I'm currently dealing with a furlough situation myself and this whole thread has been incredibly reassuring! My employer just notified us about a 7-week furlough starting next month, and I was really stressed about how I'd manage financially. Reading all these success stories about collecting unemployment benefits during furlough in Washington gives me so much confidence. I love how everyone's emphasized filing immediately when the furlough starts and being completely honest about the temporary nature of the situation. The tip about keeping all employer documentation is something I definitely need to do. It's also good to know that the online filing process works well - I was dreading having to deal with phone wait times. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences here - it's amazing how this community comes together to help each other navigate these challenging situations!

I went through a furlough last year and want to emphasize something that helped me a lot - make sure you understand exactly when your furlough period starts and ends according to your employer's records. My company was a bit unclear initially about whether the furlough started on a Monday or the previous Friday, and I wanted to make sure I filed my claim on the correct start date. I ended up getting clarification from HR in writing, which was really helpful when I filed with Washington ESD. Also, if your company offers any kind of partial pay or benefits continuation during the furlough, make sure you understand how that might affect your unemployment benefits calculation. In my case, the company covered health insurance premiums but no wages, so it didn't impact my UI benefits at all. The whole process ended up being much smoother than I expected, and the financial support really helped bridge the gap during those weeks off!

One more tip - make sure you have a secure email address that you check regularly. All communication from Washington ESD will come through email, including important notices about your claim status.

Also want to add - if you're filing for the first time, make sure you have your bank account information ready for direct deposit setup. Washington ESD strongly encourages direct deposit over paper checks, and it's much faster. You'll need your routing number and account number. If you don't have a bank account, some credit unions offer free checking accounts specifically for unemployment recipients.

Bottom line: check your payment status online first, call the automated line if you need faster updates, and if there's a real problem that needs human help, don't waste time on hold - use whatever resources you need to get connected to someone who can actually help you.

One thing that helped me was setting up a routine - I check my payment status every Tuesday and Thursday morning instead of obsessively checking every day. The status usually updates overnight Monday/Tuesday for claims filed on Sunday, so checking Tuesday gives you the real info. If it's still showing "Processing" by Thursday, that's when I know to take action. This approach saved my sanity during the months I was on unemployment!

Bottom line: yes you pay federal taxes on unemployment, no you don't pay Washington state taxes on it, and yes you should have received a 1099-G showing the amount. File your taxes on time even if you can't pay immediately.

I went through this exact same situation two years ago. One thing that really helped me was setting aside about 20% of each unemployment payment for taxes - I know it's hard when money is tight, but it saved me from a huge shock at tax time. Also, if you're doing your own taxes, make sure to double-check that the 1099-G amount matches what you actually received. I had a discrepancy where they included a week that was later denied, and it took forever to get corrected. The tax software like TurboTax or FreeTaxUSA handles unemployment income pretty well and will walk you through it step by step.

update us when you get approved!! sending good vibes

I'm dealing with something similar right now - been in adjudication for 3 weeks and just noticed my status changed from "under review" to "pending decision" yesterday. Reading through all these responses is giving me so much hope! It's reassuring to know that the status changes actually mean progress is being made. I was starting to think the system was broken or something. @Malik Johnson - really hoping you get good news soon, it sounds like you have all the right documentation for your medical situation. The fact that you're at "pending decision" status sounds really promising based on what everyone else is sharing!