I had this happen last summer - got approved for both programs at once. What worked for me was going IN PERSON to the WorkSource office in Lacey. Even though they're separate from ESD technically, the supervisor there was able to call an internal ESD number and get me connected to someone who could help. Took about 3 hours of waiting but it worked when nothing else did.

Quick update on the form situation since there seems to be confusion: The Benefit Payment Refund process changed in late 2024. You now have three options: 1. Online: Use the Benefit Return Portal (though as someone mentioned, it can be glitchy) 2. Phone: Get through to ESD and request a payment reversal (only works if payment is less than 5 days old) 3. Mail: You can still use the form method, but it's now form ESD-5617 not 5314 Also important - make sure to update your PFMLA application to show the exact weeks you received unemployment. This prevents PFMLA from overpaying you as well, creating a second problem.

my cousin works for esd (not posting which office lol) and she says this happens ALL THE TIME. the computer system is from like 1985 or something ridiculous. she says the approval letter trumps the online status every time but you gotta call to get someone to manually fix it in the system.

UPDATE: I called ESD this morning (got through after 14 attempts) and spoke with a very helpful agent. She confirmed that my claim is APPROVED despite the online status showing disqualified. She manually removed the disqualification flag and said my backpay for the last 7 weeks should process within 48-72 hours! HUGE relief! Thanks everyone for your advice!

After you get through to ESD and fix the restart date, make sure to double-check that you've met the job search requirements for that week too. Even though it was for training, you still need to list 3 job search activities unless he has formal standby status. Just wanting to make sure you don't hit another roadblock after fixing the date issue!

Just to follow up - were you able to reach ESD and get the restart date fixed? Union training weeks can be tricky in the system, but they should be able to resolve this if you explain the situation clearly.

btw my friend who works at esd says they look at if u tried to fix the problem b4 quitting. like did u talk to ur boss about the overtime? did u try to fix the schedule? did u report to HR? make sure u have proof u tried to fix it first!!!

If you do decide to quit and file, be prepared for a LONG adjudication process. Quit claims almost always go to adjudication, which means an ESD adjudicator will interview both you and your employer separately. They'll ask detailed questions about the situation and want to see your evidence. I'd recommend preparing a written timeline of events with dates and a summary of how you tried to resolve the issues before quitting. Also, be ready for your employer to potentially fight your claim and present their own version of events.

lol remember when everyone was saying how much better ESD had gotten after the pandemic?? still the same old garbage systems and impossible to reach anyone 🙄

Quick update for you - I just helped someone last week with this exact situation. There's a specific form you should fill out called the "Request for Refund of Recouped Benefits" that you can find in your eServices account under "Upload a Document." This isn't well known, but it can start the process without having to call. Still, calling will speed things up considerably once you've submitted the form.