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If I could give 10 stars I would If I could give 10 stars I would Such an amazing service so needed during the times when EDD almost never picks up Claimyr gets me on the phone with EDD every time without fail faster. A much needed service without Claimyr I would have never received the payment I needed to support me during my postpartum recovery. Thank you so much Claimyr!
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Really made a difference, save me time and energy from going to a local office for making the call.
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Was a bit nervous or untrusting at first, but my calls went thru. First time the wait was a bit long but their customer chat line on their page was helpful and put me at ease that I would receive my call. Today my call dropped because of EDD and Claimyr heard my concern on the same chat and another call was made within the hour.
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An incredibly helpful service! Got me connected to a CA EDD agent without major hassle (outside of EDD's agents dropping calls – which Claimyr has free protection for). If you need to file a new claim and can't do it online, pay the $ to Claimyr to get the process started. Absolutely worth it!
Consistent,frustration free, quality Service.
Used this service a couple times now. Before I'd call 200 times in less than a weak frustrated as can be. But using claimyr with a couple hours of waiting i was on the line with an representative or on hold. Dropped a couple times but each reconnected not long after and was mission accomplished, thanks to Claimyr.
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I tried for weeks to get thru to EDD PFL program with no luck. I gave this a try thinking it may be a scam. OMG! It worked and They got thru within an hour and my claim is going to finally get paid!! I upgraded to the $60 call. Best $60 spent!
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I'm sorry to hear you're dealing with this frustrating situation, Jason. The transition between UI and PFMLA can be confusing, and it sounds like you may have received conflicting information. From what I understand, when you apply for PFMLA while on unemployment, you typically do need to stop filing UI claims once your PFMLA claim is approved and benefits begin. However, the timing can be tricky - you want to avoid gaps in benefits but also avoid potential overpayments. The "able and available" adjudication likely triggered because the system flagged a potential conflict between claiming you're available for work (required for UI) while also having a medical/family leave situation that might make you unavailable (for PFMLA). Even though you answered that you were available all days, the system may have detected the PFMLA application. Unfortunately, adjudications can take several weeks to resolve - sometimes 6-8 weeks or more depending on their current backlog. I'd recommend: 1. Keep detailed records of all communications with ESD 2. Continue to respond to any additional questionnaires promptly 3. Consider calling back to speak with a supervisor if you feel you received incorrect guidance Has anyone else here successfully navigated the UI to PFMLA transition? Any tips for Jason on expediting the adjudication process?
Thanks for the detailed response, Nia! This is exactly the kind of situation I was worried about when I first started researching the transition. Jason, I went through something similar last year when transitioning to PFMLA. One thing that helped me was requesting a callback from ESD rather than waiting on hold - sometimes you get a more experienced agent who understands the nuances better. Also, if you haven't already, make sure to document the exact date and time of your original call with that agent who told you to "bank the week." That specific language might be important if there's any dispute about the guidance you received. The adjudication process is definitely frustrating, but in my experience, being proactive about providing additional documentation upfront can sometimes help speed things along.
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Just wanted to circle back on the Claimyr service since a few people asked about it. It's basically a callback service that gets you through Washington ESD's phone queue automatically. You give them your number and they call you back when an agent is available. Saved me hours of waiting on hold when I needed to resolve an issue with my claim status. The demo video explains it better than I can.
That sounds like exactly what I'll need. Thanks for sharing that resource.
wish i had known about that when i was dealing with my claim issues. would have saved me so much frustration.
I'm in a similar situation right now - my disability benefits are ending soon and I'm nervous about the whole process. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been really helpful. One thing I wanted to add is that if you have any mental health conditions as part of your disability claim, make sure your doctor addresses how those might affect your work capacity too. Washington ESD will want to know about all aspects of your ability to work, not just physical limitations. I'm working with my psychiatrist to get documentation about how my anxiety affects my job search and work performance so there are no surprises when I file my claim.
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Just want to say thanks to everyone who answered questions in this thread. I was really confused about whether I could get both benefits but now I understand the rules better. Going to file my unemployment claim this week!
Good luck with your claim! Just remember to be completely honest about your work restrictions and keep detailed job search records.
Glad this thread helped you too! It definitely cleared up a lot of confusion for me as well.
This is such a helpful thread! I'm in a similar situation - got injured at my construction job 3 weeks ago and my doctor says I can do desk work but no heavy lifting or standing for long periods. I've been hesitant to apply for unemployment because I wasn't sure if it was allowed while getting workers comp. Reading everyone's experiences here gives me confidence to file my claim. One question though - should I wait until my L&I case is fully established or can I apply for UI benefits right away as long as I have my work restrictions documented?
You don't need to wait for your L&I case to be fully established - you can apply for unemployment benefits as soon as you have documented work restrictions that allow you to perform some type of work. The key is having that medical documentation from your doctor showing you're cleared for desk work. Washington ESD will want to see that you're able and available for work within those restrictions. Just make sure you're honest about your situation when you file and mention that you're receiving workers comp. The sooner you apply, the sooner you can start receiving benefits while you're job searching!
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I went through something similar last year and know how overwhelming it can feel. The first thing to understand is that overpayments can happen even when you've done everything right - sometimes it's due to employer disputes filed months later, or even processing errors on Washington ESD's end. The key is to not panic and take action quickly. You mentioned you followed all the rules and were honest, which puts you in a good position if you need to appeal. Make sure you understand exactly why they're claiming an overpayment occurred - you have the right to a detailed explanation. If the amount seems wrong or the reasoning doesn't make sense, definitely consider filing an appeal within the 30-day window. Many people have successfully gotten overpayments reduced or eliminated entirely when they can show the determination was incorrect.
This is really helpful advice, thank you. I think part of my stress is not understanding exactly what they think I did wrong. The letter has a bunch of dates and dollar amounts but doesn't clearly explain their reasoning. How do you request that detailed explanation you mentioned? Is that something you have to do formally or can you just ask when you call?
You can request a detailed explanation both formally and informally. When you call (if you can get through), just ask the agent to explain the specific reasons for the overpayment determination. You can also submit a written request through their online portal or by mail asking for a breakdown of how they calculated the overpayment and what specific weeks or issues triggered it. Sometimes the explanation is in the fine print of the documents they sent, but it's often buried in legal language that's hard to understand. Don't be afraid to ask them to explain it in plain English - you have every right to understand exactly what they're claiming before you decide whether to appeal or accept the determination.
I'm going through this exact situation right now and it's absolutely terrifying. Got a letter last week saying I owe back $3,400 from unemployment I received 7 months ago. Like you, I thought I did everything correctly - reported all my job searches, didn't work while claiming, answered all their questions honestly. The worst part is the letter doesn't even explain what I supposedly did wrong, just lists dates and dollar amounts. I've been calling Washington ESD every day trying to get answers but can never get through to a human being. The automated system just keeps telling me to call back later or visit their website, which doesn't have any useful information about my specific case. I'm a single mom working part-time and there's no way I can come up with almost $3,500. This whole thing is making me sick to my stomach.
I feel for you so much - being a single mom dealing with this kind of financial stress has to be incredibly scary. What helped me when I was in a similar situation was realizing that the overpayment notice is just their initial determination, not necessarily the final word. Since you mentioned you followed all the rules and were honest, there's a good chance this could be resolved in your favor if you can get someone to actually review your case. Have you considered filing an appeal even while you're trying to reach them? You can submit the appeal paperwork to preserve your rights within the 30-day window, and then continue working on getting explanations. That way you don't lose your chance to challenge it while dealing with their impossible phone system. Also, if it turns out you do owe something, Washington ESD typically offers payment plans for people who can't pay the full amount upfront. You're not alone in this - so many people in this thread have been through the same nightmare and found ways to resolve it.
I'm really sorry you're going through this - that amount of money would be devastating for anyone, especially as a single mom. I've been reading through all these responses and it sounds like there's real hope for getting this resolved. The fact that multiple people have mentioned getting their overpayments reversed or reduced when they could finally talk to someone is encouraging. Since the phone system is completely broken, you might want to try that Claimyr service - I know it costs money but it could save you thousands if they can help you get through to an actual person who can review your case. In the meantime, definitely consider filing an appeal within the 30 days just to protect yourself, even if you don't fully understand what they're claiming yet. You can always withdraw the appeal later if it turns out to be legitimate, but you can't get those appeal rights back once the deadline passes. Hang in there - it sounds like most of these situations aren't as hopeless as they first appear.
Adrian Hughes
This thread has been incredibly informative! I'm currently going through the PFL application process myself and was already worried about how to handle retroactive claims if my approval takes a while. Seeing so many people successfully file multiple weeks at once is really reassuring. I'm definitely taking notes on all the tips shared here - especially about having documentation ready, writing down specific dates, and using the desktop version instead of mobile. It's amazing how this community shares such practical, real-world advice that you just can't find on the official websites. Thanks to everyone who's taken the time to share their experiences - it makes navigating this system feel so much less overwhelming when you know others have successfully been through it!
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Ravi Gupta
•I'm so glad this thread is helping you feel more prepared for the process! It really is amazing how much practical advice you can get from people who've actually been through it. One thing I'd add from reading through everyone's experiences - don't be discouraged if your approval takes longer than expected. It seems like most people in this thread waited 3-4 weeks or even a month, but once it comes through, the retroactive filing process is really manageable. I'm also in the application phase and this thread has been such a lifesaver for understanding what to expect. The community here really does fill in all those gaps that the official websites leave unclear. Best of luck with your application!
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Amara Okafor
This thread is so incredibly helpful! I'm currently waiting for my PFL approval (going on week 4 now) and was getting really anxious about how to handle the retroactive filing once it hopefully comes through. Reading through everyone's successful experiences with filing multiple weeks at once has been such a relief - I was imagining some complicated process where I'd have to file each week separately with waiting periods or something. I'm definitely going to follow all the great advice shared here about having documentation ready, writing down specific dates for each week, and using the desktop version instead of mobile. It's also really reassuring to see the realistic timeframes people are sharing - knowing it typically takes 5-10 business days to process and that the filing itself only takes 45 minutes to an hour for multiple weeks makes it feel so much more manageable. This community really is amazing for sharing practical, real-world experiences that you just can't find anywhere else. Thank you to everyone who's taken the time to share their knowledge and help others navigate this system!
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