One last tip - if you do run into issues with Washington ESD and need to talk to someone, I had success with that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier. Really helped me get through when I was having problems with my claim status.

Thanks everyone for all the helpful information! As someone who's been doing seasonal work for years without knowing about UI benefits, this thread has been eye-opening. I work at a summer camp from May through August and always struggled financially during the off months. Going to file a claim this fall and finally get the support I've been paying into. It's amazing how many seasonal workers are probably missing out on benefits they're entitled to just because they don't know it's an option.

Update for anyone still following this thread - I used that Claimyr service and finally got clarity on my situation. Turns out I do qualify for a new claim and filed it today. Thanks everyone for the advice!

I'm in a similar situation with my benefits ending in about 3 weeks. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea about checking wage history in eServices or that there might be other assistance programs available. The idea of potentially having to wait weeks for a new claim to process is terrifying, but at least now I know what to expect and can start preparing. Going to log into my account tomorrow and see what my options are. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences, especially the practical tips about planning ahead and having backup resources ready.

I went through something similar a few months ago with a $1,200 overpayment. The most important thing is to act quickly - even if you can't reach them by phone right away, try to document that you're attempting to respond within the 15-day window. I ended up sending an email to their overpayment department explaining my situation and requesting a payment plan, which bought me some time while I kept trying to get through by phone. They were actually pretty reasonable once I finally connected - I got set up with a $40/month plan based on my income. Don't panic, but definitely don't ignore it either. The key is showing good faith effort to resolve it.

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - got an overpayment notice for $1,650 about a week ago and have been losing sleep over it. Reading through everyone's experiences here is both scary and reassuring at the same time. It sounds like the key takeaways are: 1) Don't ignore it or wait, 2) Be realistic about what payment amount you can actually sustain, 3) Get everything in writing, and 4) Consider appealing if you think there might be an error. I'm going to try calling first thing Monday morning, and if I can't get through I might look into that Claimyr service people mentioned. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it really helps to know others have gotten through this successfully.

Bottom line: single-member LLC with no employees = no Washington ESD unemployment taxes required on yourself. Once you hire someone, everything changes and you need to register immediately.

Just wanted to add another perspective - I'm an accountant who works with small businesses in Washington state. The answers here are correct: single-member LLCs don't need to pay unemployment taxes on themselves unless they elect coverage (which is rare). However, I always recommend keeping good records of your business structure and any elections you make, because if you ever do hire employees, Washington ESD will want to verify your prior status. Also remember that this only applies to unemployment insurance - you'll still need to handle other business registrations like your business license and potentially B&O tax depending on your revenue.

Just a quick heads-up - the system appears to be working again. I just successfully filed my weekly claim about 10 minutes ago through eServices. Might want to try again now!

Wow, what a day! I'm so glad to see the system is back up and everyone was able to file their claims. As someone who's been through similar tech issues with ESD before, I just wanted to add that it's always worth bookmarking their social media accounts and checking them during outages like this - they're usually pretty good about posting updates there first. Also, for future reference, if you ever have ongoing issues with the system, documenting the error messages/screenshots can be helpful if you need to contact them later. Hope everyone's payments process smoothly now!