One more thought - make sure you're super clear in the hearing about the "impossible situation" they created. Write it out very clearly: "If my husband followed the PIP by doing X, he would violate his job description which required Y. If he did Y as required in his job description, he would violate the PIP." Having concrete examples of this contradiction will be crucial. Also, did anyone at his workplace ever acknowledge his bipolar condition or the accommodation requests in writing? Any emails or documents that show they were aware of his condition?

I'm a disability advocate and what happened to your husband is unfortunately all too common, but you have a strong case for appeal. The fact that you have written documentation of the accommodation requests being denied AND the contradictory PIP/job description is huge. This shows a clear pattern of setting him up to fail after he disclosed his disability. A few additional things to consider for your appeal: - Request that the judge consider the "interactive process" requirement under the ADA. Employers are legally required to engage in good faith discussions about accommodations, not just flat-out deny them. - Emphasize that the termination happened AFTER he disclosed his bipolar condition and requested accommodations - this timeline matters for showing discriminatory intent. - If possible, get a letter from his treating doctor explaining how the workplace stress and denied accommodations exacerbated his symptoms, making it even more difficult for him to meet the impossible standards they set. The judge will need to determine if a reasonable person could have avoided termination in those circumstances. With contradictory directives and denied medical accommodations, that's clearly impossible. Stay strong - you've got this!

my friend had a similar thing happen and she won her appeal but it took like 2 months to get the decision after the hearing so just be ready to wait even after ur hearing

This is such an encouraging update! I'm so glad you finally got through to someone at ESD and that they're acknowledging the timeline discrepancy in your case file. That's going to be crucial evidence for your hearing. Since you have until June 2nd, you might want to also gather any emails or messages you exchanged with your manager during your employment period - anything that shows the work environment or expectations that were in place at the time. Sometimes these can help establish what the actual workplace standards were versus what your employer is claiming now. One more tip: practice explaining your timeline out loud before the hearing. You want to be able to clearly and calmly walk through the sequence of events without getting flustered. The fact that the ESD agent already noted the policy date discrepancy gives you a really strong foundation for your appeal. Rooting for you! Your case sounds like exactly the kind of employer retaliation that the appeals process is designed to catch.

Give it a bit more time - one week is still early in the process. If you don't see movement after 3 weeks total, you can request an escalation through your state representative's office. Most have constituent services that can help with ESD issues. The process moves MUCH faster when a state rep gets involved.

Just went through this exact situation myself! Got laid off from my retail job in January and was stuck in adjudication for about 10 days. The waiting is absolutely nerve-wracking, especially when bills are due. What really helped me was setting up email alerts in my eServices account so I'd know immediately if anything changed. Also, I started a simple spreadsheet tracking my job search activities since you need those 3 per week anyway - kept me productive while waiting. The good news is that once they made their decision, I got all the backpay deposited within 2 business days. Hang in there - one week really is still normal timing even though it feels like forever when you're living it!

Bottom line - plan for 26 weeks maximum, use your time efficiently, and don't count on extensions that probably won't happen. The job market is competitive so cast a wide net early.

Thanks everyone for all the detailed info! This has been really helpful. I'm feeling more confident about filing my claim now that I understand the 26-week maximum and the importance of keeping up with job search requirements. Going to check out that benefit calculator on the Washington ESD website first, and if I need to talk to someone directly about my specific situation, I might look into that Claimyr service a few people mentioned. Really appreciate this community sharing their experiences - makes navigating the system feel less overwhelming.

UPDATE: I wanted to let everyone know what worked for me! I ended up trying multiple approaches: 1) Contacted my state rep's office yesterday morning, 2) Used Claimyr to get through to ESD yesterday afternoon, and 3) Re-uploaded my documents with better lighting/resolution. The claims specialist I spoke with using Claimyr was actually able to look at my documents in real-time and said my driver's license photo was too dark for their verification system. I immediately took better photos and uploaded them while on the phone. They flagged my account for review and this morning my identity was verified! My payments are now processing. The state rep's office also reached out and said they'd follow up, but the Claimyr route got me to someone who could actually fix the specific issue. Thanks everyone for your help - I was seriously panicking about rent!

This thread is so helpful! I'm dealing with the exact same identity verification nightmare - been pending since January 15th and I'm getting desperate. @Aria Washington congratulations on getting yours resolved! I'm definitely going to try the Claimyr route and also contact my state rep. One thing I wanted to add for others - I found out you can also email ESD directly at UIBenefits@esd.wa.gov with your claim number and identity verification concerns. They responded to me in about 3 days (which is faster than getting through on the phone) but unfortunately just gave me the same "it's in queue" response. Still might be worth trying for others who can't get through by phone. The photo quality issue you mentioned makes total sense - I bet that's what's wrong with mine too. I took my photos with my phone in pretty dim lighting. Going to retake everything with better lighting and try Claimyr to get to someone who can actually look at the documents!