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
Another tip - if you do need to call Washington ESD for any reason, try calling right when they open at 8am or during lunch time around noon. Those seem to be the best times to actually get through to someone. But honestly, that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier might be worth it if you're dealing with a complicated issue.
I've tried the 8am thing and still couldn't get through. The volume is just insane. Might have to look into that calling service.
Yeah, from what I'm hearing in this thread, having a backup plan for contacting them seems smart.
Overall I'd say the system works, but you need to be proactive and stay on top of everything. Don't wait for Washington ESD to contact you about issues - check your account regularly and address problems quickly. The people who have the worst experiences are usually the ones who file and then ignore it for weeks.
That makes sense. Sounds like it requires active management rather than just filing and forgetting about it.
Exactly. Treat it like a part-time job and you'll be fine. The weekly claims, job search activities, and staying current with any correspondence.
Join the conversation
Make sure you understand the waiting week requirement too. You won't get paid for your first week of unemployment even if you're eligible.
Right, it's like a one-week penalty. You still have to file that first weekly claim but you won't receive payment for it.
The waiting week is served during your first week of unemployment, but you get paid starting with week 2 if you're eligible.
Join the conversation
OP, what industry was your retail business in? Depending on the field, there might be industry-specific transition assistance programs available.
It was a small gift and home decor shop. I'm not aware of specific programs for retail, but I should probably research that.
Bottom line - file the application anyway and see what Washington ESD says officially. Worst case, you get a clear denial with information about your appeal rights. Best case, there might be some aspect of your situation that creates eligibility you weren't aware of.
That's exactly what I'm going to do. Thanks everyone for all the advice and information. This thread has been really helpful in understanding my options.
Good luck with everything! Even if UI benefits aren't available, there are other resources out there for people transitioning from business ownership to employment.
Join the conversation
One more thing - if you quit your job voluntarily, the work history requirements are the same but you might not qualify for benefits regardless. You generally need to be laid off or terminated through no fault of your own.
There are some exceptions for 'good cause' reasons but you'd need to prove it. That usually involves an adjudication process.
Hopefully I won't need to worry about that, but good to know the rules are different for voluntary quits.
Zoe Christodoulou
If you do get approved, make sure you understand the difference between your weekly benefit amount and your maximum benefit amount. The weekly amount is what you get each week, but there's a total maximum you can receive during your benefit year.
0 coins
Isabella Costa
•How do they calculate those amounts? Is it based on what I was earning?
0 coins
Zoe Christodoulou
•Yes, it's based on your wages during the base period. The weekly amount is roughly half of your average weekly wage, up to the state maximum.
0 coins
Freya Christensen
Just wanted to follow up - I mentioned Claimyr earlier and I see others have had good experiences too. If you do run into any issues with your claim or need to speak with Washington ESD about your specific situation, it's definitely worth considering. Much better than spending hours on hold or getting disconnected.
0 coins
Isabella Costa
•Thanks for the follow-up! I'll keep that in mind if I run into any problems with my application.
0 coins
Jamal Thompson
•I second this recommendation. Used them when my claim got complicated and it was so worth it to actually talk to a real person at Washington ESD.
0 coins