To clarify a point about reporting: When you file your weekly claim, you'll need to report that your employment ended. When asked why, select the most accurate option available - usually something like "discharged" or "fired" rather than "quit." ESD will then likely send you a questionnaire about the separation or schedule a phone interview. This is where you can explain the full situation with the lack of formal warnings and the context of promised hours that never materialized. For your job search, make sure you're focusing on positions that would be considered "suitable work" based on your skills and experience. The WorkSource training program is excellent - make sure ESD knows you're participating in this, as it demonstrates your commitment to reemployment. If you need immediate assistance with bills while waiting for this to resolve, ask WorkSource about emergency assistance programs that might be available to you.

Thank you all so much for the advice and support. I feel a little less panicked now. I have my weekly claim coming up in 2 days, so I'll report the job ending accurately and be prepared for questions. I'm going to try calling ESD first thing tomorrow, and if I can't get through, I might try that Claimyr service someone mentioned. I really can't afford to wait weeks for a decision without knowing what's happening. I'll also contact my WorkSource advisor tomorrow to see if they can provide any documentation about my participation in the training program that might help my case. I'll update here if I learn anything that might help others in a similar situation!

One additional note: when you do finally reach an agent, ask them to document in your file that you've been attempting to contact ESD regularly. This can be important if they try to say you were non-responsive to some request you never received. Also, make sure you have a clear and accurate record of your last employer, including the correct business name (sometimes the legal name is different from what employees call it), their ESD reference number if you have it, and exact dates of employment. Having these details ready can sometimes help them clear up issues on the spot. Keep in mind that adjudicators and regular ESD agents are different - regular agents can see what's causing the hold but often can't adjudicate the claim themselves. However, they CAN add notes to your file that the adjudicator will see, which is why being specific about your situation when you do reach someone is so important.

UPDATE: I finally got through to ESD this morning! Called about 40 times starting at exactly 8am. The agent confirmed my employer DID respond promptly (not the issue) but apparently there was a discrepancy between the reason for separation I listed (layoff) and some auto-categorization in their system that flagged it as "lack of work" which are technically different things in their system. The agent added detailed notes to my file and said an adjudicator should contact me within 3-5 business days. Fingers crossed this actually happens! Will update when I hear more.

dont forget 2 look into rental assistance and utility help programs while waiting!! most counties have emergency programs 4 single parents. also food banks saved me when i was waiting on my claim last year

One more tip - download and save a copy of your determination letter and appeal confirmation. ESD's website can be glitchy, and you don't want to lose access to important documents. I take screenshots of everything now because I've had stuff disappear from my online account before.

my cousin works at a temp place and he just puts "no work available" when he files his weekly claim. maybe try that next time??

FINAL UPDATE: I used Claimyr this morning and got through to ESD in about 30 minutes! The agent was really helpful and found TWO problems: 1) The temp agency had reported my husband as having "quit" when he actually just wasn't given any more assignments. The agent corrected this and removed the disqualification. 2) They had miscalculated his base year by using 2025 Q1-Q4 instead of including the higher-paying Q4 2024. They're fixing this too and said his weekly benefit should go back up. The agent said both issues should be resolved within 72 hours and any missed payments will be back-paid. Such a relief! For anyone dealing with temp agency work, make sure you select "lack of work/no work available" not "voluntary leave" when filing weekly claims. And THANK YOU everyone for your help - this forum literally saved us from disaster.

Quick update on waiver processing times - I just had a meeting with the ESD overpayment unit supervisor yesterday. They're currently processing waivers from mid-July, so there's about a 7-month backlog. They've hired additional staff for review, but each waiver requires checking against both federal and state eligibility rules from the pandemic period, which involves manual review of documentation. Important note: Make sure your current contact information is updated in the system. They're sending requests for additional information by mail and email, and if you miss responding to these requests, your waiver could be denied by default.

After reading everyone's experiences, I think we need to recognize this is a systemic issue affecting thousands of people. The Covid benefit programs were chaotic, with changing guidance from both federal and state levels. While waiting for your waiver to be processed: 1. Request a formal hold on collections through eServices (as mentioned above) 2. Document all communications with ESD (dates, times, representative names) 3. Check your spam folder regularly for ESD communications 4. Contact your state representative if it's been over 4 months 5. Consider filing a formal appeal if collections are continuing despite a pending waiver The good news is that I've seen very few waiver denials so far - most are being approved, just very slowly.