Thanks everyone for all the helpful info! I'm going to get documentation from my doctor this week and submit the exemption request. Hopefully Washington ESD will approve it so I can focus on healing instead of pretending to look for jobs I can't do.

I went through a similar situation with Washington ESD last year when I had carpal tunnel surgery. The key is being very specific in your doctor's documentation. My orthopedic surgeon had to write that I was "medically unable to perform repetitive hand motions required for data entry, typing, or manual labor" and gave specific weight restrictions. Generic letters saying you're "unable to work" won't cut it. Also, submit everything through the online portal AND follow up with a phone call (or use that Claimyr service if you can't get through). The whole process took about 3 weeks for me, but it was worth it to not have to fake apply for jobs I couldn't physically do. Keep documenting your job searches until you get official approval though - don't risk your benefits over a technicality.

Hope you get this sorted out quickly! These kinds of claim issues are so stressful when you're already dealing with being unemployed. Let us know what happens when you call Washington ESD.

I had a similar "ineligible week" issue a few months ago and it was nerve-wracking! In my case, it turned out to be because I had reported being "unable to work" one day due to illness, but I answered the question incorrectly. Even though I was only sick for one day and could work the rest of the week, the way I answered made it look like I was unavailable for the entire week. The key is to be very careful about how you interpret those weekly questions - they're asking about your availability for the ENTIRE week, not just individual days. When I called Washington ESD (took several tries to get through), they explained that if you're unavailable for work for any reason during the week, you need to report it very specifically or it can flag the whole week as ineligible. They were able to correct it once I explained what happened. Definitely call as soon as possible because the longer you wait, the more complicated it can become to resolve.

I went through something very similar earlier this year - filed in September and everything was processing normally until suddenly it went into adjudication in early October. Turned out ESD had sent me a separation questionnaire that I completely missed because I wasn't checking my eServices inbox regularly enough. Once I found and completed it, my claim was approved within 10 days and I got all my back pay. The key lesson I learned is to check your eServices account every single day, not just when you file your weekly claims. They don't always send email notifications for important documents. Since you already found and completed that questionnaire, you're probably in much better shape now. Keep filing weekly and hang in there!

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Filed on 9/28 and was in normal processing until 10/22 when it suddenly switched to adjudication. Like you, I was panicking because I couldn't figure out what I did wrong. After reading through these comments, I immediately logged into my eServices account and found TWO questionnaires I had completely missed - one about my work search activities and another about my separation from my last job. I had been relying on email notifications and apparently that's not how it works! Just submitted both questionnaires and really hoping this gets things moving. It's such a relief to know this is a common issue and not necessarily a red flag about my claim. Thanks for posting this - it literally helped me solve my problem!

Just wanted to add that when you're reporting your severance payments each week, make sure you're reporting the gross amount (before taxes) not the net amount you actually receive. Washington ESD bases their calculations on the gross severance amount. I made this mistake initially and had to correct it later, which caused some confusion in my claim. The weekly claim form should be pretty clear about this, but it's worth mentioning since tax withholdings can make the amounts look quite different.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm in a similar situation but with a twist - my company is paying my severance through their regular payroll system over 8 weeks, but they're also continuing my health insurance during that time. Does anyone know if the continued health insurance coverage affects how Washington ESD views the severance payments? I want to make sure I understand the full picture before I file my claim. From everything I've read here, it sounds like I should still file immediately and report the weekly severance amounts, but I'm wondering if the insurance continuation adds any complications to the process.

The whole system is confusing but at least Washington has decent benefits compared to other states. Could be worse I guess.

I'm new to the unemployment system and this thread has been super informative! One thing I'm still unclear on - when they calculate your base period wages, do they use gross wages or net wages after taxes? I want to make sure I'm estimating my potential benefit correctly before I file.