Thanks everyone for all the helpful info! I'm feeling much more confident about taking this part-time job and still collecting partial benefits. This thread has been super helpful.

I've been in a similar situation and can share what I learned from experience. In Washington state, there's no specific hour limit - it's all about your weekly earnings compared to your weekly benefit amount. You can work part-time and still receive partial unemployment benefits as long as your gross weekly earnings don't exceed your weekly benefit amount plus $5. So if your weekly benefit is $350, you could earn up to $355 before losing benefits completely. With your offer of 15 hours at $18/hour ($270 per week), you should still qualify for partial benefits. The key is to report ALL your work hours and gross earnings accurately on your weekly claim - even if it's just one hour. Washington ESD will automatically calculate your partial benefit amount. Also remember you still need to be available for full-time work and continue your job search activities. Don't let fear of losing benefits prevent you from taking work - the system is designed to encourage part-time employment while you search for full-time work.

Washington ESD should really make this clearer on their website. I was confused about the payment methods too when I first filed.

Just wanted to add that if you're still waiting for your first payment to process, you can check the status in your eServices account under "Payment Information." The debit card usually ships within a few days of your first payment being issued, not when you're approved. So there might be a bit of a delay between approval and actually getting the card. Also, if you move during this time, make sure to update your address with both Washington ESD AND KeyBank separately - they handle different parts of the process.

One more thing - if your plant closure involves more than 50 employees, ESD might have a specialized rapid response team to help everyone. Ask your union rep if ESD has been notified of the mass layoff. Sometimes they set up special processes for large closures.

I'm going through a similar situation right now with my company's closure. From what I've learned talking to others who've been through this, the key is being completely transparent with ESD about everything you receive and when. My approach has been to report ALL payments when I file my weekly claims, but include detailed notes about what each payment represents (severance vs vacation vs WARN compensation). This way there's a clear paper trail showing I'm not trying to hide anything. Also, don't stress too much about the phone situation - I've found that ESD's online chat feature during off-peak hours (early morning or late evening) sometimes gets you through faster than calling. You can also try calling right when they open at 8am on weekdays. The most important thing is documenting your attempts to get clarification and being honest about what you received. Good luck with everything!

One more thing - some property management companies have specific policies about unemployment income. Call ahead and ask before wasting time on applications. Saves everyone time and frustration.

I went through this exact situation about a year ago in Tacoma. What helped me was creating a "rental package" with all my documents organized in a folder: monetary determination letter, 3 months of bank statements showing UI deposits, my job search log from WorkSource, and a brief cover letter explaining my situation and timeline for finding work. Most landlords appreciated the transparency and organization. Also consider looking at smaller, independent landlords rather than big property management companies - they tend to be more flexible about income sources. Don't get discouraged if a few places say no, there are definitely landlords out there who understand that unemployment benefits are reliable government income.

Thanks for sharing your experience. I'm sure this thread will help other people who get similar confusing determination letters from Washington ESD. The 'denied with relief' wording really is terrible - sounds like bad news when it's actually good news.

Congrats on getting a favorable determination! I went through something similar last year and the whole process was so stressful. The wording on these letters is absolutely terrible - I remember panicking when I saw "denied" even though it was actually good news. Make sure to keep filing your weekly claims while you wait for the payments to start processing. In my case, it took about 10 business days after getting the determination letter for the first payment to hit my account, and then I got all the back pay for the weeks I'd been waiting. The relief you'll feel when you see those deposits is amazing after all that uncertainty!