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 :)
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Join the conversation
Make sure you understand the waiting week too. You don't get paid for your first week of unemployment in Washington. So even if you qualify for benefits, your first payment won't come until week 2.
Wait, there's a waiting week? Nobody mentioned that!
Yeah, one week waiting period before benefits start. It's been that way for years. Plan your finances accordingly.
Last tip - set up direct deposit if you can. Paper checks take forever and sometimes get lost in the mail. Direct deposit hits your account within 1-2 business days of processing.
Definitely will do that. Thanks everyone for all the helpful info! This thread answered way more questions than the Washington ESD website.
Glad we could help! And remember, if you run into issues getting through to Washington ESD, that Claimyr service I mentioned earlier really does work. Sometimes you just need to talk to a real person to sort things out.
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The benefit amount is only part of it - you also have to think about how it affects your taxes. Unemployment benefits are taxable income at federal and state level. I learned that the hard way when I got a huge tax bill after being on unemployment for most of 2024.
Can you have them withhold taxes from each payment?
Yes, you can elect to have 10% federal tax withheld when you file your weekly claim. I wish I had done that from the beginning.
My advice is to apply as soon as you lose your job and don't wait. The sooner you file, the sooner you can start collecting. And if you run into issues with Washington ESD (which unfortunately happens a lot), don't be afraid to use resources like Claimyr to actually get through to an agent who can help you.
good luck! the process isnt too bad if everything goes smoothly
Hope your claim goes through quickly. Some people get approved right away, others get stuck in adjudication for weeks.
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One more thing about Claimyr - they're especially helpful if you need to discuss employer wage or tax issues with Washington ESD. Much faster than the regular phone lines when you have specific questions about your claim.
I used them last month for a similar issue. The agent was able to look up my employer's wage reports and verify everything was filed correctly.
Hope this helps clear things up OP. Your employer pays all unemployment taxes, you don't pay any, and it doesn't affect your Washington ESD benefits at all. Don't let them make you feel guilty for using benefits you've earned.
This thread has been incredibly helpful. I feel much better about my claim now and understand how the whole system works. Thank you everyone!
Glad we could help! That's what this community is for - supporting each other through the unemployment process.
Sean Flanagan
Just to add - if there ever are federal extensions or special programs in the future, Washington ESD will automatically determine if you qualify. You won't need to file separate applications.
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LunarLegend
•That's really helpful to know for the future.
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CosmicCrusader
Been through this confusion myself. The key thing is Washington ESD is your one-stop shop for all unemployment benefits in the state, regardless of funding source.
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LunarLegend
•Makes perfect sense now. Thanks for all the help everyone.
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