not to be negative but i called the governors office twice about my claim last year and both times they just took my info and said someone would call back. still waiting for that call lol. maybe you'll have better luck tho

I'm so sorry you're going through this - 9 weeks is absolutely ridiculous and the stress of potential eviction makes it even worse. I went through a similar situation about 6 months ago (stuck for 8 weeks) and what finally worked for me was a combination approach: 1. I did contact the Governor's office at 360-902-4111 and specifically asked for constituent services about ESD delays. They created a case file but it took about 2 weeks to see any movement. 2. More importantly, I also reached out to the Washington State Ombuds office at 1-800-562-6025. They specialize in helping people navigate state agency problems and they actually have some pull with ESD that the Governor's office doesn't. 3. Like others mentioned, I also went to my local WorkSource office with all my documentation and politely but firmly explained I needed help escalating this. The combination of all three seemed to finally shake something loose. My claim was resolved within a week of doing all of this. In the meantime, definitely look into emergency rental assistance programs in your county - many have funds specifically for people waiting on unemployment benefits. Don't let pride stop you from asking for help while you're fighting this bureaucratic nightmare. Keep detailed records of every contact and don't give up. The system is broken but you can get through this!

Does anyone know if there's a way to see what information your employer provided to Washington ESD when they responded to the notice? I'm curious what my former boss said about my layoff.

Just wanted to share my experience since I was in a similar situation a few months ago. I was also worried about my employer being notified, but it turned out to be no big deal at all. They got the standard notice from Washington ESD, didn't contest it (since it was a legitimate layoff), and that was that. The whole process was actually pretty straightforward once I stopped overthinking it. Focus on your job search requirements and don't stress too much about the employer notification - it's just part of how the system works to verify claims are legitimate.

btw i forgot to mention earlier but u should check ur mail SUPER carefully. sometimes esd sends letters asking for more info but doesnt update the online portal. my roommate missed an important letter and his claim got denied cuz he didn't respond in time. super annoying!

I went through something very similar earlier this year! The "waiting for information" status with nothing showing in your portal is frustrating but totally normal - it usually means they're waiting for your employer to respond to their separation questionnaire, not waiting for you to do anything. Since you mentioned your employer might contest due to "performance issues," here's what helped me prepare: I gathered every email, text, or document that showed I was trying to do my job properly. Even small things like emails asking clarifying questions about tasks or positive feedback from coworkers can help show you weren't being willfully negligent. The ReliaCard arriving is just standard procedure - they send it automatically so payments can start immediately once you're approved. Keep filing those weekly claims no matter what! That's the most important thing you can do right now. One more tip: if your employer does contest and it goes to a phone interview, they'll usually give you several days notice. Make sure to answer unknown numbers during business hours and check your mail daily. Good luck!

That's actually a common scenario. If you gave notice but were terminated immediately, that's generally considered a layoff, not a quit, for unemployment purposes. The key is that the employer made the final decision to end the employment relationship sooner than your notice period. When you speak to an agent, explain exactly that sequence of events, and specify the date you gave notice and the date they ended your employment. This distinction is important because it affects eligibility.

As someone who just went through this nightmare myself, I feel your pain! I waited almost 5 weeks for a response to my message about adjudication documents, and when they finally replied it was just asking me to submit the exact same documents I had already uploaded. Here's what finally worked for me: I started calling exactly at 7:59 AM and would hit redial continuously for the first 30 minutes they're open. On my 4th day of doing this, I got through within 15 minutes. The agent was actually really helpful and was able to see my message history and resolve everything on the spot. Also, if you haven't already, make sure you're continuing to file your weekly claims even during adjudication. I almost made the mistake of stopping because I thought it was pointless, but the agent told me that would have created additional delays in processing my back pay once approved. Hang in there - I know it's incredibly frustrating but you will eventually get through!

One more thing to remember - your benefit year lasts 52 weeks total, but you can only collect benefits for up to 26 of those weeks. So if you find a job after 10 weeks, get laid off again 6 months later, you might still have some weeks left on your original claim.

I'm in a similar boat - just got laid off from my retail job after 3 years and trying to understand the whole system. From reading everyone's responses, it sounds like 26 weeks is the standard maximum in Washington, but I'm still confused about the base period calculation. If I was working part-time for the first half of last year and then full-time for the second half, how does that affect my eligibility? Also, has anyone had luck with the WorkSourceWA website for tracking job search activities? I want to make sure I'm doing everything right from the start.