Can you get back unemployment benefits after Washington ESD disqualification?

Really? I thought once you missed the deadline that was it. How do I contact them about this? I've been trying to call but can never get through.

The phone lines are always busy. You can try the online messaging system through your SecureAccess Washington account, but that's slow too. Good cause appeals have strict requirements though - you'll need documentation of your family emergency.

I have an email from HR about the budget cuts but that's about it. They didn't give me any official layoff notice. Would that email be enough?

That email could help but you might need more documentation. Try to get a letter from your former employer stating it was a layoff due to budget cuts, not a voluntary quit.

Never heard of Claimyr before. Does it actually work? I'm getting desperate trying to reach someone at Washington ESD.

It worked for me. They basically handle the calling and waiting for you, then connect you when they get through. Saved me hours of being on hold.

Hmm, sounds too good to be true. How much does it cost?

I feel your pain. It's like they don't want to help anyone. Makes me wonder if they're deliberately making it hard to contact them.

Probably! The less people they have to deal with, the less benefits they have to pay out. It's all about saving money.

What's considered 'reasonable time'? It's been about 3 weeks since things settled down with my family situation.

Three weeks might still be acceptable depending on the circumstances. Washington ESD evaluates each case individually. Document everything about your family emergency and when it ended.

You can file a new claim if you've worked and earned enough wages since the disqualification. But it's usually better to try to fix the existing claim first if possible.

oh ok that makes sense. so OP should probably try the appeal route first then

That's great! Told you it worked. What did they say about your appeal?

They said I need to submit form and provide documentation of my family emergency. The rep was actually really helpful once I got through to her.

Awesome news! Keep us posted on how the appeal goes. Fingers crossed for you!

That gives me hope! Did he have to do anything special during the appeal process?

He had to provide a lot of documentation and had a phone hearing. But once he proved he was laid off and didn't quit, they reversed the decision.

I agree it shouldn't be necessary, but when you're desperate and need to pay bills, sometimes you have to use whatever works. The system is broken.

Fair point. I guess if it gets results when nothing else works, it might be worth it.

Good advice. I'm putting together a folder with everything I can find. Better to have too much documentation than not enough.

Exactly. And make copies of everything before you submit. Sometimes things get lost in their system.

Don't worry too much. As long as you were honest on your application and have documentation of your job separation, you should be fine. Most claims get approved eventually.

Thanks, that's reassuring. This whole process is just so stressful when you're already dealing with being unemployed.

That's really interesting. I never thought about employers having a financial incentive to misreport separations. Makes me even more determined to fight this.

Definitely fight it. The unemployment system is designed to help people who lost their jobs through no fault of their own. You deserve those benefits if you were laid off.

It varies, but typically 2-6 weeks for Washington ESD to review good cause appeals. If they accept your good cause, then you still have to go through the regular appeal process for the underlying disqualification.

Ugh, so it could be months before I see any money. This system is so slow.

Yeah, it definitely worked for me too. Saved me so much time and frustration.

I might have to try this. I've been calling Washington ESD every day for two weeks with no luck.

Wait, I can still file weekly claims even though I'm disqualified? I thought I wasn't supposed to do that.

Yes, you should keep filing to preserve your right to those weeks if your appeal is successful. Just make sure to mark that you're appealing your disqualification.

Thank you for the encouragement! It's been really stressful but this thread has given me hope that I can get this resolved.

You got this! Just stay organized with your paperwork and be persistent. The system is slow but it does work eventually.

That's a great idea! I have a coworker who was laid off the same day. I'll ask her if she'd be willing to provide a statement.

Perfect! Having corroborating evidence from someone else who was there makes your case much stronger.

I feel you. It's frustrating when you're already stressed about being unemployed and then the system that's supposed to help you is so hard to navigate.

Exactly! Like we don't have enough to worry about already.

Fingers crossed for you! Keep us posted on how it goes.

You did everything right. Hopefully Washington ESD will see that and reverse your disqualification.

Rooting for you! You deserve those benefits if you were laid off.

Wait, I think there might be some confusion here - the final update was posted by Sadie Benitez, but this whole thread was started by Atticus Domingo. Are you the same person with a different account, or did someone else also submit an appeal? Just want to make sure we're all following the right case!