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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 :)
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Join the conversation
Remember that even if you lose your initial appeal, you can appeal to the Board of Appeals and then to superior court. Don't give up after the first level if you really believe you're right.
How many levels of appeal are there?
Three levels: Administrative Law Judge hearing, Board of Appeals review, then superior court. Most cases are resolved at the first level though.
Whatever you decide to do, don't wait too long. That 30-day deadline for appeals is firm. Washington ESD doesn't usually grant extensions even if you have a good excuse for being late.
Thanks for the reminder. I need to make a decision soon. This thread has been really helpful in understanding my options.
Good luck with whatever you decide. Even if the appeal seems challenging, it's often worth trying if you believe you were wrongly disqualified.
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If anyone's desperate to reach Washington ESD and can't wait until Tuesday, you could try reaching out through their social media or email, though response times are usually pretty slow for those channels.
I might try that as a backup option. Thanks for mentioning it!
Social media responses can take days though. Probably faster to just wait and call Tuesday.
I tried using Claimyr that people keep mentioning and it actually worked great. Got through to Washington ESD in under 30 minutes when I normally would have been on hold for hours. Definitely recommend it if you need to talk to someone urgently.
How much does it cost? Nothing's free these days.
It's worth checking their website at claimyr.com for details. For me the time savings made it worthwhile.
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Washington ESD's website has some historical information about when different programs started, but it's not easy to find. You might have better luck calling them directly for your specific situation.
I'll keep trying to call. Maybe I'll get lucky and get through eventually.
Or use Claimyr to skip the wait. I'm telling you, it's worth it to not waste hours on hold.
Good luck with your paperwork issues. The pandemic unemployment stuff is still causing problems for people years later. Washington ESD really should have better systems in place by now.
Thanks. Hopefully I can get it sorted out without any major problems.
you'll be fine, just be persistent with following up
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Does anyone know when Washington typically announces the new maximum weekly benefit amounts for the next year? I'm curious what the 2026 numbers might look like.
They usually announce it in late fall/early winter before it takes effect in January. It's based on wage data from the previous year so there's a lag.
Makes sense. Hopefully wages went up enough to push the maximum higher for people filing new claims next year.
Bottom line - if you're currently collecting benefits, your weekly amount is what it is until your benefit year ends. The annual increases only help people filing new claims after the adjustment takes effect. It's not ideal but that's how the system works.
Thanks everyone for all the explanations. At least now I understand how it works even if I don't love the answer!
Knowledge is power, even when the knowledge is that nothing's going to change. At least you can plan your budget accordingly now.
Amy Fleming
The confusion might also come from people who've dealt with other government assistance that does have repayment requirements. But unemployment insurance is fundamentally different - you and your employer paid premiums for this coverage through payroll taxes.
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Alice Pierce
•This is such an important distinction that more people need to understand. UI is insurance you paid for, not welfare or a loan.
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Lia Quinn
•Exactly. It's literally called unemployment INSURANCE for a reason. You're collecting on a policy you paid into.
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Esteban Tate
Bottom line: if Washington ESD approved your benefits and you followed all the rules (reported income, did job searches, etc.), those benefits are yours to keep. The only exception would be if they later discovered fraud or unreported income, and they'd notify you officially if that happened.
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Jackie Martinez
•Perfect summary! I'm definitely saving this thread for future reference. Thanks everyone for taking the time to explain this clearly.
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Ivanna St. Pierre
•Same here! This should be required reading for anyone who's ever worried about this issue.
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