Washington ESD denied my claim - what reasons can you be denied unemployment?

That's helpful, thank you. The voluntary quit thing is really bothering me because I definitely didn't quit. My manager told me they had to let me go because business was down. Should I contact my old workplace to get documentation?

Yes, absolutely get any documentation you can. Layoff notices, emails, text messages, anything that shows you were let go due to lack of work rather than quitting voluntarily.

How long did the appeal process take? I'm worried about my bills piling up while this gets sorted out.

The appeal took about 6 weeks total. But here's the thing - I couldn't get through to Washington ESD on the phone to check status or get updates. I ended up using this service called Claimyr that helped me actually reach an agent. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

What's the minimum amount you need to earn? I worked part-time for most of last year.

You need at least $1,500 in your highest quarter during your base period, plus total earnings of at least 1.5 times your highest quarter amount. So if you earned $2,000 in your best quarter, you'd need at least $3,000 total.

That's so frustrating. I'm scared they'll find some tiny mistake I made and use it against me.

Just document everything and be prepared to fight. The system assumes you're lying until you prove otherwise.

I'm definitely able and available for work. I've been applying to jobs every day since I got laid off.

Good, make sure you're keeping a detailed job search log. Washington ESD requires 3 job contacts per week and they can audit your search activities at any time.

That happened to my sister too. She had to wait weeks just to get someone on the phone to resolve it.

Yeah, getting through to Washington ESD is nearly impossible. The phone lines are always busy and they hang up on you constantly.

I didn't know about the pension thing. My dad gets a small pension from his old job and was wondering about applying for unemployment.

Pension income can reduce your weekly benefit amount or potentially disqualify you depending on the circumstances. He should check with Washington ESD directly.

I'm definitely going to appeal. Do I need to keep filing weekly claims while the appeal is processing?

Yes, you absolutely must continue filing your weekly claims even during the appeal process. If you win your appeal and stop filing, you won't get back pay for the weeks you didn't file.

What counts as 'suitable work'? Can they make you take any job even if it pays way less than your previous job?

Generally, suitable work considers your skills, experience, and prior wages. In the first few weeks, you can be more selective, but after that, you may need to accept work that pays less than your previous job.

I'm taking some online courses at night. Should I be worried about that affecting my benefits?

Part-time or evening classes usually aren't a problem as long as they don't interfere with your availability for work during normal business hours.

Is that service legit? I'm desperate to talk to someone at Washington ESD about my adjudication issue.

Yeah, it's legitimate. They basically handle the calling process for you so you don't have to sit on hold for hours or deal with busy signals. Saved me a lot of frustration.

I've been doing way more than 3 contacts per week. Is there a maximum they expect?

There's no maximum, but quality matters more than quantity. Make sure you're applying for jobs you're actually qualified for and keeping good records of each contact.

That's what happened to my friend who works for the school district. Even though she wasn't guaranteed to come back, they denied her summer claim.

Yeah, the reasonable assurance rule is tricky. Sometimes you can appeal if the assurance isn't actually reasonable or if circumstances change.

My work permit renewed but there was a gap between the old one expiring and new one starting. Wonder if that affected my claim.

That could definitely cause issues. Any gap in work authorization can result in benefit suspension or denial for that period.

That makes sense. My old manager seemed pretty frazzled when she was letting people go. She might have filled out the forms wrong.

Exactly. When you appeal, focus on providing evidence of the layoff - any emails, texts, or witnesses who can confirm you were laid off due to lack of work rather than quitting voluntarily.

Thanks everyone for all the help. I feel much more confident about appealing now that I understand what might have gone wrong.

Good luck with your appeal! Keep us updated on how it goes.