Just wanted to follow up and say I hope you get this resolved soon. The stress of not knowing what's wrong with your claim while bills are piling up is awful. Don't let anyone make you feel bad for using whatever resources are available to get help.

I'm going through something very similar right now - active issues for about 3 weeks with no clear explanation from the system. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful, especially learning about the different types of issues that can cause this. I've been filing my weekly claims religiously but it's so frustrating not knowing what's actually wrong. I'm definitely going to try calling at different times of day and look into some of the solutions people have mentioned here. It's reassuring to know that these issues do eventually get resolved, even though the wait is really stressful when you're depending on that income.

That's awesome that you got it resolved so quickly with Claimyr! I'm dealing with a similar issue right now - been trying to get through to ESD for days with no luck. Going to give Claimyr a try based on your recommendation. It's so frustrating how these technical glitches on their end can hold up people's benefits when they need them most. Glad you didn't have to wait weeks for a response to your email!

I went through this same nightmare about 6 months ago! The system glitch that creates these flags when your benefit year expires is so common, it's honestly ridiculous that ESD hasn't fixed it yet. I ended up calling at exactly 8:00 AM on a Tuesday and got through after about 45 minutes on hold. The agent told me it's a known issue where expired claims don't properly "close" in their system, so when you try to file a new one it thinks you're trying to have two active claims. They cleared the flag in like 2 minutes and I was good to go. Pro tip: if you do get through to someone, ask them to add a note to your account explaining what was fixed - it might help if this happens again in the future. So glad to see people recommending Claimyr too, I wish I had known about that service when I was dealing with this!

Hope everything works out with your recovery and that you find some financial assistance during your leave. Keep us posted!

I went through something similar when I had to take FMLA for a knee replacement. You're right that regular unemployment won't work since you're not available for work, but definitely look into Washington's Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) program. You have to have worked and paid into it for at least 820 hours in the past year, and there's a one-week waiting period. The benefits are partial wage replacement (usually around 90% of your average weekly wage up to a cap). I applied online at paidleave.wa.gov and it was way easier than dealing with ESD phone lines. Also check if you have any accrued sick time or vacation pay you can use to bridge gaps. Good luck with your recovery!

Thanks everyone for the helpful info! Just to make sure I understand: I need to file a claim for the waiting week even though I won't get paid, and if I don't, my benefits will be delayed. I'll make sure to do that right away. One more question - does the waiting week count toward my total benefit weeks? Like if I'm approved for 26 weeks, does that include the waiting week or is it 26 paid weeks plus the unpaid waiting week?

I went through this same thing a few months ago and was so confused! The waiting week really caught me off guard financially. One tip that helped me - I used that first week to really organize my job search strategy and get familiar with the ESD system. Since you have to file the claim anyway but won't get paid, it's a good time to make sure you understand all the requirements like work search activities and how to properly fill out your weekly claims. That way when your paid weeks start, you won't have any hiccups. Also, definitely set up direct deposit if you haven't already - it makes getting your benefits much faster once they start coming.

I'm planning to apply for the Training Benefits Program for a cybersecurity certification program starting this fall. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly helpful - especially the distinction between CAT and Training Benefits that Alice explained. One question I haven't seen addressed: does anyone know if there's a limit to how many times you can use the Training Benefits Program? I used regular unemployment benefits about 3 years ago for a different layoff, but this would be my first time applying for any training programs through ESD. Also, for those who got approved - did you need to submit quarterly progress reports or just when ESD requested them? Want to make sure I'm prepared for all the ongoing requirements.

Just wanted to add another perspective as someone who went through this process recently. I was approved for both CAT and Training Benefits for a dental hygiene program in late 2024, and the whole experience was actually smoother than I expected after reading horror stories online. A few things that I think helped my application: - I included a detailed career plan showing how the training connected to my previous work experience - Got a letter from my local WorkSource office confirming nursing/healthcare was in high demand in my area - Made sure my school was on the state's approved training provider list (you can check this on ESD's website) - Applied for CAT about 6 weeks before my program start date to account for processing time The key thing that saved me stress was having a backup plan. I applied to start school in January but was prepared to defer to March if approvals didn't come through in time. Having that flexibility made the waiting period much less stressful. Also want to emphasize what others said - keep filing your weekly claims and doing job searches until you get that approval letter in writing! I've seen people get burned by assuming verbal confirmations were enough.