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Seasonal workers sometimes have issues too. If you work the same seasonal job every year, Washington ESD might determine you have reasonable assurance of returning to work, which can affect your eligibility during the off-season.
The bottom line is that eligibility rules are complex and sometimes your situation might not fit neatly into the standard categories. When in doubt, it's better to file and let Washington ESD make the determination rather than assuming you don't qualify.
This thread has been super helpful! I'm in a similar situation and was terrified I wouldn't qualify for benefits after being terminated. Feeling much more confident about filing now.
Final update: Got approved for unemployment benefits! The whole adjudication process took about 4 weeks but they determined that my termination didn't constitute misconduct. Thank you everyone for encouraging me to apply and not give up. For anyone in a similar situation - definitely file your claim even if you were fired. You might be surprised by the outcome!
The whole process would be so much easier if Washington ESD just had decent phone support. But since they don't, services like Claimyr have become pretty essential for anyone who runs into problems. Check out their demo video if you want to see how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ
Hope your claim goes smoothly OP! Most people don't have major issues if it's a straightforward layoff situation. Just be prepared to be patient with the Washington ESD system - it's slow but it works eventually.
I tried using that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier and it actually worked great. Was able to talk to someone at Washington ESD in about 12 minutes when I had questions about whether I filed too early (spoiler alert: you can't file too early, only too late). Definitely recommend if you need to talk to someone quickly.
Bottom line from someone who's been through this multiple times unfortunately - file the day after your last day of work. Period. End of story. Don't listen to anyone who tells you to wait. You'll thank yourself later.
Luis Johnson
File your claim today if you haven't already. There's a waiting week anyway so the sooner you apply, the sooner you might start getting benefits. Good luck!
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Giovanni Martello
•You're right, I need to stop overthinking and just file. Thanks everyone for the advice and encouragement!
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Ellie Kim
•Let us know how it goes! Always good to hear success stories for others in similar situations.
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Fiona Sand
One more vote for trying Claimyr if you need to talk to Washington ESD directly. I was stuck in adjudication limbo for weeks and they helped me get through to someone who could actually explain what was happening with my claim.
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Mohammad Khaled
•Did they help you get your claim approved faster or just get information?
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Fiona Sand
•Got information that helped me understand the process. Having actual answers made the wait much less stressful.
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