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I'm 68 and just wanted to add my experience to this helpful thread! I was laid off from my retail management position 3 months ago and was terrified about how collecting unemployment might affect my Social Security benefits. Like many of you, I got conflicting advice from everyone - some said I'd lose my Social Security, others said I couldn't get unemployment at my age. Turns out both were completely wrong! I've been successfully collecting both for 12 weeks now with zero issues. The Washington ESD online system even has a helpful dropdown menu specifically for Social Security when you're reporting other income, so they clearly expect people to be in this situation. The hardest part was honestly just getting past my own fear and misconceptions about the system. To Sofia and everyone else in similar situations - don't let age discrimination fears or misinformation from well-meaning people stop you from getting benefits you've earned. The job market is tough enough for older workers without voluntarily giving up financial support that's rightfully yours!
Thank you for sharing your experience, Connor! It's so encouraging to hear from someone who's a bit older and successfully navigating this process. Your point about age discrimination fears really resonates with me - I think that's been part of my hesitation too. It's reassuring to know that the Washington ESD system actually seems set up to handle people collecting both benefits, with specific dropdown menus and everything. I really appreciate you taking the time to share your story and encourage others. This whole thread has been incredibly helpful in overcoming my fears and misconceptions. I'm definitely going to file my claim this week!
I'm 67 and went through this exact situation earlier this year when my company downsized. I was collecting full Social Security and was so confused about whether I could also file for unemployment - everyone seemed to have different opinions! After finally getting through to Washington ESD (took multiple attempts), I can confirm you absolutely can collect both. I successfully received unemployment benefits for about 16 weeks while also getting my Social Security. The key things I learned: 1) Always report your Social Security as "other income" on your weekly claims - there's even a specific option for it in the dropdown menu, 2) Your Social Security won't reduce your unemployment benefits at all since it's retirement income, not wages, and 3) You still need to meet all the regular unemployment requirements including the 3 weekly job search activities. Sofia, don't let your neighbor's misinformation cost you benefits you've earned! At our age, having both income sources while job hunting is really important. The Washington ESD system is actually set up to handle this situation - they clearly expect people to be collecting both. Good luck with your claim!
Thank you so much for sharing all those specific details, Mei! It's really helpful to know about the dropdown menu for Social Security - that makes it sound like Washington ESD definitely expects people to be in this situation. Your experience of successfully collecting both for 16 weeks is exactly the kind of real-world example I needed to hear. I've been putting off filing my claim for weeks because of all the conflicting advice, but hearing from so many people who actually went through this process successfully has given me the confidence to move forward. I'm going to start my application tomorrow and make sure I understand all the job search requirements. Thanks for taking the time to share your experience and encourage others!
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I'm in a similar situation - got a level 3 closure notification two days ago and have been anxiously waiting to see what it means. From reading all these responses, it sounds like most people with level 3 closures end up getting approved, which gives me some hope. The fact that they did such a thorough investigation suggests they're taking these cases seriously. Has anyone here had experience with how long it typically takes for the determination letter to arrive after seeing the level 3 closure status?
From what I've seen in this thread, most people got their determination letters within 1-3 business days after the level 3 closure appeared. The former ESD employee mentioned it usually takes that long for the mail to catch up with the online status update. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for both of us that it's good news! The waiting is definitely nerve-wracking but at least we're seeing some movement on our cases finally.
I'm also dealing with a level 3 closure that just showed up yesterday! Reading through everyone's experiences here has been so helpful - way better than trying to decipher the cryptic Washington ESD website. It sounds like most level 3 cases end up being approved based on what people are sharing, which is encouraging. I've been waiting about 6 weeks for my separation issue to get resolved, so seeing any kind of movement feels like progress. Really appreciate everyone sharing their timelines and outcomes - it helps to know we're not alone in this confusing process!
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As someone who just went through this exact situation last month, I can confirm what everyone else is saying - each interview absolutely counts as a separate activity! I had 4 rounds with Microsoft (phone screen, technical interview, team interview, and final interview with the hiring manager) and counted all 4 separately on my weekly claims. One thing that really helped me was creating a simple spreadsheet to track everything. I included columns for date, company, position, contact person, type of activity, and outcome. This made it super easy to fill out my weekly job search log and gave me solid documentation in case ESD ever questioned anything. Also, don't forget that if you do any prep work that involves contacting the company (like calling to confirm interview details or asking questions about the role), those phone calls can sometimes count as additional job search contacts too. Just make sure you're documenting who you spoke with and when. Sounds like you're doing everything right though - good luck with the rest of your interview process with TechBridge Corp!
That spreadsheet idea is brilliant! I've just been keeping handwritten notes but a spreadsheet would be so much more organized and easier to reference when filling out the weekly claims. I'm definitely going to set one up tonight. Thanks for the tip about prep calls potentially counting too - I did call yesterday to confirm the Zoom interview details, so I'll make sure to document that. Really appreciate all the detailed advice from everyone here!
Hey Louisa! I went through something similar a few months ago and can confirm what everyone's saying - each interview definitely counts as a separate activity. I had a 3-round interview process with a local marketing firm and counted each one separately without any issues. One tip I'd add is to make sure you're noting the TYPE of interview in your documentation (phone screening, video interview, in-person, etc.) since ESD sometimes asks for that level of detail. Also, if they gave you any specific instructions or materials to review between interviews, documenting that preparation work can sometimes count as additional job search activity too. Sounds like you're being really thorough with your record-keeping which is awesome! Hope the rest of your interviews with TechBridge Corp go well - multiple rounds usually means they're seriously considering you. Good luck!
Thanks Nathaniel! That's a great point about documenting the type of interview - I've been including that in my notes but will make sure to be even more specific going forward. I didn't think about preparation work potentially counting as additional activities though - they did send me a case study to review before the Zoom interview today. Should I document that as a separate job search activity or just mention it in the notes for the interview itself?
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I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! Been getting the texts for 4 days but no letter in my ESD account. Reading through all these responses is such a relief - I was starting to think I was going crazy or had done something wrong. Based on everyone's advice, I'm planning to go to my local WorkSource office tomorrow morning with my photo ID and ESD customer number. @Amara Okafor thanks for the insider info about the systems not syncing - that explains so much! @Yuki Kobayashi glad your letter finally appeared and you got scheduled. Gives me hope mine will show up soon too. I've been screenshotting everything like @Carmen Vega suggested just in case. It's honestly ridiculous that we all have to become system experts just to navigate their broken technology. They send urgent texts with deadlines but don't provide the actual information we need to comply. How is that fair to people who depend on these benefits? Will update once I visit WorkSource in person or if my letter magically appears!
@Omar Zaki - You re'absolutely right about having to become system experts! It s'frustrating that they put the burden on us to figure out their technical problems when people are already stressed about unemployment. I went through this same nightmare last month and the in-person visit really is the way to go. The WorkSource staff were actually pretty understanding about the system glitch once I explained it to them. They scheduled me on the spot and even made a note in my file about the notification issue. One tip: if you go in person, ask them to email you a confirmation of your appointment scheduling visit. That way you have documentation that you proactively tried to comply even before your letter appeared. It could protect you if there are any issues later with your benefits. The whole system definitely needs an overhaul - sending urgent deadlines without proper documentation is setting people up to fail. Hang in there and keep us posted on how your visit goes!
This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm actually a case worker at a local nonprofit that helps people navigate unemployment benefits, and I see this exact issue come up ALL the time with my clients. The text/letter sync problem is so widespread that we've started warning people about it preemptively. A few additional tips based on what I've learned from helping folks through this: 1. If you visit WorkSource in person and they can't find you in their system initially, ask them to search by your Social Security number instead of your ESD customer ID - sometimes that pulls up different results 2. Keep a log of every attempt you make to contact them (date, time, method, outcome) - this documentation can be crucial if your benefits get suspended 3. If you end up missing the deadline through no fault of your own, immediately file an appeal. Include all your documentation showing you tried to comply but couldn't due to their system issues 4. Some WorkSource offices have better staffing than others - if one location seems unhelpful, try a different office if possible The system is definitely broken and puts way too much stress on people who are already dealing with unemployment. But knowing these workarounds can save you a lot of headaches. Glad @Yuki Kobayashi got sorted out and hope everyone else's situations resolve quickly too!
@Anastasia Popov This is such valuable information, thank you! As someone who s'been helping people with these issues professionally, have you noticed if ESD has acknowledged this text/letter timing problem or made any efforts to fix it? It seems like such a widespread issue that affects so many people s'benefits. Also, regarding your tip about searching by SSN vs ESD customer ID - that s'really helpful! I wouldn t'have thought to ask them to try a different search method if they couldn t'find me initially. The appeal process tip is especially important. Do you know roughly how long those appeals typically take to process? I imagine people can t'afford to wait months without benefits while fighting a suspension that was caused by the system s'own glitches. It s'reassuring to know there are people like you helping folks navigate this maze. The fact that you have to warn clients about this issue preemptively "really" shows how broken the system is!
Malia Ponder
New member here and this thread is a goldmine! I've been battling the same login refresh loop for the past week and was getting desperate. Reading through everyone's solutions, I'm realizing there are so many potential causes I hadn't considered. I'm going to work through the checklist: SAW password reset, try Edge browser, disable extensions, check my VPN connection, and make sure I don't have multiple ESD tabs open. It's incredible how many different things can break their login system! Really appreciate everyone sharing what worked for them. Also saving that phone number (800-318-6022) as my backup plan. This community is way more helpful than ESD's actual support resources!
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Carmen Vega
•Welcome to the community Malia! You've got a solid troubleshooting plan there. I'd also suggest adding Emma's tip about disconnecting your VPN if you're using one - that seems to be a common culprit that people don't think of initially. The fact that this thread has turned into such a comprehensive troubleshooting guide really shows how widespread these ESD login issues are. It's frustrating that we all have to become IT specialists just to access our benefits, but I'm glad we can help each other out. Definitely keep that phone backup option handy - it's saved several people in this thread when the website completely failed them. Good luck getting through!
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Kiara Fisherman
Just wanted to chime in as another person who's dealt with this exact login loop nightmare! I had the same issue about a month ago and it turned out to be a combination of my ad blocker AND having JavaScript disabled in my browser security settings. After reading through all these great solutions, I'd add one more thing to check - make sure JavaScript is enabled in your browser settings. Some browsers have stricter default security that can interfere with ESD's login process. Also, if you're on a work computer or using work WiFi, sometimes corporate firewalls block certain government site functions. The phone filing option at 800-318-6022 really is a lifesaver when all else fails - I used it twice while sorting out my browser issues. This thread should honestly be pinned as a troubleshooting guide!
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