I went through this exact situation a few months ago and it worked out fine. The key things that helped me were: 1) I called it "freelance consulting" rather than "starting a business" when talking to Washington ESD - seemed to cause less confusion, 2) I kept detailed spreadsheets of every hour worked and every penny earned/spent, and 3) I made sure my business activities were flexible enough that I could drop everything for a job interview. The hardest part was actually explaining to potential employers why I had a gap but was also doing some consulting work - but most understood I was just trying to stay productive while job hunting. Just be prepared that some weeks you might make more from your business than your unemployment benefit, which means no UI payment that week, but that's actually a good problem to have!

I'm in a really similar situation - about 4 weeks into unemployment and thinking about doing some freelance graphic design work. Reading through all these responses has been super helpful! The advice about keeping detailed records and being completely transparent seems to be the common theme. I'm still a bit nervous about how to handle the "able and available" requirement though. Like, if I take on a small design project that might take me a few days to complete, how do I make sure I'm still considered available for regular employment? I don't want to accidentally signal to Washington ESD that I'm not serious about finding a full-time job. Has anyone had experience with creative freelance work specifically while on UI? I'm wondering if there are any particular considerations for project-based work vs hourly consulting.

One last thought - if you're really worried about it, you could always voluntarily stop claiming benefits now and just budget to get by until your start date. Better safe than sorry if you're concerned about eligibility.

I went through something very similar about 8 months ago. Had a 4-week gap between accepting an offer and starting work. The key thing is being completely transparent on your weekly claims - there's usually a specific question about future employment that you need to answer honestly. I continued receiving benefits during the waiting period without any issues. Just make sure you're still genuinely available for other immediate work if something better came along (even though you probably wouldn't take it). Washington ESD seems pretty reasonable about these situations as long as you're upfront about everything. The fact that your new employer set the start date, not you, also works in your favor.

Last piece of advice - set up direct deposit when you file your claim. Paper checks take forever and can get lost in the mail. Direct deposit is much faster and more reliable.

Just wanted to add - if you're worried about the job search requirements, don't let that delay your filing! You can start with simple things like updating your resume, browsing job boards, or reaching out to former colleagues. Even attending virtual job fairs or career workshops counts toward your weekly search activities. The important thing is to document everything you do. I found that once I got into a routine, meeting the 3 weekly contacts was actually pretty easy and helped keep me motivated during my job search.

Just wanted to share some additional resources that might help! If your representatives don't respond quickly enough, you can also try contacting the Governor's office directly - they have a constituent services team that handles ESD issues. Email gov.inslee@gov.wa.gov or call 360-902-4111. Also, the WA State Ombuds office (ombuds.wa.gov) can sometimes help with state agency problems when other avenues fail. They're independent and can investigate if ESD isn't following proper procedures. I know it feels overwhelming having so many stuck claims right now, but keep pushing through all available channels. Document everything and don't give up! The system is broken but people do eventually get through it.

I went through this exact same situation last year - 8 weeks stuck in adjudication! What finally worked for me was a combination approach: I emailed all three of my district reps (found through the leg.wa.gov finder tool mentioned above) AND used Claimyr to actually get through to ESD on the same day. The rep's office followed up a few days later, but Claimyr got me connected to an actual person who was able to see that my claim had been sitting in a queue with no action. Turned out to be a simple documentation issue that took 5 minutes to fix once someone actually looked at it. If you're desperate after 6 weeks, I'd definitely try both approaches simultaneously. Also make sure you're checking your eServices account daily - sometimes they request additional docs through there and if you miss it, your claim just sits indefinitely. Good luck!

Update us when you find out! I'm in a similar situation and would love to know how it goes.

I'm just starting out as a freelancer and reading through this thread has been really eye-opening. I had no idea that 1099 workers couldn't get regular unemployment benefits in Washington. This is definitely something I need to plan for - maybe I should look into setting up an emergency fund or consider mixing in some W-2 work alongside my freelance projects. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and knowledge!