Washington Unemployment

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  • 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!

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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 :)

Megan D'Acosta

What do you need to apply for unemployment benefits in Washington - complete checklist?

I just got laid off yesterday and need to file for unemployment ASAP but I'm not sure what documents I need to have ready before starting my application. I don't want to mess this up or have delays because I'm missing something important. Can someone give me a complete list of what Washington ESD requires when you apply? I have my last paystub and social security card but what else do I need?

One thing I wish someone had told me - save screenshots of your completed application before submitting. If there are any issues later, it's helpful to have that record.

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That's really smart advice. I'll definitely do that.

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Yeah, learned that the hard way when ESD said they never received information I was sure I had submitted.

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Apply as soon as possible after you lose your job. There's no waiting period in Washington but you want to get the process started right away.

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Thanks everyone! This has been super helpful. Going to gather all my documents and apply today.

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Good luck! Feel free to post here if you run into any issues during the application process.

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Emma Bianchi

Do you have to pay federal taxes on Washington ESD unemployment benefits?

I'm getting my first unemployment payments from Washington ESD and I'm confused about taxes. Do I need to pay federal taxes on these benefits? I heard conflicting info - some people say yes, others say no. I don't want to mess this up when tax season comes around. Should I have taxes withheld from my weekly claims or just pay later? Any advice would be helpful!

If you're self-employed and getting unemployment, make sure you understand how it interacts with your business taxes too. Can get complicated.

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Good point. Self-employment adds another layer of complexity to the tax situation.

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Definitely recommend talking to a tax professional if you have self-employment income plus unemployment benefits.

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The bottom line is yes, unemployment is taxable income federally. Have the 10% withheld to avoid owing a bunch later. Learned from experience!

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Thanks everyone for all the helpful info. Definitely going to set up withholding on my next weekly claim.

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Smart move. Better to get a small refund than owe a big chunk in April.

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Ben Cooper

How do you become eligible for unemployment benefits in Washington state?

I've been working at a retail store for about 8 months and might be getting laid off soon due to budget cuts. I've never filed for unemployment before and honestly have no idea what the requirements are to qualify. Do I need to work a certain amount of time? Is there a minimum income requirement? I'm really stressed about this whole situation and want to make sure I understand the process before I potentially need to file a claim with Washington ESD.

Also be aware that if you do any work while collecting unemployment, even part-time or temporary work, you need to report it on your weekly claim. Working doesn't necessarily disqualify you, but failing to report it can get you in trouble for fraud.

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What happens if you work just a few hours? Do they reduce your benefits?

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Yes, they'll typically reduce your weekly benefit by a portion of what you earned, but you might still receive some unemployment benefits. The exact calculation depends on how much you earned that week.

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One last tip - keep detailed records of everything related to your unemployment claim. Save all correspondence from Washington ESD, keep copies of your weekly claims, and document all your job search activities. If any issues come up later, having good records will save you a lot of headaches.

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This has been incredibly helpful, everyone. I feel much more prepared for this process now. Hopefully I won't need to file, but at least I know what to expect if I do.

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Good luck with your situation! And remember, unemployment insurance is there for exactly these kinds of circumstances. Don't feel bad about using it if you need it - you've been paying into the system through your paychecks.

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Omar Farouk

How do you know if unemployment is approved in Washington ESD?

I submitted my unemployment claim through Washington ESD about 10 days ago and I'm not sure what to look for to know if it's actually approved. My account shows some information but I can't tell if that means I'm good to go or if I'm still waiting. What are the signs that your claim has been approved? Should I be getting some kind of notification or does it just show up in my account? I don't want to assume anything and then find out I needed to do something else.

Welcome to the unemployment club! Hope you find work soon but at least you have some support while you're looking.

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Thanks! Hopefully this is temporary but good to know I have some help.

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This whole thread should be pinned, lots of good info here for people waiting on approval.

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Agreed! Would have saved me a lot of stress if I'd found this earlier.

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Same here, wish I'd known about some of these tips when I was going through the process

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Mason Lopez

Can I file unemployment with Washington ESD - eligibility requirements question

I'm not sure if I qualify to file for unemployment benefits in Washington state. I worked at a restaurant for about 8 months before they cut my hours down to basically nothing last month. I'm only getting maybe 6-8 hours per week now when I used to work 35+ hours. My manager says it's temporary but it's been 3 weeks and I can't pay my bills with these hours. Can I file unemployment with Washington ESD even though I'm technically still employed? What are the requirements to be eligible?

I had a similar situation with my retail job - they kept cutting hours but wouldn't lay anyone off completely. Partial unemployment benefits really helped bridge the gap while I found a better job. The whole process took about 3 weeks from filing to receiving my first payment.

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3 weeks seems reasonable. Did you have any issues with your employer contesting the claim?

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No, they didn't contest it. I think they knew they had cut everyone's hours and couldn't really argue against it. Having documentation of the schedule changes definitely helped.

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Double-check that you meet the monetary requirements before spending too much time on the application. If you don't have enough earnings in your base period, you'll just get denied and have to wait to reapply later.

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The Washington ESD website has some calculators and information about base period requirements. You can also call them, though like others mentioned, getting through can be challenging.

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Or use Claimyr to get through to an agent who can check your earnings history and tell you if you qualify before you file. That way you're not wasting time on an application that will get denied.

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