Congratulations Oliver! That's fantastic news about winning your appeal. I went through something similar last year and the relief is incredible. One thing I wish someone had told me - keep detailed records of everything during the implementation phase too. Screenshot your online account status, save any emails or letters you receive, and document any phone calls you make. If anything goes wrong during the back pay processing, having that paper trail can save you from starting over. Also, the back pay might come in chunks rather than one lump sum depending on how your claim was structured, so don't panic if you don't see the full amount right away. Wishing you a smooth implementation process!

Congratulations Oliver! This is such great news and gives hope to all of us dealing with ESD appeals. I'm currently in week 5 of waiting for my own appeal decision, so seeing success stories like yours really helps keep me motivated. Quick question - did you have legal representation for your hearing or did you represent yourself? I'm trying to decide if I should get help or if having good documentation like you mentioned is enough. Also, thank you to everyone sharing practical advice about the implementation process - I'm taking notes on all of this for when (hopefully) I get good news too!

As a quick follow-up - besides the Health Benefit Exchange, also check if your previous employer is required to offer COBRA continuation coverage. It's usually expensive but provides the exact same coverage you had before. Also, once your adjudication is complete and your claim is approved, make sure to update your income information with the Health Benefit Exchange so your subsidies are calculated correctly.

That's great news about finding an affordable plan! $137/month is so much better than $780 for COBRA. Just a heads up - when you apply, make sure to select "Loss of other health coverage" as your qualifying life event so you can enroll outside of open enrollment. Also, if your chronic condition requires specific doctors or specialists, double-check that they're in the plan's network before you finalize. You can usually find provider directories on the insurance company's website. Hope your adjudication gets resolved soon too - the whole process is such a stress when you're dealing with health issues on top of everything else!

As someone who just went through this exact same process a few months ago, I can relate to that anxiety! The good news is that once you get through this first payment, the system becomes much more predictable. A few things that helped me during my unemployment period: 1) Set up text/email alerts with your bank so you know immediately when deposits hit, 2) Keep a simple spreadsheet tracking your weekly claim dates and payment statuses - it helps you spot any irregularities quickly, and 3) If you haven't already, familiarize yourself with the ESD holiday schedule since payments can be delayed during federal holidays. Also, don't hesitate to use the secure messaging system in eServices if you have questions - I found the responses were usually pretty helpful and much faster than trying to call. Wishing you all the best as you navigate this process!

This thread is so helpful! I'm currently in week 3 of adjudication and seeing everyone's experiences really helps manage expectations. One question - for those who had longer adjudication periods like the OP, did you notice any pattern to when ESD tends to process approvals? I've been checking my account obsessively every day but wondering if there are certain days of the week when decisions typically get made. Also, has anyone had success with the "callback" feature instead of waiting on hold? I saw it mentioned in my eServices account but wasn't sure if it actually works. Thanks for all the great advice in this thread!

I'm actually in the exact same boat - just got laid off from my customer service job and have been thinking about going back to school for nursing prerequisites. This whole thread has been incredibly helpful! It sounds like the key is being strategic about your class schedule and totally transparent with Washington ESD. I'm leaning toward taking 2-3 evening classes at my local community college since that would keep me available during business hours for potential job opportunities. The fact that someone actually called Washington ESD and got confirmation that evening classes are generally fine is such a relief. I was so worried about accidentally doing something that would jeopardize my benefits. Now I feel confident enough to start researching programs and planning my schedule around both school and job searching. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it's made this decision so much easier!

I'm in a very similar situation - just got laid off from my warehouse job and have been considering going back to school for a trade certification while collecting unemployment. This whole thread has been incredibly informative! Based on everything I've read here, it sounds like the key is being really strategic about your class schedule and completely transparent with Washington ESD about your enrollment and availability. The fact that someone actually called and got direct confirmation from an agent that evening classes are generally fine is such a huge relief. I was so worried about accidentally jeopardizing my benefits by making the wrong choice. I'm now planning to look into evening welding or HVAC programs at my local community college since those would keep me available during normal business hours for any job opportunities that come up. It's also encouraging to hear about the Commissioner Approved Training program for high-demand fields - sounds like trade programs might actually qualify for that. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and especially to those who took the time to actually call Washington ESD for official guidance. This thread has given me the confidence to move forward with my education plans!

I'm jumping in as someone who's been doing various gig work (Instacart, DoorDash, and Uber Eats) while on unemployment for about 6 months now. The agent you spoke with was absolutely wrong - all these platforms treat their workers as independent contractors, not employees. Here's my tried-and-true process for reporting gig income: 1. Log into your weekly claim and select "self-employment" 2. Report your TOTAL gross earnings for that work week (including base pay, tips, bonuses, everything) 3. Report it for the week you actually worked, not when the payment cleared 4. Keep screenshots of your weekly earnings from each app you use I learned the hard way that some ESD agents really don't understand gig work classification. I got burned early on by following bad advice from a phone rep and had to spend weeks sorting it out. Now I just follow the written guidelines and ignore what individual agents tell me unless they can point me to specific documentation. The silver lining is that with the 75% earnings deduction rule for self-employment, you can still collect partial benefits even when doing decent gig work. Just stay under your full benefit amount if you want to receive something that week. Pro tip: Download the Stride app for automatic mileage tracking - you'll need it for taxes and it makes everything so much easier than manual tracking!

I'm so relieved I found this thread before making the same mistake! I was planning to start doing Instacart this week and almost called ESD first - thank goodness I searched here instead. The fact that so many people have gotten wrong information from ESD agents about gig work classification is really alarming. It sounds like there's a serious training gap on their end when it comes to understanding the difference between independent contractors and employees. From everything I've read here, the consensus is crystal clear: - Instacart = independent contractor = self-employment for ESD purposes - Report gross earnings including tips and bonuses - Report for the week worked, not when paid - Keep detailed records with app screenshots I'm definitely going to bookmark this thread and refer back to it when I start filing my weekly claims. This community has been way more helpful and consistent than trying to navigate ESD's phone system. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences - you've probably saved me from weeks of headaches trying to fix incorrect reporting! Has anyone put together a simple template or checklist for tracking gig work income that they'd be willing to share? I want to make sure I'm capturing all the right details from day one.