Bottom line - when unemployment goes up, expect longer waits for everything related to Washington ESD. Filing, adjudication, appeals, phone calls, even getting your debit card can take longer.

If you're still having trouble getting through to Washington ESD, that Claimyr service really does work. I was skeptical at first but it saved me so much time and frustration.

One thing that helped me was creating a simple spreadsheet to track my hours and earnings each week before I report them. Makes it much easier to avoid mistakes and have a record if there are any issues later.

Just want to say thanks to everyone who replied to this thread. I was so confused when I started reading but now I feel like I actually understand the process. Going to file my claim this weekend!

UPDATE: For anyone else reading this, I used Claimyr last week to get through to Washington ESD about a different issue. Worked great and saved me hours of calling.

Bottom line - file your unemployment claim as soon as you're laid off, regardless of severance. The worst they can do is say no, and based on everyone's experiences here, they probably won't.

If you're really stressed about timing, you might want to look into local food banks or emergency assistance programs while you wait. It can take the pressure off a bit.

Just remember that even if your claim takes a while to process, you'll get paid retroactively for all the weeks you filed (except the waiting week). So don't give up!

My advice is to call ESD directly if you have questions about your specific benefit amount. The general information online helps but every case is a little different.

Bottom line - file your claim as soon as you can and don't worry too much about the exact dollar amount until you get your determination letter. The most important thing is getting the process started and making sure you do everything they require to keep getting benefits each week.