Thanks everyone for all the detailed responses. I think I'm going to contact a disability advocate first, then maybe use that Claimyr service to talk to Washington ESD if needed. This is definitely not something to rush into without expert guidance.

I've been through a similar situation and wanted to share some additional perspective. While everyone's covered the technical aspects well, I'd also suggest looking into whether your state has any disability employment programs that could help you increase your work hours instead of pursuing unemployment. Washington has the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) that works with SSI recipients to expand employment opportunities. Sometimes they can even provide job coaching or help negotiate with employers for more stable hours. This might be a less risky path than navigating the unemployment/SSI intersection, especially given how little extra income you'd actually receive after the benefit reductions.

Update us on how it goes! I'm sure other people will end up in similar situations and your experience might help them.

I went through this exact situation with Adecco last year. You're absolutely right to file for unemployment - the temp agency is your employer, and "no available assignments" is a legitimate layoff reason. One thing I'd add is to keep checking in with Staffmark periodically while you're collecting benefits. They might get new assignments, and Washington ESD expects you to maintain contact with your former employer. Also, when you file your weekly claims, make sure to report any days you might work if Staffmark does call you back with short-term assignments. You can still collect partial benefits on weeks when you work reduced hours.

i almost forgot to file last week lol but the esd site was down for maintenance when i tried sunday night so i had to do it monday morning. got my payment a day late but no big deal. just dont wait til the very last minute on saturday night or you might have technical problems

For anyone else reading this thread - I just want to emphasize how important it is to understand the ESD filing schedule! I've been on unemployment for 8 months now and I see so many people get confused about this. The key thing to remember is: each benefit week runs Sunday through Saturday, and you can file for that completed week starting the NEXT Sunday. You then have a full week (until the following Saturday at 11:59 PM) to submit your claim. So there's actually a lot of flexibility in when you file - you don't have to rush to do it on Sunday morning like some people think. Just make sure you don't wait until the very last minute in case there are technical issues with the website!

Just remembered - if you do end up calling ESD and they tell you that you might qualify, make sure to get the agent's name and reference number for your call. That documentation could be helpful if there are any issues with your claim later.

I'm in a similar boat with my retail job cutting my hours from 35 to about 12 per week over the last month. Reading through all this advice, it sounds like partial unemployment might be the way to go while documenting everything. Has anyone here actually applied for partial benefits in Washington? I'm curious about how the process works and if it's worth the hassle.

To summarize for anyone else who might be confused about this issue in the future: 1. PFML (Paid Family Medical Leave) allows retroactive claiming of multiple weeks at once 2. Regular UI (Unemployment Insurance) requires weekly claims filed on time 3. When claiming multiple PFML weeks, payment typically comes as one lump sum 4. Processing time is usually 5-10 business days but can take longer 5. Keep all your medical documentation handy in case verification is requested Hope this helps clarify things!

Thanks everyone for the helpful responses! As someone who's new to navigating ESD benefits, this thread has been super reassuring. I was also worried about claiming multiple PFML weeks at once when I got my extension approved last month. Reading about everyone's similar experiences makes me feel much more confident that I did the right thing. It's really confusing how different PFML and regular UI work - I wish ESD made this clearer on their website. Appreciate this community for helping clarify these things!