Can't reach Washington Unemployment? Claimyr connects you to a live ESD agent in minutes.
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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
If you're really struggling financially during the waiting week, look into local food banks and emergency assistance programs. Some communities have resources specifically for people waiting for unemployment benefits to kick in.
That's really helpful advice, I hadn't thought about looking into emergency assistance
211 is a good resource to call for local assistance programs
Bottom line: Yes, Washington state still requires a waiting week for unemployment benefits in 2023. File as soon as possible after job loss, complete all weekly requirements including during the waiting week, and be prepared for at least 2-3 weeks before receiving your first payment.
Perfect summary, thank you! This thread has been super helpful
Agree, lots of good info here about the waiting week requirement
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Just wanted to add that if you received unemployment in multiple states during the pandemic, you'll get separate 1099-G forms from each state's employment department. Don't forget to include all of them on your federal return.
Thankfully I only dealt with Washington ESD but good reminder for people who moved around during the pandemic.
Yeah I got benefits from both Washington and Oregon when I moved. Had to track down forms from both states.
Bottom line - yes you have to pay federal income tax on ALL unemployment benefits received after 2020. The temporary exclusion was only for 2020 tax year. Plan ahead for next year if you're still receiving benefits.
If you can't pay it all at once, the IRS has payment plan options that aren't too bad. Better than ignoring it.
Good to know, I'll look into that if needed. Really appreciate all the advice from everyone!
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Has anyone used that Claimyr service mentioned earlier? I'm having a different issue with my benefits and really need to talk to someone at Washington ESD but the phone situation is impossible. Wondering if it's legit or a scam.
I used it last month when I was having adjudication issues. It's legit - they actually got me connected to an agent who was able to explain what was holding up my claim. Way better than spending entire days trying to call myself.
The tax withholding thing caught me off guard too when I first started collecting. You can also choose to have no taxes taken out and just pay quarterly estimated taxes if you prefer. Some people like having the full amount each week and handling taxes themselves.
I think I'll stick with having them take taxes out automatically. Less to worry about come tax time.
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I've noticed that if Washington ESD is doing system maintenance or updates, it can delay payment processing by a day or two. They don't always announce it publicly but it happens occasionally.
Is there a way to check if they're doing maintenance?
Not really, they should post notices on their website but they don't always do it consistently.
FINAL UPDATE: My payment just came through! Showed up Thursday morning, so about 2 days later than usual. Must have been some kind of processing delay like others mentioned. Thanks everyone for the help and reassurance!
Great news! This thread will probably help other people going through the same thing.
Happy it came through! Still recommend bookmarking that Claimyr service for future Washington ESD issues though.
Harold Oh
Bottom line: Tuesday-Thursday, avoid 8am and lunch time, be prepared to wait, and have a backup plan. This should be pinned at the top of the forum lol
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Noland Curtis
•Seriously, this thread should be required reading for anyone trying to call Washington ESD
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Laila Prince
•Agreed, these strategies can save people a lot of time and frustration
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Amun-Ra Azra
Just want to add that if you're calling about weekly claim issues specifically, Thursday mornings seem to have shorter wait times than other adjudication-related calls.
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Isabel Vega
•Good to know, I need to call about my weekly claims being held up
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Amun-Ra Azra
•Yeah Thursday around 9-10am worked well for me when I had weekly claim problems
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