just wanna say i feel ur pain... ESD is the WORST!!! moved from seattle to phoenix last year and had to deal with them remotely for 2 months. nightmare. good luck!!!

I went through something similar last year when I moved to Oregon but still had to deal with my Washington ESD claim. A few things that helped me: 1. The messaging system through eServices actually works better than people think - I got responses in 3-4 business days consistently when I was specific about what I needed. 2. For the "additional information" status, check if there's a letter or document request in the "Correspondence" tab. Mine was buried in there and I missed it for weeks. 3. Since you're out of state, make sure his mailing address is updated in the system. Sometimes they mail important documents that never reach you if the address is wrong. 4. I had better luck calling around 2:30-3:00pm PST (5:30-6:00pm your time) - seems like fewer people are trying then. The phone system is still terrible, but don't give up. It took me 6 weeks to resolve my issue, but once I finally got through to someone, they were actually pretty helpful. Keep having him file his weekly claims no matter what - that's crucial!

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Got approved two weeks ago but all my payments are still showing "pending" with no explanation. It's so stressful not knowing if there's an issue or if it's just their normal slow process. Reading everyone's experiences here is actually really helpful - at least I know I'm not the only one dealing with this. Going to try calling again tomorrow morning right when they open, maybe I'll have better luck getting through then. Thanks for posting about this!

I went through this exact situation about 6 months ago and it was incredibly stressful! My payments were stuck in pending for almost 4 weeks after approval. What finally worked for me was sending a secure message through the ESD portal asking specifically about "payment processing delays" and referencing my claim number. I got a response within a week saying there was an automated hold that needed manual review, and my payments started coming through 3 days after that. Sometimes the secure messaging gets faster responses than calling, especially if you use specific keywords like "payment hold" or "processing delay" in your subject line. Worth trying while you're also attempting to get through by phone!

Thank you all for the helpful information! After reading everyone's responses, I think I'm going to: 1. Limit my business development to 5-10 hours per week to minimize the impact on my benefits 2. Report ALL hours spent on the business honestly on my weekly claims 3. Continue doing my 3+ job search activities each week 4. Try to reach an ESD agent directly to confirm this approach I might use that Claimyr service someone mentioned to get a definitive answer from ESD. Better to get it right from the start than deal with overpayments later. I'll update this thread once I talk to someone official.

I went through this exact situation last year when I started my freelance graphic design business while on unemployment. Here's what I learned from experience and speaking with an ESD agent: You MUST report all hours worked on your business, even without income. ESD defines "work" as any activity intended to generate income, including business planning, website building, client outreach, etc. The benefit reduction formula is roughly: (Hours worked ÷ 40) × Weekly Benefit Amount. So if you work 8 hours and your WBA is $600, you'd lose about $120 that week. Key tips: - Keep detailed time logs of ALL business activities - Report hours honestly on weekly claims - Continue job search requirements (3+ activities weekly) - Stay "able and available" for full-time work I'd recommend starting very part-time (5-8 hours max per week) to minimize benefit impact while you test the waters. Once you have steady income, you can transition off unemployment properly. The good news is starting a business while on unemployment is totally legal - just be transparent about it from day one.

Have you tried reaching out to your local state representative? They can sometimes help push things along with EDD.

I went through the exact same thing! Got approved but waited 5 weeks for payments. Turns out there was a "flag" on my account that required manual review even though I was already approved. What finally worked was filing a complaint through the state's ombudsman office - got my payments within a week after that. Also make sure you're still certifying weekly even without payments, otherwise you'll lose those weeks. Don't give up!

For what it's worth, I've been through this exact situation and it worked out fine. Filed my taxes, got my refund, paid back the overpayment in installments. It seemed overwhelming at first but really wasn't that bad.

I went through something similar a couple years ago. One thing that really helped me was keeping detailed records of all my communications with Washington ESD about the overpayment - dates of calls, who I spoke with, what was discussed. Also, if you do decide to appeal, gather any documentation that supports your case (work records, pay stubs, etc.) before the 30-day deadline. The appeals process can actually be pretty straightforward if you have your paperwork organized.