One more thing - if you're currently employed, they'll want to see recent pay stubs when setting up your payment plan. Have that ready along with your bank statements and monthly budget breakdown.

I went through something similar a few months ago with a $1,200 overpayment. The most important thing is to act quickly - even if you can't reach them by phone right away, try to document that you're attempting to respond within the 15-day window. I ended up sending an email to their overpayment department explaining my situation and requesting a payment plan, which bought me some time while I kept trying to get through by phone. They were actually pretty reasonable once I finally connected - I got set up with a $40/month plan based on my income. Don't panic, but definitely don't ignore it either. The key is showing good faith effort to resolve it.

Washington ESD customer service told me that 'not ineligible' is the standard wording they use for approved claims. Took me forever to get through to them to ask, but at least I got a clear answer. Might be worth calling if you need more details about your specific claim.

This exact same thing happened to me last year! I got the "not ineligible" letter and spent the whole day thinking I was denied until my neighbor explained it to me. It's honestly cruel how confusing they make something so important when people are already stressed about money. Congrats on your approval though - that's great news! Just make sure to keep filing those weekly claims and doing your job search activities. The first payment should hit your account within a week or two.

Thanks everyone for all the helpful info! This thread has been way more useful than the Washington ESD website for understanding how this all works.

I just went through this same confusion last month! The key thing that helped me was realizing that Washington ESD automatically calculates both the standard base period (first 4 of last 5 completed quarters) and the alternate base period (last 4 completed quarters) to see which one gives you a higher benefit amount. So you don't have to worry too much about figuring it out yourself - they'll use whichever calculation is better for you. The quarters are definitely 3 months each as others have said. My advice is to gather all your pay stubs from the last year and a half just in case they need wage verification, but let their system do the heavy lifting on the calculations.

Hang in there - being laid off is stressful but you're already being proactive by asking questions and preparing. That's exactly the right approach. You'll figure this out and hopefully find an even better opportunity!

I went through a similar layoff situation about 18 months ago and wanted to share a few practical tips that really helped me. First, when you file your claim, take screenshots of every page - the system occasionally glitches and you'll want proof of what you submitted. Second, set up a dedicated email folder for all ESD communications so nothing gets lost in your inbox. Third, if you have any side income (freelance work, gig economy stuff), make sure you understand how to report it properly on your weekly claims - even small amounts need to be reported and can affect your benefits. The whole process is definitely overwhelming at first, but once you get into the routine of filing weekly claims it becomes much more manageable. You've got good instincts asking questions ahead of time!

Update from my earlier comment - another option is to visit your local WorkSource office in person. They can't directly help with Commissioner Reviews, but they can sometimes contact ESD through internal channels to verify your appeal status. I did this last year when I was in a similar situation and the WorkSource specialist was able to confirm my appeal was in the system and gave me a rough timeframe.

I'm dealing with the exact same issue! Filed my Commissioner's Review appeal 6 weeks ago and it's like they don't exist. Really appreciate all the suggestions here - going to try the 8am calling strategy and definitely looking into contacting my state representative. Has anyone had luck with the Governor's office constituent services? I saw they have an online form for ESD issues but wasn't sure if it's worth trying. This whole process is so stressful when you're already struggling financially.