Another thing to keep in mind - make sure you understand the difference between gross and net pay when tracking your gig earnings. The apps will show you what you earned before their fees, but for unemployment reporting purposes you want to report what you actually received. So if DoorDash shows $50 in earnings but takes a $5 service fee, you'd report $45. Keep screenshots of your weekly earnings summaries from each app to make filing your claims easier.

I've been doing Uber Eats while on unemployment for about 2 months now and wanted to share my experience. The key things that have worked for me: 1) I use a simple notebook to write down every single payout from the app - date, amount, and which platform. 2) I report earnings for the week I actually did the work, not when I got paid. 3) I set aside about 25% of my gig earnings for taxes since you're basically self-employed. The income reduction on my weekly benefits has been manageable and I'm definitely better off financially than just relying on UI alone. Just make sure you're still actively job searching and available for interviews during regular business hours!

The system is definitely slow but hang in there. Most people do eventually get approved and the back pay helps make up for the delay. Just make sure you're responding to any requests quickly and filing your weekly claims on time.

Just wanted to add some hope for those still waiting - I got my first payment yesterday after exactly 3 weeks from filing my initial claim. I was laid off from my tech job in early January and filed the same day. The key things that seemed to help: I responded to every request within 24 hours, kept filing my weekly claims religiously even while waiting, and made sure all my employer information was accurate from the start. My claim showed "under review" for most of the time with no updates, then suddenly switched to "paid" on Tuesday and the money hit my account Wednesday morning via direct deposit. For those dealing with delays, it really seems like getting in touch with an agent (whether through regular calling or services like Claimyr) can help identify what's holding things up. The uncertainty is brutal but most people do get approved eventually!

I'm in a similar boat - just got approved for Training Benefits for a cybersecurity program and was offered a part-time remote job. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful! One thing I wanted to add is that if you're doing an online/hybrid program like mine, make sure ESD knows your exact class schedule including any virtual components. I had to submit my detailed course schedule as part of my approval process, and I think having that documentation upfront will help if there are any questions later about work conflicts. Also, for anyone else reading this - the ESD website has a benefit calculator tool, but as others mentioned, it doesn't always work perfectly. I've found it helpful to do the math manually using the formula Connor shared (subtract $5, multiply remainder by 0.75, subtract from weekly benefit amount) and then double-check with the online tool if it's working. Planning to start my part-time work next week and feeling much more confident after reading everyone's experiences here!

This thread has been incredibly informative! I'm currently on regular unemployment and considering applying for Training Benefits for a nursing program that starts in the fall. Reading about everyone's experiences with combining part-time work and Training Benefits gives me hope that I could manage both financially. A couple of quick questions for those who've been through this process: How far in advance did you apply for Training Benefits, and did you have to show proof of acceptance to the program first? Also, for those working part-time during training - did you find employers were understanding about needing flexible scheduling for school? I'm worried about finding part-time work that won't interfere with clinical rotations and lab requirements. Any advice would be super helpful as I start planning this transition!

Just to summarize the main disqualification reasons: voluntary quit without good cause, misconduct, not able/available for work, refusing suitable work, not meeting job search requirements, not reporting income correctly, and not participating in required services. Most can be appealed or resolved with proper documentation.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that if you receive severance pay, it can affect your unemployment benefits timing. Washington ESD considers severance as wages for the period it covers, which means your benefits might be delayed until after the severance period ends. I learned this the hard way when I got laid off with a severance package and couldn't figure out why my claim was delayed. It's not exactly a disqualification, but it can definitely impact when you start receiving benefits.

If anyone is still having trouble reaching Washington ESD about severance questions, I used Claimyr a few weeks ago and finally got my questions answered. Their video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ shows exactly how it works. Saved me so much time and frustration.

Just went through this exact situation myself! Got laid off in March with a $6,000 severance paid over 3 months. Washington ESD was actually pretty straightforward about it - you're definitely eligible for unemployment benefits. The severance gets reported as "other income" each week you receive it, not as wages. So if your weekly UI benefit is $500 and you get $500 in severance that week, you'd get $0 from unemployment but you're still in the system. The weeks where your severance is less than your benefit amount, you get the difference. Just make sure to report it accurately on every weekly claim - they will catch unreported income eventually through tax cross-referencing. Good luck with your claim!