Can't reach Washington Unemployment? Claimyr connects you to a live ESD agent in minutes.
Claimyr is a pay-as-you-go service. We do not charge a recurring subscription.
Using Claimyr will:
- Connect you to a human agent at the ESD
- Skip the long phone menu
- Call the correct department
- Redial until on hold
- Forward a call to your phone with reduced hold time
- Give you free callbacks if the ESD drops your call
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!
Really made a difference
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!
Ask the community...
- DO post questions about your issues.
- DO answer questions and support each other.
- DO post tips & tricks to help folks.
- DO NOT post call problems here - there is a support tab at the top for that :)
Join the conversation
Join the conversation
The bottom line is that backdating is possible but not guaranteed. If you think you have a legitimate reason for not filing immediately, it's worth pursuing. The worst they can do is say no.
True. I've got nothing to lose by trying. Thanks everyone for all the advice.
Hope it works out for you. Keep us posted on how it goes!
One last thing - make sure your initial unemployment claim is still active or reopenable. If it's been closed for too long, you might need to file a new claim entirely.
How do I check if my claim is still active?
Log into your Washington ESD account online. It should show your claim status and benefit year dates.
Join the conversation
To wrap this up - yes, you can absolutely apply online through Washington ESD's secure website. It's actually the preferred method now. Just make sure you have all your information ready, file as soon as possible after losing your job, and be prepared for the job search requirements that come with receiving benefits. Good luck!
Thank you so much everyone! I'm going to start the application tonight. Really appreciate all the advice and tips.
You're welcome! Don't hesitate to come back if you run into any issues during the process.
And remember, if you do need to contact Washington ESD during the process and can't get through by phone, that Claimyr service I mentioned earlier is still available at claimyr.com. Sometimes you just need to talk to a real person to clear things up, and they make that possible without the usual headaches.
I'll keep that in mind. Hopefully I won't need it, but good to know it's there as a backup option.
Exactly - think of it as insurance. Most people get through the online application fine, but it's nice to have options if you hit a snag.
Join the conversation
Let us know how it goes! I'm probably going to be in the same situation in a few months so your experience could help others too.
Will definitely update if I learn anything useful about extensions or other programs.
Join the conversation
If you end up filing, make sure to keep track of any severance pay or vacation payout. That can affect when your benefits start.
How does severance affect things? Does it delay when you can start collecting?
It can depending on how it's paid out. If it's allocated to specific weeks it might delay benefits for those weeks. Washington ESD will determine this when you file.
One last thing - you can collect unemployment for up to 26 weeks in Washington, but you need to be actively looking for work and able to work. Don't turn down suitable job offers or you could lose benefits.
What qualifies as a 'suitable' job offer? Does it have to be in the same field or same pay level?
Generally it should be comparable to your skills and experience, but the requirements get less strict the longer you're unemployed. Washington ESD has specific guidelines on their website.
Alice Coleman
If you have questions about your specific situation, there's also a live chat feature on the Washington ESD website during business hours. Not as good as talking to someone on the phone, but often faster than waiting for an email response.
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Owen Jenkins
•The chat is hit or miss in my experience. Sometimes helpful, sometimes they just tell you to call the phone number that never works.
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Alice Coleman
•True, but worth trying before spending hours on hold. At least you get a quick response either way.
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Lilah Brooks
Last piece of advice - be patient but persistent. The unemployment system is overloaded and understaffed, so things take time. Keep filing your weekly claims even if your initial claim is still pending, keep looking for work, and keep detailed records of everything. It will eventually get sorted out.
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Benjamin Johnson
•Thank you everyone for all this information! I feel much less panicked now and have a clear idea of what I need to do. Going to file my claim this afternoon.
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Jackson Carter
•Good luck! Don't hesitate to come back here if you run into specific issues. This community is pretty helpful with Washington ESD questions.
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