Been waiting 3 weeks for my monetary determination and getting anxious about how much I'll receive. Anyone know how long it typically takes Washington ESD to calculate your benefit amount after you file?

For what it's worth, even though unemployment doesn't pay as much as working, at least it's something while you're job hunting. Better than nothing I guess.

My friend used Claimyr to talk to someone about her potential disqualification and they helped her understand exactly what she needed to do to avoid problems. Sometimes you just need to talk to a real person instead of trying to figure it out from the website.

Bottom line: quit with good cause, don't get fired for misconduct, be available for work, do your job search activities, report all income, and follow all the rules. If you do that, you should be fine.

also remember that unemployment benefits are taxable income. you can choose to have taxes withheld or pay them later, but don't forget about it or you'll owe money at tax time

Bottom line - if your hours got cut through no fault of your own and you worked enough in the past year, you should apply. Worst case they say no, but you'll probably qualify for at least partial benefits. The application process online is pretty straightforward, it's just getting help when you have questions that's the problem.

Final checklist before you submit: 1) All employer info complete and accurate, 2) Separation reasons clearly explained, 3) Contact information current, 4) Bank account info correct for direct deposit, 5) You've answered all required questions honestly. Once submitted, you should get a confirmation with your claim number - save that number!

One last thing - if you run into any issues after filing, don't waste weeks trying to call the regular customer service line. Services like Claimyr exist because the phone system is basically broken for individual callers. Sometimes paying for help is worth it to actually resolve problems quickly instead of being stuck in limbo.

Thanks everyone for all the helpful advice! I'm feeling much more confident about filing now. Going to do it this afternoon and hopefully it goes smoothly.

Just want to echo what others have said - file immediately. I waited 3 days because I thought I needed to get paperwork from my employer first, and I wish I had just filed right away. You can always add documents later.