes things like willful disregard of employer interests, violation of reasonable policies after warnings, dishonesty, etc. However, if you were terminated for performance issues despite your best efforts, inability to meet job requirements despite trying, or business reasons (layoff, reduction in force), these are NOT misconduct and shouldn't disqualify you.
Fortunately, I was terminated from Company B due to a reduction in force. They eliminated my entire department due to budget cuts. I have the termination letter stating this, so I should be OK on that front. I'm hoping once we get past the Company A voluntary quit issue with the purge period evidence, the Company B termination will be straightforward since it was clearly not misconduct.
Mateo Perez
i think they just get confused when ur last day is mid-week. same happened 2 me. the system doesnt know what to do with those few days b4 the official claim week starts. dont worry 2 much about it
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Nia Davis
The system doesn't know what to do?? That's RIDICULOUS! They've been processing unemployment claims for DECADES and they still can't figure out how to handle someone who lost their job mid-week? This is exactly the kind of incompetence that drives me crazy about ESD!
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Aisha Rahman
Just an update on what I learned after going through something similar - the medical documentation request often happens if the system thinks there's ANY question about your availability for work. The reason you got both approval letters AND the medical request is that claims processing and eligibility reviews happen on parallel tracks at ESD. Your best bet is to call and speak directly with an agent who can look at your full file and clear this up. They can often override or cancel erroneous documentation requests. The key is explaining that you have no medical restrictions and have been able and available for work since becoming unemployed. Also, don't be surprised if your payments still start coming through while this medical documentation issue is pending. ESD's different departments don't always coordinate in real-time.
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Zara Malik
AuthorOh, parallel processing actually makes sense - that would explain the contradictory letters all arriving at once. I'll definitely try to get through to an agent to explain the situation. It's good to know payments might still come through in the meantime. Thanks for the insights!
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