Yes! It came through this morning around 4am according to my bank app. Just in time for rent payment. Thank you everyone for all your help and advice!

That's awesome news! So glad it worked out for you and you made rent on time. Chase really does seem to be one of the faster banks for ESD deposits. Your experience will definitely help other people who are in the same anxious waiting period - it's such a relief when that money finally hits the account. Thanks for following up to let us know how it turned out!

Bottom line - if it's been more than 10 days since you filed and you haven't heard anything about a contest, you're probably in the clear for now. The employer can still try to contest later but it's much harder for them.

I'm in a similar situation - filed my claim about 8 days ago and have been anxiously waiting to see if my former employer will contest it. This thread has been incredibly helpful in understanding the timeline. It's reassuring to know that most employers don't actually bother to contest unless there's clear misconduct. I left my job due to a disagreement with management about working conditions, so I'm hoping they'll just let it go. The 10-day rule gives me some peace of mind knowing there's a definitive timeframe rather than just waiting indefinitely.

Bottom line: 3 job search activities per week, keep detailed records, make sure your activities are relevant to your field and experience level. Don't overthink it but don't slack off either. Washington ESD is pretty reasonable if you're making a genuine effort.

Just wanted to add that if you're in a specialized field with limited openings, Washington ESD does understand that finding 3 relevant positions to apply for each week can be challenging. In those cases, you can mix in other activities like reaching out to recruiters, attending industry meetups, or doing informational interviews as others mentioned. I work in a niche tech area and my caseworker was understanding when I explained my situation and showed that I was being proactive in other ways. The key is documenting everything and being able to show you're making a genuine effort to find work in your field.

One last tip - make sure you have all your employment information ready when you file. Social security numbers of employers, exact dates of employment, gross wages, and reason for separation. Having this info ready makes the application process much smoother.

Just want to add that Washington state also has a waiting week requirement - you won't receive benefits for your first week of unemployment even if you're eligible. This is something to factor into your financial planning. Also, if you do part-time or temporary work while collecting benefits, you need to report ALL earnings, even if it's just a few hours. They'll reduce your weekly benefit amount based on what you earn, but you can still receive partial benefits as long as you earn less than 1.5 times your weekly benefit amount.

Last thing I'll add - if you end up needing to appeal or have complex issues, consider getting help from a legal aid organization. Many offer free assistance for unemployment cases involving disabilities.

I'm going through something very similar right now with anxiety and PTSD. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea about the modified job search requirements or that therapy appointments counted as valid unavailability reasons. It's reassuring to know that Washington ESD does have accommodations for mental health conditions, even though the process seems overwhelming. I'm planning to get documentation from my psychiatrist and contact WorkSource based on the advice here. Thank you all for sharing your experiences - it makes me feel less alone in dealing with this.