Washington Unemployment
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Working part-time with ESD benefits - what counts for job search activities?
So I finally have a part-time position starting next week (yay after 3 months of searching!). I know I can claim partial unemployment while I'm working less than full-time, but I'm confused about the job search requirements. Since I'll be employed but still claiming benefits, I still need to do those 3 job search activities weekly, right? And here's what I'm overthinking: what activities are you all doing that count toward the requirements when you're not actively applying for jobs? Do workshops at WorkSource count? What about updating my resume? I feel like I'm making this harder than it needs to be but I don't want to mess up my claim.
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Lost ESD adjudicator message after 7 weeks - where to find read alerts?
Finally got an adjudicator to contact me after 7 WEEKS of waiting - only happened because I called the governor's office last Friday (was desperate). They sent me an Alert in eServices requesting additional information about my claim, but after I clicked and read it, I can't find it anywhere! The message had specific questions they needed answered by tomorrow, and now I'm panicking because I can't remember all the details they asked for. Once you read an Alert in eServices, where can you find it again? Is it stored somewhere in the portal? Does anyone know how to retrieve already-read messages? My benefit year is about to expire and I'm worried they'll deny my claim if I don't respond to their questions correctly.
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This system is BEYOND BROKEN. They make you wait 7 weeks, then hide the important messages in random places, then expect immediate responses or they'll deny your claim?? The people designing these systems have clearly NEVER been unemployed or they wouldn't make it so impossibly complicated. I've been dealing with ESD for 3 months and it's been nothing but problems. Call the governor's office again if they don't respond soon.
ikr? its almost like they WANT us to mess up so they can deny claims 🙄
Just wondering - did they ask you for information about your previous employer? I'm curious what kind of questions the adjudicator sent because I'm still waiting for mine to contact me (5 weeks and counting).
Yes, they wanted more details about why I left my last job. They asked for dates, any documentation I had about the separation, and contact information for my supervisor. They also asked if I had any additional information I wanted them to consider for my claim. Pretty standard stuff, but important to answer thoroughly!
ESD weekly claim question - job offer accepted but not starting until next week
I've been on unemployment for about 2 months and just got a job offer yesterday (yay!). The thing is, I don't actually start until next Monday. I'm confused about how to handle my weekly claim for this week. Do I need to report that I got a job offer even though I haven't started working yet? I don't want to mess anything up and get hit with an overpayment later. I know once I start working I'll report my hours and wages, but what about this weird in-between week? Has anyone dealt with this before?
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i think your still suposed to do job search stuff until u actually start working. ESD is really strict about that from what i heard. my friend got in trouble for not doing it the week before she started her new job last year
This is generally correct. Unless you're officially placed on standby status by ESD (which they sometimes do for that final week if you've accepted a job with a definite start date), you are required to complete and document your three job search activities each week you claim benefits. The safest approach is to continue your job search activities until your first day of work, then report your return to work on your next weekly claim.
Just to follow up - I looked up the exact ESD guidelines on this. When you file your weekly claim, you'll be asked: "Did you accept an offer of work from a new employer that has not yet started?" Answer YES to this, and provide the date you'll start working. You'll still get benefits for this week (assuming you meet all other requirements), but ESD will know you have work lined up. Regarding job search activities - technically you still need to do them UNLESS ESD specifically places you on standby for this final week (which sometimes happens automatically when you report accepting a job). So to be safe, I'd recommend doing your 3 activities just in case, unless you log into your eServices account and see you've been placed on standby status.
Thank you so much for looking that up! I just checked my eServices account and don't see anything about standby status, so I'll go ahead and do my job search activities to be safe. Really appreciate everyone's help here!
ESD approved my overpayment waiver without me applying - anyone received their refund/credit yet?
I'm still in shock after my phone call with ESD today! After being on hold for nearly 3 hours (seriously, my ear was numb), the agent told me something unexpected. They said I don't need to apply for an overpayment waiver because it was ALREADY approved for me automatically! The agent guaranteed "with 100% certainty" that my refund or "overpayment credit" had been approved. This is great news but now I'm confused and impatient. Has anyone else been told they were getting an automatic overpayment credit? If you've actually received yours, how much did you get compared to what you were originally told to pay back? And most importantly - HOW LONG did it take to actually see the money? I was originally hit with a $5,700 overpayment notice back in January, so I'm really hoping to see that money soon. The agent couldn't give me a timeframe which makes me nervous...
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EVERYONE LISTEN UP! ESD is under pressure from the state auditor to clear up these overpayment issues by the end of the fiscal year (June 30th). That's why they're suddenly approving waivers left and right. If you're going to call about your overpayment, DO IT BEFORE JUNE 30!! After that the new budget cycle starts and they won't be as motivated to clear cases. Speaking from experience working with state agencies!!!
Whoa, this is really good to know! I'll definitely follow up before June 30th then. Thanks for the insider perspective!
This information isn't entirely accurate. While ESD does have performance goals, there's no special June 30th deadline for overpayment waivers. The agency processes claims throughout the year regardless of the fiscal calendar. Wait times may vary based on claim volume, but the fiscal year end doesn't create a special window for approvals.
my sister got her overpayment credit about a month after they told her it was approved. it was exactly the same amount as what they originally said she owed. but she said it just appeared in her bank account with no warning or explanation lol. typical esd
One month would be amazing compared to what others are saying! Glad your sister got hers. I'll keep an eye on my bank account then, sounds like they don't always notify you when it's coming.
ESD claim stuck in pending for 8 weeks after submitting ID and SSI verification - need help!
I'm at my wits' end here. My unemployment claim has been sitting in 'pending' status for 8 WEEKS now! All they asked for was my ID and proof of my SSI benefits, which I uploaded immediately through my eServices account. I've tried calling every single day for the past month but either get disconnected or am told the wait time exceeds 2 hours (and then I still get disconnected!). The online message center doesn't seem to work either - sent 3 messages and got zero responses. My rent is coming due AGAIN and I'm about to be evicted if I can't get this resolved. Has anyone experienced a similar delay with identity verification? Is there any secret to getting through to an actual human being at ESD? I'm desperate for any advice at this point.
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Have you claimed every week even though you're pending? YOU MUST CLAIM EVERY WEEK or they'll close your whole claim and you'll have to start over!!! This happened to my brother and he lost 6 weeks of backpay because he stopped claiming while waiting for them to fix his pending status.
Yes, I've been religiously filing every Sunday no matter what. That's one thing I made sure to keep up with. Thanks for the warning though - I can imagine how frustrating that would be to lose all that backpay!
Just wanted to follow up - what ended up working for you? I'm helping several people with similar issues and would love to know which approach finally got your claim moving.
I actually took the advice about going to WorkSource in person. The staff there called someone directly at ESD while I was there. Turns out there was a system flag because my SSI benefit amount changed slightly in February (cost of living increase), but I had uploaded my older award letter. Once I provided the updated letter, they removed the hold and processed my claim within 48 hours. Got all my backpay in one lump sum! Definitely recommend the in-person WorkSource approach if anyone else is stuck.
Sergio Neal
i had part time work last year and i missed one week of doing job searches cause i thought i didnt have to since i was working 30 hours that week... got disqualified and had to appeal!!! dont make my mistake!! even if ur working u still need 3 activities EVERY WEEK u claim benefits no exceptions!!!
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Alana Willis
AuthorOmg thank you for the warning! I definitely don't want to deal with an appeal. Was the appeal process difficult?
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Tyler Murphy
One important detail: If your part-time job becomes full-time (32+ hours per week) OR if your gross earnings exceed 1.33 times your weekly benefit amount for four consecutive weeks, you'll no longer be eligible for benefits regardless of job search activities. Make sure you accurately report all hours and earnings each week to avoid overpayment issues later.
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Alana Willis
AuthorGood point! My weekly benefit is $625 so I'll need to watch if I earn more than $831 for multiple weeks. Thanks for explaining that 1.33 calculation - I was confused about how that worked.
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