I want to emphasize that timing matters when filing. Since you voluntarily quit on October 6th and it's now late October, you should file right away. You don't want to wait too long as it could affect your claim. Also, make sure you report any earnings from your new job when filing weekly claims - failing to do so could result in an overpayment issue later.

Don't forget to prepare for the possibility of an appeal hearing if they initially deny your claim. Washington state has a high rate of reversals at the appeal level for these types of cases. Make sure you have documentation ready about: 1) The original incident with details about the medication theft, 2) Proof that management knew about your concerns when they rehired this person, 3) Any communications showing you tried to resolve this before quitting. I'd recommend preparing your narrative now while everything is fresh in your mind.

Have you considered part-time work options? Sometimes you can find a higher-paying part-time position in your field (even 20-25 hours) that pays more than a full-time job in a different industry. The medical field usually has more flexible options than IT, but both industries do have contract and part-time work. This could be a better stopgap than taking a full-time position with a massive pay cut.\n\nAlso, Washington has a Shared Work program for employers, so sometimes looking specifically at companies participating in that program might lead to opportunities that could later become full-time.

That's a really good point about part-time specialized work potentially paying more than full-time lower-skilled work. I hadn't thought about that angle. I've seen some remote medical coding/billing positions with flexible hours, so I'll expand my search to include those options. My spouse has started looking at IT gig work too. Thanks for the perspective shift!

Thanks everyone for the helpful responses! I'm going to gather my documentation and see if taking the itemized deduction or the tax credit makes more sense in my situation. Might talk to a tax professional too just to make sure I'm doing it right. I'll update here if I learn anything useful that might help others in the same boat.

Wait i just thought of something... did u get a letter from ESD showing how much u paid back? make sure u have that for ur tax records!!!!

Based on everything you've shared, it sounds like your claim is almost certainly in adjudication due to the severance payment. Here's what I recommend: 1. Continue filing your weekly claims on time, even if you're not getting paid yet 2. Document all your job search activities meticulously 3. Try calling ESD at the moment they open (typically 8:00 AM) as that's when you have the best chance of getting through 4. If you can't reach them by phone after several attempts, consider sending a secure message through your online account specifically asking about the severance review status The good news is that once they resolve the adjudication, you should receive all back payments for the weeks you've claimed, assuming you're found eligible. The waiting is definitely stressful, but stay proactive about following up.

when i filed back in november it took almost 9 weeks to get paid!!! i called like 50 times and either got busy signals or was on hold for hours just to get disconnected. the whole system is a joke. but at least when they finally paid me they gave me everything backpaid so i wasn't completely screwed. just completely stressed out for 2 months lol

Based on everything you've described, this sounds like what we call an "invisible adjudication" issue. Sometimes claims get flagged internally for review without any notification to the claimant. Since it's been over a month since your approval letter, I strongly recommend taking proactive steps: 1. Keep trying to call ESD first thing in the morning (7:00am) 2. Send a secure message through the portal specifically mentioning the approval letter date and that all weeks are still pending 3. Contact your state representative's office - they often have dedicated ESD liaisons who can help Most importantly, continue filing your weekly claims correctly while you wait. If your issue is resolved, you'll receive all backdated payments for properly filed weeks.

Just wanted to update everyone - I finally got this resolved! After trying for days, I used that Claimyr service someone mentioned above and actually got through to ESD in about 20 minutes. Turns out there was a random flag on my account because my former employer had provided slightly different dates than I did. The agent cleared it immediately and released all my payments! Should have the money in 2-3 business days. What a relief! Thanks to everyone who helped.