One last suggestion - check with your local workforce development office. They sometimes have emergency assistance funds or know about programs that aren't widely advertised.

I'm really sorry you're going through this - the stress must be overwhelming. One resource that might help immediately is contacting your landlord to explain the situation and see if they'll work with you on a payment plan or short-term extension. Many landlords would rather work with a good tenant than go through an eviction process. Also, if you haven't already, definitely apply for emergency food assistance through local food banks - that can free up any money you do have for rent. The Salvation Army and United Way often have emergency financial assistance too. You've got this - it's just a really tough stretch that won't last forever.

Good luck with your application! Most people who qualify get approved without major issues. Just stay on top of your weekly claims and job search requirements.

Based on everyone's advice here, I just submitted my application! The online process was actually pretty straightforward - took about 25 minutes like someone mentioned. Now I'm just waiting to see what happens. Really appreciate all the detailed info from everyone, especially about the job search requirements and reporting part-time wages. Fingers crossed it goes smoothly, but at least I know about options like Claimyr if I run into issues getting through to them. Thanks for convincing me not to wait any longer!

UPDATE: I was able to get through to Washington ESD this morning and cancel my claim! The agent was very helpful and confirmed that since I hadn't received any payments, the cancellation was simple. She marked it as 'withdrawn due to return to work' and gave me a confirmation number. Thanks everyone for the advice!

That's fantastic news! It's great to see everything worked out so smoothly. For anyone else in a similar situation reading this thread, it sounds like the key takeaways are: 1) Call Washington ESD to formally cancel rather than just stopping weekly claims, 2) Get a confirmation number for your records, and 3) Make sure they mark it as "withdrawn due to return to work" rather than denied. Thanks for sharing your success story - it'll definitely help others who find themselves in the same position!

One last tip - if Washington ESD schedules a phone interview about your termination, answer the phone! Missing scheduled interviews can delay your claim or even result in denial. They usually give you advance notice.

You're absolutely right to file for benefits! Performance terminations are very different from misconduct in Washington state. I went through something similar a few months ago - got let go from a retail job for not meeting sales goals despite really trying my best. Washington ESD approved my claim after about 3 weeks of investigation. The key thing they look for is whether you were willfully negligent or just struggled with the job requirements. From what you described with the warehouse quotas, it sounds like you were making a good faith effort but the physical demands were too much. That's not misconduct - that's just a mismatch between your abilities and the job requirements. Keep filing your weekly claims during the adjudication process and make sure to document everything about your termination while it's still fresh in your memory. You've got this!

this whole thread is why i tell people to keep detailed records of everything unemployment related. you never know what random thing theyll want to verify months later

I went through the exact same thing last month! The hold appeared out of nowhere with zero explanation. After reading through this thread, I'm definitely going to try that claimyr service - seems like it's the only way to actually reach someone at Washington ESD. It's ridiculous that we have to pay a third party just to get basic information about our own claims. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences, at least now I know I'm not alone in dealing with this broken system.