One last tip - keep detailed records of your reduced hours and earnings. If Washington ESD ever questions your claim, you'll have documentation to back it up.

Just wanted to add that Washington state is actually pretty generous with partial unemployment compared to other states. The fact that you can earn up to your weekly benefit amount plus $5 before losing all benefits makes it really worthwhile for people with reduced hours. I've helped several coworkers navigate this process and it's definitely worth filing even if you think your earnings might be too high - let Washington ESD do the math for you.

My sister had an overpayment of around $22k after the pandemic benefits ended. She won her appeal saying she wasn't at fault but still got stuck with the bill. She ended up having to set up a payment plan for like $50/month which basically means she'll be paying it forever. The whole system is ridiculous! By the way, has anybody tried contacting their state representatives about this stuff? I've heard sometimes they can help push things along with ESD?

I went through something very similar and it's absolutely maddening! What helped me was understanding that ESD has this bizarre two-track system - the appeal process determines fault/fraud, while the waiver process is purely about financial ability to repay. They're completely separate even though it makes no logical sense. A few things that made a difference in my case: - I got my state senator's office involved (seriously, call them!) - I resubmitted my waiver with way more documentation than I thought was necessary - Most importantly, I found out there's a difference between the standard waiver review and requesting a "conference" where you can actually speak to a decision-maker The conference option isn't well-publicized but you can request it in your appeal. Having someone actually listen to your situation rather than just reviewing paperwork on a checklist made all the difference for me. Also, make sure you're appealing the waiver denial and not just the overpayment itself - sounds like you might be mixing up the processes which is super easy to do since ESD doesn't explain any of this clearly. Don't give up! The system is designed to be confusing and exhausting, but persistence does pay off eventually.

UPDATE: My payment from this morning finally hit my account! It was about 14 hours after the status changed to paid. Thanks everyone for the reassurance that this was normal. I'll adjust my expectations for future payments. For anyone finding this thread later - don't panic if there's a delay between the 'paid' status and actually receiving your money!

I'm dealing with the exact same thing right now! My claim shows "paid" as of this morning but my checking account is still empty. Reading through everyone's responses is really helpful - I had no idea that 24-48 hours was normal. I was starting to think something went wrong with my account. Thanks for posting this question, it's reassuring to know this delay happens to others too. Hopefully both our payments show up soon!

UPDATE: I finally got through to someone at ESD this morning! Called right at 8:00 AM and only had to wait about 45 minutes. The agent confirmed exactly what everyone here said - when they closed my first claim and opened the new one, my wage data didn't transfer correctly. She said she can see all my Washington wages in the system, and she can also see that Louisiana had already reported my wages there (they were in the system but not attached to my new claim). She's escalated my case to a claims specialist who can manually reattach all my wage data to the current claim. Should be fixed within 5-7 business days. I'm still going to file that appeal just to be safe, but at least someone is working on fixing the issue now. Thanks everyone for your advice and support!

So glad you were able to get through and get someone to actually help you! This gives me hope for my own situation. I'm dealing with a similar wage transfer issue right now - they approved my initial claim but then reopened it for "additional review" and now I can't get any information about what's happening. Quick question - when you called at 8 AM, did you use the general customer service number or is there a specific number for combined wage claims? I've been calling the main line but wondering if there's a more direct route. Thanks for sharing your success story and keeping us updated!

FINAL UPDATE: My claim finally got approved! After finding and uploading the missing document they requested, I used the Claimyr service that someone recommended here to actually speak with an ESD representative. The rep confirmed they had everything they needed and manually pushed my verification through. Claim status changed from pending to active within 24 hours! Thank you all for your help - this community is amazing!

Congratulations on getting your claim approved! This thread is so helpful - I'm dealing with the same identity verification delay right now (going on week 2). I had no idea about checking for those hidden "Additional Information Needed" alerts in eServices. Just logged in and found one requesting a utility bill for address verification that I completely missed! Uploading it now. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and tips here - it's reassuring to know I'm not alone in this frustrating process.