Perfect summary! Thank you everyone for all the helpful information. I'm going to file my application today.

Good luck with your application! Just wanted to add one more tip - make sure you have your Social Security card, driver's license, and employment records (pay stubs, W-2s) ready when you apply. Having all your documents organized will make the process much smoother. And don't stress too much about choosing the "right" type - as others mentioned, Washington ESD will determine what you qualify for based on your situation.

Bottom line: Regular UI for most people (with job search requirements), Standby for specific temporary layoffs with written recall dates. When in doubt, go with regular UI since it's more flexible.

I just went through this same situation a few months ago and it was definitely confusing at first! One thing that helped me was understanding that if your employer is being vague about the callback timeline (like saying "maybe in a few weeks"), you're almost certainly better off filing for regular UI. The standby requirements are really strict - they need to give you an exact date in writing, and like others mentioned, you can't do any other work while you wait. I ended up going with regular UI even though my employer hinted they might call me back, and I'm glad I did because it gave me the flexibility to apply for other jobs and do some freelance work to make ends meet. The job search requirement isn't too bad - just 3 activities per week and you can count things like updating your resume or networking.

Lucky you got through! I might try that Claimyr thing next time the website crashes. Still think its ridiculous we have to jump through all these hoops just to file our claims. The system should just WORK!!

As a newcomer to this system, I'm finding this whole conversation really helpful but also pretty overwhelming! I just started receiving unemployment benefits last week and had no idea there were so many different ways things could go wrong. Should I proactively set up my telephone PIN now even if I plan to file online? And is there a comprehensive guide somewhere that explains all these backup options? I'm worried I'll end up in the same situation if the website crashes on me. Thanks for sharing all your experiences - it's really eye-opening to see what people have to go through just to file their claims!

Final thought - even with all this good info, every situation is a bit different. When in doubt, talk to Washington ESD directly rather than guessing. The consequences of getting it wrong aren't worth it.

This is really helpful information! I'm also facing a layoff situation and had no idea that severance wouldn't disqualify me from unemployment benefits entirely. The waiting period calculation makes sense - divide total severance by weekly wage. One question though: does the waiting period start from when you receive the severance payment, or from when you're actually laid off? My company said they might not pay out the severance until a few weeks after my last day of work.

Thanks for sharing your full experience. It's helpful to know that even if there are initial issues, it can work out in the end. I think I'll give it a try but start very part-time.

Just wanted to add one more tip that helped me - when you report your Uber Eats earnings each week, make sure you're reporting the gross amount BEFORE any expenses like gas or car maintenance. ESD wants to know your total earnings from the work, not your net profit after expenses. You can deduct those expenses on your taxes later, but for unemployment reporting purposes, always use the gross amount that Uber shows you earned. Also, if you have a week where you signed up to drive but didn't get any orders or chose not to accept any, you still need to answer "yes" to the question about looking for work that week, but you'd report $0 in earnings. Just being available to work counts as work-seeking activity.