Quick update on current Training Benefits timelines - I just attended a WorkSource webinar yesterday and the specialist mentioned they're currently processing TB applications from early January. So the 5-7 week estimate is accurate. They also said they're prioritizing cases where financial hardship is documented, so it might be worth uploading a statement about your situation through your eServices account.

To answer your original question - yes, I did find my rep through the state legislature website. Just put in your address and it shows your district representatives. I emailed all three of mine (2 house, 1 senate) with a brief explanation of my situation, my claim ID number, and how long I'd been waiting. One of them had their legislative assistant contact ESD directly. I didn't need to provide super detailed info, just enough that ESD could locate my claim. It was surprisingly effective!

Quick update on the specific issues you mentioned seeing in your account: "Able and Available" usually means they need to verify you're able to work and available for work during your claim period. This is often triggered if you reported being sick, on vacation, or unable to work for any reason during a weekly claim. "Job Separation" issues usually mean they need more details about why your employment ended. Your employer may have provided information that doesn't match what you reported. If you can see these issues but no instructions for resolving them, it likely means they're waiting for information from your employer or they're preparing to interview you. Call the main line and specifically ask for a Tier 2 specialist who can see the details of these issues. Regular agents often can't see or explain these pending issues.

Ok so everyones giving good advice but missing the MOST IMPORTANT THING - with a 3 day pay or vacate notice, you need to respond IMMEDIATELY with a written notice that you're waiting on unemployment. Washington state has tenant protections that can buy you time. Go to washingtonlawhelp.org right now and look up the eviction defense forms. Just filling that out can buy you an extra 2-3 weeks legally. For your utilities, call and ask for their hardship program ASAP - most have to offer payment plans before disconnection.

To the person asking about reduced hours: Yes, you can potentially qualify for partial unemployment if your hours were significantly reduced. It's called

I actually have an email from the owner announcing the permanent closure to all staff, so I'll definitely include that. Thanks!

The ESD system is so frustrating! They told me they needed separation info too, but never specified exactly what they wanted. I sent in THREE different documents and still ended up in adjudication for 6 weeks! Turns out they were just waiting for my former employer to respond to THEIR inquiry. Nothing I sent even mattered. 😡

Something else to be aware of: if your separation is marked as "lack of work" (which a layoff due to project completion would be), ESD usually processes these claims faster with fewer questions. But they do need verification that it truly was lack of work. If you can't get documentation quickly, another option is to ask your former employer to respond directly to ESD's request for information that they should have received. Some employers are slow to respond to these, which is often what causes the delay in claim processing.

This happened to me last year. I submitted my statement after 3 weeks of adjudication and my claim was approved right away. BUT THEN three months later they did an audit and said I was overpaid because they

That's a really good point. Consistency and honesty are super important. I kept copies of all my communications with my employer about the layoff which helped when they questioned me later.

I had the EXACT same question when I got hired in February!!! I just reported my earnings for the partial week I worked and then stopped claiming. BUT MAKE SURE YOU REPORT ANY HOURS YOU WORK during a week you claim!!! My friend didn't and got hit with a fraud investigation and had to pay everything back plus penalties!!! Not worth it!!!

Just to add to what others said - if your employment doesn't work out within the benefit year (which runs for 12 months from when you first applied), you can reopen your existing claim rather than filing a completely new one. This is called "reopening" a claim and it's much simpler than starting from scratch. Just something to keep in mind just in case.

Don't forget you'll need to do the job search requirements again once you restart! 3 activities every week. Such a pain especially when you know you're going back to your job soon. 🙄

Thank you all for the incredible advice! I'm feeling much more prepared now. I'll definitely wait until I'm actually laid off before restarting my claim, and I'll have all my earnings and dates ready to go. I'll also ask my employer about the possibility of getting standby status since we do have a tentative return date. That would be amazing if I could avoid the job search requirements for this short period. I'll update this thread once I go through the process in case it helps someone else in the future!

this happened to my cousin last month! turns out he had holiday pay they didn't know about at first and it changed his whole calculation. maybe check if you had any special pay they might have missed initially?

After you file your appeal, make sure to monitor your eServices account daily. ESD often sends requests for additional information with very short deadlines (sometimes just 48 hours). Missing these can cause bigger problems. If you have a smartphone, set up email notifications for your ESD account so you don't miss anything important.

UPDATE: I tried this method this morning and got through to someone after about 15 minutes on the overpayment line. They transferred me to a claims specialist but then I waited for another hour before getting disconnected. 😭 Going to try again tomorrow morning. At least I know it's possible to get through this way, just need better luck staying connected during transfer.

I had a totally different experience with ESD last month. Filed my claim, got approved within 3 days, and have been receiving payments on time ever since. No need to call at all. I think it depends on whether your claim has any issues that trigger manual review. Just wanted to share that sometimes the system does work as intended!

Congrats!! Use some of that to treat yourself after all that stress 😊

Already ordered takeout for tonight! First time in months I haven't had to stress about every dollar spent.