Final thought - don't let the 26 week limit make you take a bad job out of desperation. Use the time to find something that fits your skills and career goals. That's what the benefit is designed for.

Just wanted to add my experience - I was in a similar situation last year and used almost all 26 weeks. The key thing that helped me was setting up a weekly schedule to track everything: job applications, networking events, and benefit weeks remaining. I created a simple calendar that showed my benefit year end date and marked off each week as I filed my claims. It really helped reduce the anxiety of not knowing exactly where I stood. Also, don't forget that you can work part-time while collecting benefits (as long as you report it properly) - that helped me bridge the gap toward the end and led to my current full-time position.

Final thought - document everything throughout this process. Keep records of all your medical appointments, work restrictions, job search activities, and communications with both unemployment and disability offices. Having thorough documentation will help if there are any questions or appeals down the road.

I'm new to this community but dealing with a similar situation. I was injured at my manufacturing job and have been out of work for 3 weeks now. My doctor says I can do light duty work but nothing that requires standing for long periods or lifting over 5 pounds. Reading through this thread has been really helpful - I didn't realize you could potentially qualify for unemployment even with work restrictions. Has anyone here had experience with ESD accepting partial work restrictions like mine? I'm worried they'll say I'm not "available for work" even though I could do office jobs or other seated positions.

Three years ago I got denied for misconduct but won on appeal. The key was showing that my employer's policy wasn't consistently enforced and other employees had gotten warnings for similar violations. Documentation is everything in these cases.

I went through something similar about 6 months ago. Failed a random test at my construction job and got terminated. Washington ESD initially denied my claim, but I appealed and actually won. The hearing officer said the key factor was that I had been a good employee for 4 years with no prior disciplinary issues, and my marijuana use was for chronic back pain (even though I didn't have an official medical card). It's definitely worth fighting if you have a good work history. Don't give up after the first denial - the appeals process gave me a real chance to tell my story.

Final update: My claim was approved this morning! All 5 weeks of backpay are showing as paid and should hit my account in 2-3 business days. Such a relief. For anyone else stuck in adjudication - don't give up, keep calling until you can talk to someone, and definitely keep filing your weekly claims even when it seems hopeless.

Wow, what a journey! Thanks for sharing all these updates - it's really helpful to see how these adjudication cases actually get resolved. The wage discrepancy issue makes total sense, and I'm glad that Claimyr service worked out for you. I'm dealing with a similar pending situation right now (week 3) and this gives me hope that persistence pays off. Going to check my account again for any wage reporting issues and might try that calling service if I can't get through on my own. Congrats on getting your backpay sorted out!

Good luck with your claim! Most people in your situation do end up getting approved. The unemployment system isn't perfect but it does generally work for people who legitimately lost their jobs through no fault of their own.

I went through something very similar last year - got terminated for "not meeting performance standards" after 18 months at my job. I was really worried about applying because I thought getting fired meant automatic denial, but that's not true at all. Washington ESD approved my claim because performance issues aren't the same as misconduct. The key distinction is whether you were fired for something you did wrong intentionally (like breaking rules, theft, etc.) versus just not being able to meet their expectations despite trying your best. From what you've described, it sounds like you have a good chance of getting approved. File your claim online at esd.wa.gov as soon as possible - don't wait because the sooner you file, the sooner your benefit year starts. Be completely honest about the reason for termination when you fill out the application. Good luck!