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I HATE how they keep changing the rules!!! During covid we had all these extensions and now NOTHING?? I exhausted my benefits in January and have been living on credit cards since then. The whole system is designed to force us to take garbage jobs that don't even pay enough to cover rent. What happened to all the BILLIONS in the unemployment trust fund?? They just don't want to pay it out!!!
To clarify, the extensions during COVID were emergency federal programs that were always designed to be temporary. The current system has actually returned to the pre-pandemic rules rather than changing to something new. Washington's trust fund is specifically regulated by law for when and how benefits can be paid, including the triggers for Extended Benefits. The recent lower unemployment rate means fewer people qualify for benefits overall.
One other thing to consider - make sure you file your final weekly claim even after receiving the notice that your benefits are exhausting. Sometimes people miss out on their final week of benefits because they stop filing when they get the exhaustion notice. Also, if you do decide to pursue training benefits, you'll need to act fast. The approval process can take several weeks, and ideally, you want that approval before your regular UI ends. WorkSource can help with the training program approval process as well.
Quick update on your pension question - I want to clarify something important. In Washington state, pension income generally only affects UI benefits if: 1. The pension is from a base period employer (which yours is not), AND 2. The base period employer contributed to or maintained the pension plan (again, not applicable in your case) Given your father's pension is from employment that ended years ago with a different employer than his most recent one, I'm even more confident this overpayment notice is in error. This is clearly spelled out in RCW 50.04.323 if you want to reference the exact law in your appeal.
One thing nobody mentioned - if your new job doesn't work out within the year, you can restart your claim without filing a whole new application. Just log back in and start filing weekly claims again. That happened to me when a contract job suddenly ended after 2 months. Made things much easier!
Quick update for you - ESD recently announced they're working through a backlog of adjudications from December/January. If yours started around that time, that might explain the delay. They've apparently hired additional staff to address the backlog, so hopefully you'll see movement soon. Just keep checking your account for updates.
my cousin works at worksorce and she said they had a big system crash on sunday night. something about a database update gone wrong. shes not in IT but thats what shes hearing from her manager
Vanessa Chang
Great point about the contact info. I still have mail forwarding set up from my WA address, but I should make sure they have my current direct address and phone number from the start.
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Vanessa Chang
Thanks everyone for the advice! Sounds like I should just file online and be prepared for the wait. I'll make sure I have all my documentation ready, explain my out-of-state situation clearly, and maybe try that Claimyr service if I get stuck in adjudication. Definitely saved me from wasting money on a flight!
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