I'm dealing with the exact same identity verification nightmare! Been stuck for almost 3 weeks now with documents uploaded but no movement on my claim. Reading through all these responses is giving me some hope though - definitely going to try that direct ID verification number (360-486-2822) first thing tomorrow morning. The Claimyr service sounds interesting too, might be worth the cost if it actually works. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and tips, this community is literally the only place I've found actual helpful advice about navigating ESD's broken system!

Just want to add another option that worked for me - I contacted my state representative's office when I couldn't get through to ESD after 2+ weeks. They have a constituent services team that can actually get ESD to respond within 24-48 hours for urgent issues. You can find your rep at leg.wa.gov and most have a form specifically for unemployment issues. It felt weird at first reaching out to a politician, but their office was super helpful and professional about it. Within two days I had an ESD supervisor call me directly to resolve my claim. Sometimes you have to use every tool available when the normal channels aren't working!

so wait do we have to report our ESD payments to DSHS every week since the amount changes a tiny bit sometimes? That seems crazy!

Just want to add that if anyone else is in this situation, don't let anxiety stop you from making the call! I was terrified to report my late income change last year, but the DSHS worker I spoke with said they appreciate when people self-report rather than trying to hide it. They deal with these situations all the time and are generally understanding. The key is being honest about the timeline and showing that you're trying to do the right thing. Also, keep detailed notes of your call - date, time, worker's name, and what was discussed. This can be really helpful if there are any issues later.

Just to follow up on my earlier comment - I ended up needing to use Claimyr again when I had questions about my benefit amount calculation. Still works great for getting through to actual Washington ESD staff when you need real answers.

Don't stress too much about the timeline - it varies but most straightforward claims get processed within 1-2 weeks. Since you mentioned you were laid off due to company downsizing, that should be pretty clear-cut for them to approve. The key things to remember: start filing your weekly claims the week after you filed (don't wait for approval), keep track of your job search activities for the work search requirements, and make sure you respond quickly to any requests for additional information they might send you. The whole process seems overwhelming at first but it gets routine pretty quickly once you're in the swing of it.

The whole system is confusing. I spent weeks trying to understand all the rules before I finally got help from Claimyr to talk to an actual person at Washington ESD. Sometimes you just need a real human to explain things clearly instead of trying to decode all the websites and automated messages.

Thanks everyone for all the helpful information! This community has been incredibly valuable. Based on what I'm reading, it sounds like I should be able to collect both my Boeing pension and Washington unemployment benefits without any issues since I was laid off. I'm planning to file my claim this week and will make sure to be completely transparent about all income sources. The tip about electing tax withholding is really helpful too - definitely don't want to get hit with a big tax bill next year. Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences!

Just to clarify one thing I didn't see mentioned: make sure when you do get to file your weekly claim that you accurately report your earnings for that one day of work. It's always better to overreport than underreport, as underreporting can lead to overpayment issues later. You'll still receive partial unemployment for the days you didn't work, as long as your earnings for that one day don't exceed your weekly benefit amount.

I went through this exact same situation a few months ago and it was so stressful! Like others have said, you definitely need to wait for the reopened claim to process first - usually 1-3 business days. The good news is that once it processes, you'll be able to backfile for that partial week where you only worked one day. I was worried I'd lose out on those benefits too, but the system does allow you to file for previous weeks once your claim is active again. Just keep checking your eServices dashboard daily and the "File weekly claim" option should appear. Don't panic if it takes the full 3 days - the system is just slow sometimes!