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You can typically continue receiving Washington ESD benefits if you move to another state, but you need to notify them and continue to meet all the requirements including job search activities.
Based on what you've described, it sounds like you should definitely qualify for Washington ESD benefits! With 8 months at your retail job plus 6 months part-time before that, you likely have enough wages in your base period. Being laid off means it wasn't your fault, which is one of the key requirements. I'd recommend going ahead and filing your claim - the worst they can say is no, but it really sounds like you meet all the basic eligibility criteria. The online application will walk you through everything and calculate your base period wages automatically.
I did one of these in February and they sent the link like an hour before lol. But my friend had hers last week and never got a link and her benefits got put on hold! So definitely call them if you don't see an email soon.
Just wanted to follow up and see if you got your Zoom link for the WorkSource appointment? Hope everything worked out!
Yes! They actually sent it this morning (finally). The appointment is tomorrow. I've prepared my resume and job search log as suggested. Feeling much better about it now. Thanks everyone for your help!
One more important detail - make sure you're filing your weekly claims while waiting for the reopened claim to process. Many people make the mistake of waiting until their claim is approved before filing their weeklies, but you should file every week even while it's processing. ESD won't backdate weekly claims if you miss them, even if your claim was in the reopening stage.
Just wanted to add that you should also double-check that your direct deposit info is still correct when you reopen. I had the same situation last year and forgot that I had changed banks since my original claim. Even though everything else processed fine, my first payment got sent to a closed account and it took forever to get that sorted out with ESD. Small detail but can save you a headache!
I've been doing gig work while on unemployment too and wanted to add that it's really important to keep track of which week you actually received the payment, not just when you worked. DoorDash usually pays pretty quickly but there can still be a day or two delay. I made the mistake early on of reporting income for the wrong week and it caused some confusion with my claims. Also, even though it reduces your benefits somewhat, having that extra income can really help cover expenses while you're job hunting. Just make sure you're still meeting all your work search requirements - that's what they really care about.
That's a really good point about tracking when you actually receive the payment vs when you work. I hadn't thought about that distinction but it makes sense for weekly reporting. Thanks for sharing your experience - it's helpful to know that even with the benefit reduction, the extra income is still worthwhile. I'm definitely staying on top of my job search requirements too.
Just went through this exact same situation a few months ago! The confusion is totally understandable because DoorDash feels like you're working for them, but legally you're an independent contractor. When I called Washington ESD (took forever to get through), they confirmed that ALL gig work - DoorDash, Uber Eats, Instacart, etc. - gets reported as self-employment income, not wages. The key thing is to report your gross earnings for the week you actually received the payment, not when you did the work. So if you worked last Sunday but DoorDash paid you on Tuesday, that income goes on the claim for the week you got paid. Keep detailed records of everything - dates, amounts, which week each payment belongs to. It'll save you headaches if they ever audit your claim. Good luck with everything!
This is super helpful, thanks! I was definitely getting confused about the independent contractor vs employee distinction. It's good to know that even though it took forever to get through to ESD, they were able to clarify everything for you. I'll make sure to keep track of when I actually receive payments rather than when I work - that seems like it could easily trip people up. Really appreciate you sharing your experience with this!
Juan Moreno
I had knee surgery last year and I had the same exact problem. I ended up waiting until 2 days after my surgery to file and it went through fine. Make sure you know your first day of missed work too because they'll ask for that exact date. Also my doctor's office was really familiar with the certification form and had it ready for me when I asked.
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Logan Chiang
I'm going through something similar right now! I filed my PFML claim about 6 weeks before my scheduled hip replacement surgery and got denied for the same reason - no qualifying event yet. It's so frustrating because the whole process feels backwards. Reading through everyone's responses here has been really helpful. I'm definitely going to wait until after my surgery (scheduled for next month) and then file a completely new claim. It sounds like the key is getting that Certification of Serious Health Condition form filled out properly by your doctor. One question though - has anyone had issues with their doctor's office not being familiar with the Washington PFML forms? I'm worried my surgeon's office might not know what they're doing since they see patients from multiple states.
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Camila Jordan
•I had the same concern about my doctor's office not being familiar with the forms! What I did was call ESD directly and asked them to email me the Certification of Serious Health Condition form ahead of time. Then I brought it to my pre-surgery appointment and explained what it was. My surgeon's office hadn't seen it before but they were able to figure it out pretty easily since it's mostly just asking for medical details they already have in my file. You might want to download the form from the ESD website and bring it to your pre-op appointment so they can get familiar with it before your surgery date.
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