I'm in a similar boat - just exhausted my benefits last week and feeling that same anxiety about potential future issues! Reading through everyone's experiences here is really helpful. It sounds like as long as you've been honest and followed all the rules, surprise audits are relatively uncommon. I've been keeping digital copies of everything too, just in case. The waiting period after exhaustion definitely creates a lot of mental stress, but it seems like most people who had clean claims don't hear anything further. Thanks for starting this thread - it's reassuring to know others have gone through this successfully!

I just exhausted my benefits two weeks ago and was having the exact same worries! From what I've learned talking to others and reading online, if your claim was clean throughout the 26 weeks (no overpayments, accurate reporting, proper job searches), the chances of them coming back with issues later are pretty low. That said, I'm definitely keeping all my documentation for at least a year just to be safe. The hardest part is the uncertainty - you want closure but there's always that nagging worry in the back of your mind. Good luck with your interview next week! Landing a new job is really the best way to put all this ESD stress behind you for good.

Bottom line for anyone reading this: 26 weeks maximum for regular Washington ESD unemployment benefits in 2025. No current federal extensions. Start job searching immediately and keep detailed records of your search activities. The time goes faster than you expect.

I'm in a similar situation - just got laid off from my marketing job last week. From reading all these responses, it sounds like 26 weeks is the standard across the board in Washington. That's about 6 months to find something new, which honestly feels both reassuring and scary at the same time. I'm going to start applying right away and make sure I keep good records of everything for the job search requirements. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this has been way more helpful than trying to navigate the Washington ESD website on my own!

I'm in week 7 of waiting for ANY response from the Commissioner's Review Office and this thread is both helpful and terrifying! Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences. I mailed my petition with certified mail so I know they got it, but the silence is killing me. @Nia Davis - I'm going to try calling that direct number (360) 570-5126 you mentioned tomorrow. Really appreciate you sharing your expertise as a former hearing rep. @Keisha Williams - Had no idea about Northwest Justice Project, definitely going to look into that. The contingency fee info is super helpful too. One question for anyone who's been through this - did any of you get different outcomes at the Commissioner level than you did at the OAH hearing? I'm trying to stay hopeful but wondering if they actually overturn many decisions or if it's mostly just a formality before Superior Court. The stress of not knowing anything for months while bills pile up is almost worse than just getting denied quickly. At least then you know where you stand!

I'm in week 4 of waiting for any acknowledgment from the Commissioner's Review Office and this thread has been incredibly helpful - both reassuring and concerning at the same time! It's frustrating that there's no automated confirmation system in 2025, but at least now I know the 4+ week silence is unfortunately normal. @Nia Davis - Thank you so much for sharing that direct phone number (360) 570-5126 and your expertise as a former hearing rep. The timeline info is really valuable even though it's depressing to hear it could be 4-6 months total. I've been continuing to file my weekly claims even though I was disqualified, but I'm glad to see multiple people confirming that's the right thing to do. The thought of potentially getting months of back pay if I win makes the tedious weekly filing worth it. Has anyone had success with that Claimyr service mentioned earlier? I'm desperate enough at this point to try anything to get some kind of status update. The not knowing is honestly worse than just getting bad news quickly. Sending solidarity to everyone else stuck in this awful waiting game. The system really does seem designed to make people give up, but threads like this give me hope that persistence can pay off.

One more resource if anyone wants to dive deeper - the BLS has a great explanation of all the different unemployment measures on their website. Helped me understand the differences better when I was curious about this stuff.

This thread really cleared up a lot of confusion for me too! I was seeing U6 mentioned in job market reports and thought it might be some enhanced unemployment program I wasn't aware of. It's actually kind of reassuring to know that when economists say the "real" unemployment rate is higher, they're including people in situations like mine who took part-time work while still looking for full-time positions. At least now I understand why the numbers in news articles don't always match what I see on my Washington ESD account!

This whole thread should be pinned somewhere. So much useful info about stopping unemployment claims properly.

Great advice from everyone here! Just want to emphasize one more important point - if you're switching from unemployment to work, make sure you understand how your final paycheck timing might affect your last claim. If you get paid for your first few days of work during the same week you're filing your final unemployment claim, you need to report those earnings accurately. Washington ESD calculates benefits based on when you actually performed the work, not when you receive the paycheck. Better to be overly cautious with reporting than risk an overpayment situation later.