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This whole thing reminds me of last year when my neighbor filed for unemployment and couldn't get through for weeks. She finally contacted her state representative's office and they actually had a dedicated staff person who helped constituents with ESD issues! She got a call back from ESD within 48 hours after her rep's office contacted them. Might be worth trying that route too if nothing else works.
That's a great tip! I never would have thought about contacting my state rep. Do you know if she just called their office directly or if there was a specific process she followed? I'm going to look up my representative right now.
She just called the local office number listed on their website and explained the situation. I think she had to fill out some kind of form giving them permission to inquire about her case. But it was pretty straightforward from what she told me.
I'm dealing with the exact same issue! Been trying to call since Monday morning and getting absolutely nowhere. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea about the system maintenance or the alternative options like WorkSource offices and contacting state reps. I'm in a similar boat with an adjudication issue and a tight deadline. Based on what everyone's shared, I think I'm going to try a multi-pronged approach: visit my local WorkSource office tomorrow, send a detailed fax with my documentation, and if those don't work quickly enough, I'll contact my state representative's office. It's frustrating that we have to jump through so many hoops just to get basic help with our claims, but at least this community is sharing real solutions. Will definitely update with results from any of these methods in case it helps others. Thanks everyone for the solid advice!
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Thanks everyone for all the detailed info! This thread has been way more helpful than anything I found on the official Washington ESD site. Feeling much more confident about taking on some freelance work now.
Glad it helped! Just remember to report everything accurately and you should be fine.
Same here! I'm going to move forward with that freelance opportunity. Really appreciate everyone taking the time to explain everything.
Just wanted to add something important that I learned the hard way - when you're doing freelance work, make sure you understand the difference between when you do the work vs when you invoice vs when you get paid. Washington ESD wants you to report income for the week you actually performed the work, even if you don't invoice until later or get paid weeks later. I made the mistake of reporting based on when I received payment and it caused some confusion with my claims. Keep detailed records of your work dates!
This is exactly what tripped me up when I first started freelancing while on unemployment! I was reporting everything based on when I got paid through PayPal or checks, not realizing it should be when I actually did the work. Had to go back and correct several weeks of claims. Pro tip: I started keeping a simple calendar where I mark down exactly what days I work and how much I earned each day, then I reference that when filing my weekly claims. Makes it so much easier to stay accurate.
This is so helpful to know! I was about to start some consulting work and would have definitely made this mistake. So if I work on a project Monday through Wednesday but don't send the invoice until Friday and don't get paid until the following Tuesday, I report that income for the week I did the actual work (Monday-Wednesday week), correct? Want to make sure I understand this properly before I start.
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One thing that helped me was keeping detailed records of everything during my waiting week - job applications, any part-time work, etc. Even though you're not getting paid for that week, all that information is still important for your ongoing claim.
@Noah Torres I just went through this same situation last month and I completely understand your frustration! The waiting week policy really caught me off guard too. What helped me was calling my landlord as soon as I realized what was happening and explaining the situation - many are understanding about unemployment delays if you re'proactive about communicating. Also, some local churches and community centers have emergency assistance funds specifically for people dealing with unemployment waiting periods. The whole system feels designed to make things harder when you re'already struggling, but at least once you get past this first hurdle, the process becomes more predictable. Definitely keep filing those weekly claims even though you won t'get paid for the first one!
@Noah Torres I totally get your frustration - I just started my unemployment claim too and had no idea about the waiting week until I saw your post! Reading through all these responses has been eye-opening. It s'crazy that Washington ESD doesn t'explain this better upfront when you re'already stressed about losing your job. The fact that you still have to file weekly claims but don t'get paid for that first week seems like such an unnecessary burden. I m'dreading having to deal with their phone system based on what everyone s'saying here. At least now I know what to expect going in. Thanks for asking this question - saved me from being blindsided!
I went through this exact same situation when I first filed for unemployment in Washington. The waiting week is definitely one of those cruel bureaucratic policies that hits you when you're already vulnerable. What really frustrated me was that they don't clearly explain this during the initial filing process - you only find out when your first payment doesn't arrive. I ended up having to use my credit card for rent that first week, which just added to my stress. The whole thing feels designed to discourage people from filing claims. At least now you know what to expect, but yeah, that first week of benefits is just gone forever. Make sure you keep filing your weekly claims even during that unpaid week to keep your claim active!
@Noah Torres I just went through this exact same frustrating experience a few weeks ago! The waiting week policy is such a gut punch when you re'already stressed about losing your job. What really bothered me was how buried this information is - they should put a huge disclaimer right at the top of the application explaining that your first week won t'be paid. I ended up having to ask family for help with groceries that first week, which was embarrassing on top of everything else. The silver lining is that once you get past this bureaucratic nonsense, the weekly payments do start coming through more predictably. Just make absolutely sure you file every single weekly claim on time, even the unpaid one, because missing even one can mess up your whole claim. The system is designed to be confusing and discouraging, but don t'let it defeat you!
@Noah Torres I m'going through the exact same thing right now! Just filed my claim two days ago and had no idea about this waiting week nonsense until I started researching online. It s'absolutely ridiculous that Washington ESD doesn t'make this crystal clear during the application process - feels like they re'intentionally hiding it so fewer people will follow through. I was counting on that first payment to cover my rent and now I m'scrambling to figure out other options. The whole system seems designed to make things as difficult as possible when you re'already vulnerable. This thread has been more helpful than anything on their official website though - at least now I know to keep filing those weekly claims even though I won t'get paid for the first one. Thanks for asking this question and saving the rest of us from being totally blindsided!
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Hey Landon, just wanted to chime in as someone who went through this exact nightmare last year. The whole ESD phone system is seriously broken - I feel your pain! One thing that helped me when I was in a similar situation was also reaching out to my local WorkSource office. They can't resolve adjudication issues directly, but they have a direct line to ESD staff and can sometimes get status updates or help escalate cases that have been sitting too long. Plus they're way easier to reach than the main ESD line. Also, if you're really struggling financially while waiting, look into local food banks and rental assistance programs. I know it's not what you want to hear when you just want your unemployment benefits, but it can help bridge the gap. The United Way has a good resource finder at 211.org. Hope your case gets resolved quickly now that it's flagged! Keep us posted on how it goes.
Mia Roberts
Update us when you get through to them! I'm in a similar boat and curious to hear how it goes. Good luck with your backdate request.
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Noah Ali
•I definitely will! Hopefully I'll have good news to share soon. Thanks everyone for all the helpful advice.
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Liam Sullivan
I went through something very similar earlier this year! The misunderstanding about temporary work disqualifying you is so common - I thought the same thing. When I called Washington ESD to request backdating, they explained that you can actually work part-time or temporary jobs and still collect benefits as long as you report the earnings correctly on your weekly claims. The agent told me that stopping your claims because you found temporary work can actually qualify as "good cause" for backdating, especially if you genuinely believed you were no longer eligible. Just make sure you have documentation of your temp job dates and be prepared to explain that you thought you had to stop filing. I got approved for 8 weeks of back pay, so there's definitely hope for your situation!
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