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If I could give 10 stars I would
If I could give 10 stars I would If I could give 10 stars I would Such an amazing service so needed during the times when EDD almost never picks up Claimyr gets me on the phone with EDD every time without fail faster. A much needed service without Claimyr I would have never received the payment I needed to support me during my postpartum recovery. Thank you so much Claimyr!
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Really made a difference, save me time and energy from going to a local office for making the call.
Worth not wasting your time calling for hours.
Was a bit nervous or untrusting at first, but my calls went thru. First time the wait was a bit long but their customer chat line on their page was helpful and put me at ease that I would receive my call. Today my call dropped because of EDD and Claimyr heard my concern on the same chat and another call was made within the hour.
An incredibly helpful service
An incredibly helpful service! Got me connected to a CA EDD agent without major hassle (outside of EDD's agents dropping calls – which Claimyr has free protection for). If you need to file a new claim and can't do it online, pay the $ to Claimyr to get the process started. Absolutely worth it!
Consistent,frustration free, quality Service.
Used this service a couple times now. Before I'd call 200 times in less than a weak frustrated as can be. But using claimyr with a couple hours of waiting i was on the line with an representative or on hold. Dropped a couple times but each reconnected not long after and was mission accomplished, thanks to Claimyr.
IT WORKS!! Not a scam!
I tried for weeks to get thru to EDD PFL program with no luck. I gave this a try thinking it may be a scam. OMG! It worked and They got thru within an hour and my claim is going to finally get paid!! I upgraded to the $60 call. Best $60 spent!
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I used that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier when I had questions about my disqualification. Really helped cut through the confusion and get straight answers about what the disqualification meant and what I needed to do. Sometimes talking to an actual person makes all the difference.
Starting to think that might be my best bet for getting clear information about my specific situation.
It was definitely worth it for me. The peace of mind alone was valuable when I was stressed about the whole situation.
Bottom line - disqualification from unemployment means Washington ESD thinks you don't currently meet the requirements for benefits. Could be temporary based on your situation or more serious depending on the reason. Appeals exist for exactly this type of situation where the initial determination might be wrong.
The communication issue is so real. I'm dealing with this disqualification situation right now and the original letter was basically useless - just said "misconduct" with no details about what that even means or what I can do about it. Had to come here to get actual helpful information from people who've been through it. Really wish Washington ESD would just explain things clearly from the start instead of making people hunt for answers when they're already stressed about losing income.
This whole thread has been incredibly eye-opening about how broken the communication is with Washington ESD. I'm new to dealing with unemployment issues, but it's shocking that people have to come to forums like this just to understand basic things like what disqualification means or whether they can appeal. The fact that so many people are sharing similar stories of vague letters and confusing processes really shows this is a systemic problem, not just isolated cases. Makes me appreciate communities like this where people actually help each other navigate these bureaucratic nightmares.
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To summarize for anyone reading this later: Washington state provides up to 26 weeks of regular unemployment benefits. Extensions are rare and depend on federal programs or high state unemployment rates. Your benefit year lasts 52 weeks, and unused weeks can be claimed if you become unemployed again within that period. Always verify your specific situation with Washington ESD directly.
Perfect summary! This thread answered all my questions about benefit duration. Thanks everyone!
Agreed, this was super helpful. Now I know exactly where I stand with my remaining weeks.
Great comprehensive discussion here! Just wanted to add that if you're approaching your 26-week limit, it's worth double-checking your benefit year end date in your ESD account. Sometimes people think they're running out of weeks when they actually have time left in their benefit year. Also, make sure you're keeping detailed records of all your job search activities - Washington ESD can audit these at any time and you don't want to lose benefits due to incomplete documentation.
This is such helpful advice! I've been worried about my documentation - I've been keeping a basic log but wasn't sure if it was detailed enough. What specific information should we be recording for each job search contact? Just company name and date, or do they want more details like contact person, method of contact, etc? I want to make sure I'm covered if they do audit my records.
You should definitely keep detailed records! For each job search contact, Washington ESD typically wants: company name, date of contact, method (online application, phone call, in-person, etc.), position applied for, and contact person if available. I also include the job posting source (like Indeed, company website, etc.) and any follow-up actions. It might seem like overkill, but if they audit you, having too much documentation is way better than not having enough. I learned this the hard way when a friend got flagged for insufficient job search records and had to provide weeks of back-documentation.
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UPDATE 2: I found more evidence! I discovered that my company filed a WARN notice with the state about the layoffs, which completely contradicts their claim that I was fired for misconduct. This should be pretty solid proof that they're lying to Washington ESD.
Wow, that's a smoking gun. WARN notices are filed specifically for layoffs due to business reasons, not individual terminations for misconduct. You should definitely include this in your appeal.
As someone who works in HR, I can tell you that WARN notice completely undermines their misconduct claim. That's the kind of evidence that ends appeals hearings very quickly.
Wow, finding that WARN notice is huge! That's basically an official government document proving your company laid people off for business reasons, not misconduct. I'd recommend making multiple copies of it before your appeal hearing and maybe even sending a copy to Washington ESD ahead of time. At this point, your employer is going to have a really hard time explaining how someone can be simultaneously laid off (per the WARN notice) and fired for misconduct (per their unemployment claim). You've got a rock-solid case now.
This is such great advice! I never would have thought to send the WARN notice to Washington ESD ahead of the hearing. Does anyone know if there's a specific way to submit additional evidence before the appeal, or should I just mail it to them with a cover letter explaining what it is?
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Bottom line: yes you have to search for work, 3 activities per week minimum, log everything in WorkSourceWA, keep detailed records. There's no getting around it unless you have a specific exemption like standby status. Better to overcomply than risk losing your benefits.
Thank you everyone for all the helpful information. I'm going to start my job search activities this week and get registered on WorkSourceWA.
Good plan! And remember, the job search requirement is actually there to help you get back to work faster. The more effort you put in, the better your chances of finding something good.
I just went through this exact situation last month! Yes, you absolutely must do job search activities - it's 3 per week minimum. I was also confused at first because there's so much conflicting information out there. What really helped me was setting up a simple routine: I spend Monday morning applying to jobs, Wednesday doing networking or attending virtual workshops, and Friday following up on applications or doing skills training. The key is logging EVERYTHING in WorkSourceWA immediately after you do it. Don't wait until the end of the week like I did initially - it's much harder to remember all the details. Also, keep a backup folder with screenshots and emails just in case. The system seems overwhelming at first but once you get into the habit, it becomes second nature.
That's a really smart system! I like the idea of spreading activities throughout the week instead of cramming them all in at once. How do you handle weeks when there aren't many new job postings in your field? Do you focus more on the networking and training activities those weeks?
Exactly! During slow weeks for job postings, I focus more on the "softer" activities. I'll spend time updating my LinkedIn profile, reaching out to former colleagues, attending WorkSource webinars, or even doing online courses on LinkedIn Learning that relate to my field. Sometimes I'll research companies I'm interested in and send introductory emails to hiring managers - that counts as networking. The variety actually helps because it keeps me engaged instead of just mindlessly applying to jobs. Plus, some of these activities have led to better opportunities than just responding to posted jobs. The important thing is making sure each activity is something you can clearly document and explain if Washington ESD asks about it later.
Harper Hill
Thanks everyone for all the helpful info! Going to start my application tonight. Fingers crossed it goes smoother than my first claim experience.
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Lincoln Ramiro
•Good luck! Feel free to come back here if you run into any issues during the process.
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Liam Brown
•And remember if you need to actually talk to someone at Washington ESD about your claim, Claimyr can save you hours of waiting on hold.
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Sean Flanagan
I'm in almost the exact same situation - my benefits ended in October and I've been doing freelance work since then but it's nowhere near enough to pay rent. Reading through all these responses is really helpful! I had no idea I could apply for a new claim so soon after the old one ended. Definitely going to start my application this weekend. The part about reporting part-time/gig work weekly is good to know too - I was wondering how that would work with inconsistent freelance income.
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