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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!
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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!
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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.
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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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Bottom line: Washington employees don't pay unemployment taxes but are fully covered by the system through employer contributions. Your work history earns you benefit rights, and you can file claims when eligible without worrying about whether you personally contributed to the fund.
Perfect summary! This completely answers my original question. Thanks everyone for the detailed explanations.
One thing that might help clarify this - if you look at your paystub, you'll see FICA taxes (Social Security and Medicare) that you DO pay into, but unemployment insurance won't be listed because that's entirely on the employer side. It's kind of like how your employer also pays the employer portion of Social Security and Medicare taxes that don't show up on your paystub. The unemployment system is just 100% employer-funded rather than split like FICA.
That's a really helpful analogy about FICA taxes! I never thought about comparing it to how employers also pay their portion of Social Security and Medicare behind the scenes. It makes the whole system much clearer when you put it in that context - unemployment is just 100% on the employer side instead of being split like other payroll taxes.
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I had my WorkSource appointment about 3 weeks ago and wanted to share my experience since I was in a similar boat - hadn't claimed since 2018 and was really nervous about the changes. The good news is they've definitely streamlined the process! I chose virtual which worked great, and my counselor was actually really knowledgeable about my field (IT). She helped me identify some skills I hadn't thought to highlight and even suggested a free certification course through their partnership with local colleges. The job search log review wasn't as intimidating as I expected - she was more interested in the quality of my search strategy than nitpicking every detail. One tip: they have industry-specific workshops now that are actually worth attending, not just generic resume writing. The whole appointment felt more like career coaching than compliance checking. Definitely go in with an open mind - you might be surprised at how helpful it actually is!
This is so helpful to hear from someone who was in a similar situation! I haven't claimed since 2019 so I was definitely worried about all the changes. It's really reassuring to know they've made improvements to the process. The industry-specific workshops sound much more valuable than generic sessions - I'll definitely ask about those for my field. And the fact that your counselor actually knew about IT and could suggest relevant certifications is amazing. I was worried I'd get someone who would just give me generic advice that doesn't apply to my situation. Thanks for sharing - this is giving me hope that the appointment might actually be beneficial rather than just another bureaucratic hurdle!
Just wanted to add another positive data point here! I had my WorkSource appointment two weeks ago and was pleasantly surprised. I was worried because I'm transitioning careers (from retail to healthcare) and thought they might not understand my situation. But my counselor was actually really helpful in identifying transferable skills I hadn't considered highlighting. She connected me with a healthcare career pathway program that includes paid training - something I never would have found on my own. The virtual format worked perfectly, and she even followed up via email with additional resources specific to healthcare job searching in our area. The job search log review was pretty relaxed - she was more focused on helping me develop a better strategy than checking every box. For anyone still anxious about their appointment, try to think of it as free career counseling rather than a compliance check. That mindset shift really helped me get the most out of the experience!
This is really encouraging to hear about career transitions! I'm actually in a similar situation - trying to move from hospitality to office work and wasn't sure how to explain that to a WorkSource counselor. It's amazing that they helped you identify transferable skills and connected you with a paid training program. That's exactly the kind of support I was hoping existed but wasn't sure if they actually provided. The follow-up email with area-specific resources sounds incredibly helpful too. Thanks for framing it as "free career counseling" - that's such a better way to think about it than just seeing it as another hoop to jump through. I'm definitely going to go into my appointment with that mindset and be upfront about my career change goals!
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This thread has been incredibly helpful! I just started collecting unemployment after being laid off from my retail job and was really nervous about filing my first weekly claim. Everyone's advice about being honest with work hours and keeping good records makes total sense. I do have one question though - if I pick up a short shift at a temp agency during the week, do I report that as regular employment or is there something different about temp work? Also, I noticed someone mentioned that Washington ESD has different payment schedules based on your last name - mine starts with "M" so I'm curious when I should expect to see payments. Thanks again to everyone for sharing their experiences, this is way more helpful than trying to decipher the official ESD website!
Welcome to the unemployment world! For temp agency work, you report it just like regular employment - include the hours worked and gross pay earned during that week. The fact that it's through a temp agency doesn't change how you report it on your weekly claim. As for payment schedules with last names starting with "M", you should typically see payments on Tuesdays or Wednesdays, but check your determination letter or online account for your specific payment day. The schedule can vary slightly but it's usually pretty consistent once established. And you're absolutely right that this community is way more helpful than the official website - we've all been through the learning curve!
I've been filing weekly claims for about 6 months now and wanted to share a few more tips that might help. One thing I learned the hard way is to screenshot your completed weekly claim before you submit it - I had the system crash on me once right after I clicked submit and had to redo the whole thing. Also, if you're collecting unemployment from Washington but moved to another state temporarily (like staying with family), make sure you update your address but clarify that you're still available for work in Washington if that's the case. The system can get confused about interstate situations. And for anyone worried about the job search requirements - WorkSource has free online workshops that count toward your 3 weekly activities, which is super convenient if you're having trouble finding enough legitimate job opportunities to apply for. They also have career counseling services that can help you strengthen your applications. The key thing I've found is to treat the weekly claim filing like any other important appointment - set aside the same time each week (I do Sunday mornings) and just make it part of your routine.
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FINAL EDIT: Mea culpa! I had forgotten I received benefits in 2010-2012. Please ignore this post. Sorry! I just wanted to update everyone. After digging deeper into my records as someone suggested, I realized those 1099-Gs ARE actually from 2010-2012 when I received benefits during the recession. I completely forgot about that period! My recent 1099-Gs should be available separately, I just didn't look in the right place. Sorry for the confusion and thanks everyone for your help.
No worries! This happens more often than you'd think. Make sure you check under the tax documents section specifically for the more recent years. ESD should have your 2022 1099-G posted there, though sometimes they're late uploading them. Glad you got it sorted out!
This is actually a great example of why it's so important to keep organized records of all unemployment periods! I've been through the ESD system multiple times over the years and it can definitely be confusing when you have claims from different time periods. For anyone else reading this - always check the "Tax Documents" section separately from your general account overview, and remember that 1099-Gs can take a while to show up for recent benefit years. ESD's interface isn't the most intuitive for finding older vs. newer documents.
Great point about keeping organized records! This thread is actually a perfect example of how confusing the ESD system can be when you have multiple benefit periods. I'm new here but dealing with similar confusion trying to navigate their website. Does anyone know if there's a way to get a comprehensive list of ALL your 1099-Gs across different years in one place, or do you always have to search year by year?
Liam Brown
I went through this exact same thing with Walmart about 8 months ago when they closed our neighborhood market in Tacoma. They contested my claim even though the entire store was shutting down - like how is that not obviously a layoff?? The adjudication took about 6 weeks but I eventually won and got all my back pay. The key thing that helped me was keeping detailed records of everything - I had my manager's email about the store closure, the official notice they posted, and my severance check stub. Walmart's lawyers are basically playing a numbers game hoping people will give up or make mistakes in their paperwork. Don't let them intimidate you - with your WARN notice and severance documentation, you've got a really solid case. Just stay persistent and keep filing those weekly claims!
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Omar Hassan
•This gives me so much hope! I'm dealing with the exact same situation - Walmart distribution center layoff and they're contesting it despite having all the proper documentation. It's reassuring to hear that you won your case and got the back pay. I'm definitely going to look into Claimyr since everyone here seems to have had success with it. The phone system sounds like a complete nightmare and I can't afford to waste weeks trying to get through. Thanks for sharing the details about your timeline - 6 weeks feels manageable knowing there's light at the end of the tunnel.
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GalacticGuru
•Reading all these stories about Walmart contesting legitimate layoff claims is both infuriating and oddly comforting - at least I know I'm not alone in this fight. It's clear they have a systematic approach to challenging every claim regardless of the circumstances. I'm in week 4 of adjudication now and the financial stress is really getting to me, but hearing that you and others have successfully fought these contests gives me the motivation to keep going. I've uploaded all my documentation including the WARN notice and severance paperwork, and I'm going to look into Claimyr tomorrow to try to get a status update. This whole experience has really opened my eyes to how these massive corporations treat their former employees - it's shameful but not surprising. Thanks for sharing your timeline and encouragement!
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Sebastián Stevens
I'm so sorry you're going through this - it's incredibly stressful to have your legitimate claim contested when you're already dealing with job loss. As someone who's been through the Washington ESD system before, I can tell you that having your WARN notice and severance documentation puts you in a very strong position. Large retailers like Walmart have made contesting claims a standard business practice regardless of the actual circumstances - it's purely a cost-saving measure on their end. The adjudication process is frustrating and slow, but Washington ESD adjudicators are generally pretty good at seeing through these automatic contests when you have solid documentation. Make sure to upload everything to your SecureAccess account ASAP and definitely keep filing your weekly claims during the process so you'll get back pay when this gets resolved in your favor. Stay strong and don't let their tactics discourage you from fighting for what you're entitled to!
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Daniel Price
•Thank you so much for the encouragement - it really helps to hear from someone who understands the system. You're absolutely right that this is just a numbers game for them, but it still feels personal when you're the one dealing with the financial stress. I'm definitely going to get all my documentation uploaded tonight and I feel more confident now knowing that the adjudicators can usually see through these automatic contests. It's frustrating that we have to fight for benefits we're clearly entitled to, but I'm not backing down. The advice about continuing to file weekly claims is really important too - I hadn't thought about how that affects the back pay calculation. Thanks for taking the time to share your experience!
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