Bottom line: go to your sister's wedding! Just keep your phone on, stay on top of your job search, and file your weekly claim like normal. Life is too short to miss important family moments because of unemployment anxiety.

Have an amazing time at your sister's wedding! Just remember to keep your phone charged and check it regularly in case any potential employers reach out. I always screenshot my job applications when I travel so I have everything documented if needed. The consensus here is pretty clear - short family trips are totally acceptable as long as you maintain your availability. Don't let unemployment stress rob you of these precious family moments!

Update: I tried calling at 7:59am this morning and after redaling about 20 times, I actually got through! Was on hold for 1.5 hours but finally spoke to someone who resolved my issue. For anyone else struggling - keep trying the early morning calls and just keep redialing if you get the busy message. Persistence eventually paid off for me!

Just wanted to share another option that worked for me - I contacted my local state senator's office (found through leg.wa.gov) and their constituent services person was amazing. She contacted ESD directly and got my claim moving within 3 business days after I'd been stuck for over a month. I was honestly skeptical about bothering elected officials with this, but she said unemployment issues are one of their most common requests and they have dedicated staff for exactly this purpose. All I had to do was fill out a simple form with my claim details and sign a release allowing them to inquire on my behalf. For anyone who's been waiting weeks like I was - don't hesitate to reach out to your representatives. It's literally part of their job to help constituents navigate state agencies. Way less stressful than the phone marathon!

Bottom line - yes you have to pay federal taxes on unemployment benefits. Start setting aside money now if you're still collecting. The 10% withholding option is your friend. And if you're confused about anything, talk to a tax professional or find a way to reach someone at Washington ESD who can clarify.

I'm in a similar situation and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I've been collecting unemployment for about 4 months and had no idea about the tax implications. Just logged into my Washington ESD account and found the tax withholding option - it was buried in the account settings under "Manage Tax Withholding" like someone mentioned. Set it to 10% federal withholding starting with my next payment. Better late than never! Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and advice. It's reassuring to know I'm not the only one who was caught off guard by this.

Also, WATCH OUT for the fact that employers often bring up TOTALLY NEW ALLEGATIONS during the hearing that weren't in their original appeal!!! My employer suddenly claimed I had been warned multiple times when that NEVER HAPPENED. Be prepared for them to make stuff up on the spot!

I'm dealing with a very similar situation right now! My employer also waited until after I was approved and receiving benefits to file their appeal. It's so stressful but the advice here is really reassuring. One thing I wanted to add - when you're preparing for the hearing, if you have any witnesses (like coworkers who knew about the restructuring), make sure to ask them ASAP if they'd be willing to testify. Some people are hesitant to get involved, but others are happy to help if they know the truth. Even if they can't participate in the hearing, they might be willing to write a brief statement about what they witnessed. Also, keep all your job search records organized during this time. Sometimes they ask about your work search efforts during the hearing, and having that documentation ready shows you're taking the process seriously. You've got this! The fact that ESD initially approved you after reviewing the case is definitely in your favor.

This is such valuable information that more people need to know about! I'm a newcomer to this community but have been dealing with unemployment issues myself. The fact that this 6x requalification rule isn't prominently displayed during the application process is really problematic. I've been reading through state UI handbooks from other states and it seems like Washington could do a much better job of making these requirements clear upfront. Some states actually have a pre-application checklist that walks you through ALL the requirements before you even start the process. For anyone else who might be in a similar situation - it might be worth checking if your previous employer reported all your wages correctly too. Sometimes there are reporting errors that can affect your earnings calculations. You can request a wage statement from ESD to verify what they have on file. Really hoping your appeal or the freelance documentation route works out, Wesley! Keep us posted on how it goes.

This is exactly why I joined this community - to learn about these hidden rules before they bite me! I'm currently employed but worried about potential layoffs, and I had UI benefits about 18 months ago. Reading this thread is a real eye-opener about the 6x requalification requirement. It sounds like the key takeaway is to always assume you'll need to earn at least 6 times your potential weekly benefit amount after any UI claim ends, just to be safe. I'm going to start keeping better records of ALL my earnings (including any side work) just in case I need to document everything later. Wesley, your situation really highlights how the system can penalize people for relatively small shortfalls. $480 seems like such an arbitrary line to draw when you clearly made a good faith effort to return to work. I really hope the freelance documentation angle works out for you - it seems unfair that the system wouldn't count legitimate earnings just because of how they were paid. Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences and knowledge here. This kind of peer-to-peer information sharing is invaluable when dealing with such a complex system!