Hope everything works out for you OP. Health issues are stressful enough without worrying about benefits complications.

I went through something similar a few months ago. The key is timing and communication. When I realized I needed to switch from UI to short-term disability, I called Washington ESD first to let them know I was stopping my claim due to a medical condition. Then I applied for the STD benefits through my former employer. Make sure there's no overlap in the dates - even one day can cause problems. Also, keep all your medical documentation organized because both programs may request it. The transition back to UI later was smoother because I had been upfront about everything from the start.

For what it's worth, the Washington ESD website does have a benefit estimator tool, but it's pretty basic. Gives you a rough idea though if you have your wage info handy.

Based on your $4,200 monthly income, you should be looking at a pretty decent weekly benefit amount. If that translates to around $12,600 in your highest quarter, you'd be getting roughly $484-500 per week using Washington's formula. That's actually not too bad compared to what some other states offer. Just make sure you file as soon as you're laid off since there can be delays in processing, and don't forget about the tax implications - you might want to have them withhold 10% for federal taxes to avoid a surprise bill later.

Remember to keep all your records of when you reported your work and when your claim was closed. If Washington ESD ever questions anything later, you'll want documentation of what you reported and when.

Congratulations on the new job! I went through this exact same situation last year. The key thing is to keep filing your weekly claims and report your work status accurately. When you file your next weekly claim, make sure to report your exact start date and any hours/wages earned that week. Washington ESD will automatically adjust your benefits and eventually close your claim once they see you're working full-time consistently. Don't worry about "canceling" - just be honest about your work status and let the system handle the rest. The process is actually pretty straightforward once you know what to do!

Just wondering, when did you initially file your claim? I've been waiting for mine to change from 'processing' to 'paid' for almost 3 weeks now! Did you have to do anything special to get it to move to paid status?

Any update? Did your payment arrive today?

Thanks everyone for all the help and advice! I took several of your suggestions - kept detailed records of all my call attempts, continued filing weekly claims, and finally used Claimyr to connect with an ESD agent yesterday. The agent confirmed my employer hadn't responded within the timeframe, and they're moving my claim forward! The status has already changed from 'pending employer response' to 'processing' this morning. Such a relief! I'll update again when/if the payments actually come through.

I'm going through something similar right now - my claim has been pending for 2 weeks waiting for employer response. Reading through all these comments is both reassuring and frustrating at the same time! It's crazy that so many people have dealt with this exact issue. I'm definitely going to try the Claimyr service that @Zane Hernandez mentioned since calling ESD directly seems impossible. Also really appreciate the tip about documenting everything - I hadn't thought to keep a log of my call attempts but I'll start doing that now. Thanks for sharing your experience Aurora, and glad to hear your claim is finally moving forward!