One more important tip: While waiting for your appeal hearing, make sure you're actively seeking work and documenting your job search activities (minimum 3 per week). Even though your claim is denied and under appeal, you'll need to show you've been meeting all requirements during this time if you want to receive backpay for these weeks once you win your appeal.

Thank you everyone for all this helpful information! I feel much better knowing what to expect now. I'll keep an eye on my mail, continue filing my weekly claims, and start gathering all my evidence to be prepared for the hearing. Really appreciate all of you taking the time to share your experiences!

Just wanted to add my experience - I had my overpayment waived last year and got back the money I'd paid, but completely forgot about two weeks that never got paid during the investigation. When I realized it months later and called about it, they told me it was too late to claim those weeks. Apparently there's some time limit (I think 30 days?) after your eligibility is confirmed to request those unpaid weeks. So definitely don't wait to contact them!

One more suggestion - when you do get through to ESD, ask for a claims specialist who is familiar with overpayment waivers and redeterminations. Not all agents are equally knowledgeable about this specific situation. If the first person you speak with seems unsure, politely ask to be transferred to someone who specializes in post-waiver claims processing. Also, if you run into resistance, mention RCW 50.20.190, which is the Washington state law governing unemployment overpayments and waivers. The fact that your waiver was approved establishes that you were eligible for benefits during that period, which should apply to all weeks during your eligible period.

One additional recommendation: Keep a copy of your response and any documentation you send to ESD. Take a photo or make a photocopy before mailing. If you can submit online through your eServices account, that's even better as it creates an electronic record. Having documentation of your timely response can be crucial if there's any follow-up required.

update us after u hear back! curious what happens cuz i might be going out of town next month too

i had almost the exact same situation last year except i quit because of workplace harassment not family reasons. took forever to get a hearing but when i finally did i won my case! hang in there and def keep all your documentation organized. the judge at my hearing was actually pretty fair once i got there.

Update: I contacted my state representative's office this morning and amazingly they were super helpful! The staff person took down all my info and said they'd reach out to ESD on my behalf. I also tried the Claimyr service that someone recommended here, and I FINALLY got through to an actual ESD agent. They told me my hearing is actually scheduled for April 8th but the notice was just sent out yesterday! Talk about cutting it close. Anyway, I'm now frantically organizing all my documentation. Thank you all for the advice and support. This system is absolutely broken, but at least I have a date now and can prepare my case.

To answer your follow-up question about documentation: You typically don't need to provide documentation upfront when adding an employer. However, ESD may contact you later for verification if they can't confirm your employment through other means. If they do request verification, pay stubs, an offer letter, or direct deposit records are usually sufficient. I recommend keeping these documents handy just in case. You might also want to inform your out-of-state employer that you've filed for unemployment in Washington, as ESD may contact them to verify your employment and earnings.

You got the math right! If your weekly benefit amount is $750, you can earn up to $187.50 without reduction. If you earn $300 in a week, your benefit would be reduced to $637.50 ($750 - ($300 - $187.50)). I track mine on a spreadsheet each week to make sure I understand what my benefit should be. It helps catch any potential errors in the system before they become bigger problems. Also, an important tip: make sure you report your gross earnings for the week you WORKED, not when you got paid. This trips up a lot of people!