Don't worry! This is totally normal. I'm on my second month of unemployment and here's my experience: ESD shows "paid" on Wednesday but the money doesn't hit my account until Friday morning almost EVERY WEEK. It's just how their system works. Their "paid" status just means they've approved it, not that they've actually sent the money that exact day. Banks also don't process ACH transfers on weekends, so if tomorrow is Friday, I bet you'll see it then!

glad u got ur $$$! one less thing to stress about!

Back in 2020 during COVID I never got my 1099-G and filed without it. BIG MISTAKE. IRS came after me 6 months later saying I underreported income. Had to pay penalties on top of the taxes I owed. Don't mess around with this form!

Thank you all for the helpful responses! I was able to find the 1099-G form right where you all said - in the main menu of eServices under "1099-G Tax Forms." I feel silly for missing it before. For anyone else looking, you can also request a copy by phone if needed. This community is amazing!

I'd like to add some clarification about working while on unemployment: 1) You must report all hours and earnings, even for one day of work 2) The formula is: Weekly benefit - (gross earnings × 0.75) = adjusted benefit 3) You must still be available for full-time work to qualify for benefits 4) Substitute teaching hours are compatible with UI as long as you remain available for full-time permanent work 5) If working as a substitute, make sure you're reporting your hours correctly - count prep time if required A common mistake is not reporting small amounts of work, which can lead to overpayment notices later. Always report everything, even if it's just a few hours.

What about applying for TANF or other assistance programs once unemployment runs out?? Has anyone done that? Does one automatically qualify if UI benefits are exhausted??

Always continue filing your weekly claims, even while appeals are pending! This is the #1 mistake people make. If you win your appeal but haven't been filing, you can't go back and claim those weeks later. Also, check your determination letters carefully. They should specify exactly which weeks were affected by which issue. If the disqualification letter only mentions the travel week, you have an even stronger case for getting the other weeks reconsidered.

Based on everything you've shared, you're absolutely entitled to backpay for 6 of those 7 weeks. This is a fairly common ESD system error that requires manual intervention to fix. Your determination letters are the smoking gun here - save those carefully! I would suggest two parallel approaches: 1. File the appeal as others have suggested (you have 30 days from determination date) 2. Try persistently to reach an agent who can fix this more quickly than waiting for an appeal The appeal is your safety net, but getting through to ESD directly could resolve this faster. Good luck and please update us on what happens!

Just wanted to mention - make sure you're still filing your weekly claims even while your initial claim is pending! I made this mistake and it caused even more delays. If your initial claim eventually gets approved, you'll only get backpay for weeks you properly claimed.

Any update on your situation? Did you try contacting your rep or using that Claimyr service that was mentioned? I'm curious which approach worked for you as I might be in the same boat soon (my company just announced layoffs).

Yes, it actually worked! I was skeptical too, but after 3 weeks of failing to get through on my own, I was willing to try anything. I got connected to an ESD agent within a few hours. The agent told me that my 'disqualified' weekly claims were just showing that way while my claim was in adjudication, and she was able to expedite my claim since it had been pending for so long. All my weekly claims switched from 'disqualified' to 'paid' about 2 days later. Huge relief after weeks of stress!

Update: I've seen several cases in the past month where weekly claims show as 'disqualified' during adjudication, then automatically change to 'paid' once the main claim is approved. This seems to be a new system display issue with ESD's updated claim processing system. However, I still recommend trying to reach an agent after 5 weeks, as that exceeds their normal processing timeframe. If everything else in your claim looks good (identity verified, no issues showing, employer not contesting), then most likely your claim just needs a manual review to finalize approval.

I just want to say the entire ESD system is GARBAGE! Every single time they do an "upgrade" something breaks. This happened to me twice last year - once I missed my filing deadline because of THEIR technical issues and then they had the nerve to delay my payment and make me fill out extra paperwork explaining why I filed late! This state agency needs a complete overhaul, it's absolutely ridiculous how poorly it functions in 2025. We deserve better!

UPDATE: I finally got in! For anyone else having this issue, what worked for me was clearing ALL browsing data (like everything - history, cookies, cached images, etc.), restarting my computer, and then waiting about 45 minutes before trying again. Also used a direct link from the ESD website rather than a bookmark. Thanks everyone for your help!

A tip for your appeal that worked for me: call the PFMLA department (not regular ESD) and ask them for a formal letter confirming your medical leave dates and that it was properly approved. Having official documentation from another state department really helped my case. Also, when you write your appeal, keep it SUPER factual and timeline-based. My first appeal was denied because I focused too much on explaining my situation emotionally rather than just stating the facts in chronological order.

One more thing to add: make sure you meet the 30-day deadline for filing your appeal. If you're close to the deadline, file a basic appeal immediately (even just stating "I disagree with the determination") and then submit your supporting documentation afterward. You can always supplement an appeal with additional documents later, but you cannot file late. Also, under Washington law, you have the right to continue filing weekly claims during the appeal process. If you win your appeal, you'll receive all benefits for weeks you properly claimed during this time. If you don't continue claiming, you won't receive those payments even if you win the appeal.

One additional thing to check - did you select direct deposit or the debit card option for payment? If you selected the ReliaCard debit card, it takes additional time for the card to be mailed to you, usually 7-10 business days after your first payment is processed. The payment will still process on ESD's end, but you won't have access to the funds until you receive and activate the card.

awesome! glad its working out. yeah the first payment is always the most stressful cuz you dont know what to expect and ESD doesnt exactly make it clear how long things take lol

My cousin works for ESD (not supposed to say that probably lol) and she says the restart process is taking longer than usual right now because they upgraded their computer system last month. Some claims are taking up to a week to restart. Just FYI!

One more important thing to note: when you backfill those weekly certifications, make sure you answer everything accurately, especially regarding your freelance work. If you report income inconsistently compared to previous patterns, it might trigger an adjudication review, which could further delay your benefits. Be precise about dates worked and amounts earned for each specific week you're certifying retroactively.