Thanks everyone for the helpful advice! I went through my pay stubs tonight and added everything up. Looks like I'm at about 710 hours if I count both jobs from the base year period, so I should qualify! I'll wait until October to apply since that will give me a better quarter in my base year calculation. And I'll definitely keep detailed records of my job search activities in Spokane. Really appreciate all the insights!

Great that you figured out you have enough hours! Just wanted to add one more thing since you mentioned your hours are already getting cut back - make sure to document when your hours were reduced and by how much. If ESD questions whether you're "unemployed" or "underemployed," having records of the hour cuts will help show that the reduction wasn't voluntary on your part. This can be important for seasonal workers whose hours taper off gradually rather than ending all at once.

Based on everything shared here, it seems like your best options are: 1. After your contract ends, accept the bench pay temporarily while applying for partial unemployment benefits AND searching for jobs independently 2. Document everything - the contract end date, communications about assignments, your job search efforts 3. If you do decide to quit later, focus on the substantial pay reduction as your "good cause" reason 4. Keep the relationship professional with the agency - don't mention unemployment to them if possible This approach gives you some income while job searching and potentially preserves the relationship if you need to go back later.

One thing to keep in mind is timing - make sure you file your partial unemployment claim as soon as you transition to the bench pay, not weeks later. ESD has strict rules about when you can backdate claims, and you don't want to miss out on benefits you're entitled to. Also, when you're reporting your weekly earnings from the bench pay, be precise about the amounts and dates. Any discrepancies can trigger reviews that delay your payments. Good luck with your job search - the direct-hire market is pretty good right now for experienced contractors!

That's great news! The system works sometimes, just very slowly. Definitely post when you get the actual refund - it helps others to know the timeline. I've found that ESD is generally honest about these things once you can actually get their attention.

I'm going through something similar right now - won my overpayment appeal last month after they claimed I owed $22,000. I've paid about $4,500 through their payment plan while fighting it. Reading through everyone's experiences here is both encouraging and terrifying! It sounds like the key is being really proactive about requesting the refund rather than waiting for them to automatically process it. I'm going to follow Paolo's detailed steps and send both a secure message and certified letter this week. Has anyone had experience with getting refunds for payments that were automatically deducted from ongoing unemployment benefits? They were taking money out of my weekly payments for months before I even knew about the appeal process, so I'm hoping those count toward what should be refunded too. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this thread is incredibly helpful for navigating this mess!

UPDATE: Just got a call from an adjudicator this morning! They only asked a few questions about my layoff, and I was able to email them my termination letter right away. They said everything looked good and my benefits should be processed within 48 hours. So the date change definitely meant something was happening! Thanks everyone for your help and advice.

Congratulations Dylan! This is exactly what we all hoped would happen. Your positive outcome gives me so much relief as someone who's been through this nightmare before. The fact that they processed everything so quickly once they actually reviewed your case shows that having proper documentation (like that termination letter) makes all the difference. Thanks for coming back to update us - so many people disappear once their issues get resolved, but it really helps others going through the same stress to see successful outcomes.

FINAL UPDATE: The money hit my account this morning! All 8 weeks of backpay plus the current week. What a relief! Timeline for anyone searching in the future: - Appeal hearing: May 3 - Decision received: May 7 - Called and spoke to agent: May 18 - Payment received: May 23 So it took 16 days from decision to payment, but honestly I think it would have taken much longer if I hadn't called and had the agent manually expedite it. Thanks everyone for your help!

This is such a helpful thread! I'm in a similar situation - won my appeal 8 days ago but still no payment. Reading through everyone's experiences, it sounds like calling is really the key to getting things moving. I've been hesitant to use a paid service like Claimyr, but after seeing multiple success stories here, I think it might be worth it. The stress of waiting and not knowing what's happening is almost worse than the financial pressure. Thanks for sharing your timeline @Natasha Petrova - gives me hope that there's light at the end of the tunnel!