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
For what it's worth, I filed my unemployment claim about 6 hours after getting laid off and everything went smoothly. The online system asks you for your last day of work, so they know exactly when your employment ended. No need to overthink the timing.
Perfect! Sounds like there's really no downside to filing right away. Thanks everyone for all the helpful info!
Glad we could help! Good luck with your claim and hope you find something new soon.
Last thing I'll add - when you do file, make sure you understand the weekly claim requirements. You'll need to file every week even during that waiting week, and you'll need to report any work or income. Don't skip weeks thinking you'll start later.
Good point! I'll make sure to keep up with the weekly claims even if I'm not getting paid yet.
Yeah missing weekly claims can really mess up your benefits. Better to file them all and not need them than to skip and cause problems later.
Join the conversation
The Washington ESD website has a benefit calculator tool but honestly it never worked right for me. Always gave me error messages when I tried to use it. Probably easier to just do the math yourself with that 3.85% formula someone mentioned earlier.
Yeah their website tools are pretty hit or miss. I've had better luck just calling when I need specific information, though getting through can be a challenge.
That's when services like Claimyr come in handy. I used them twice when I couldn't get through on my own and it was worth it to actually talk to someone instead of guessing.
Don't forget you'll also need to do work search activities to keep getting benefits. I think it's 3 job contacts per week minimum, and you have to keep a log of your activities.
Online applications definitely count! You just need to keep track of the employer name, date, position applied for, and method of contact. Pretty straightforward.
Also attending job fairs or networking events can count toward your work search requirements. There are usually several options each week to meet the requirement.
Join the conversation
Just remember that your benefit amount is based on your past wages, not your current expenses. So if you were living paycheck to paycheck before getting laid off, unemployment probably won't be enough to maintain your lifestyle.
Yeah, I'm already looking at my budget to see what I can cut back on. Hopefully it won't be for too long.
Smart thinking. And don't forget you have to be actively looking for work and reporting your job search activities. They're pretty strict about that requirement.
One final tip - keep detailed records of your job search activities from day one. Washington ESD can audit your claim at any time and ask for proof of your work search efforts. Better to be prepared than scramble later.
Good point. I'll start keeping track of all my applications and interviews. Is there a specific format they want?
They have a work search log you can download from their website, or you can use your own system as long as it includes the required information like employer name, contact method, and date.
Join the conversation
I just want to make sure I understand - the weekly benefit amount stays the same for your entire claim period, right? It doesn't change based on how long you've been collecting?
Correct, your weekly benefit amount stays the same throughout your benefit year unless you have a new claim with different wages.
Good to know for budgeting purposes. At least that's one thing that's consistent in this whole process.
Thanks everyone for all the info! This has been way more helpful than trying to decipher the Washington ESD website.
Seriously, this thread answered so many questions I had. I feel like I actually understand how it works now.
That's what this community is for - helping each other navigate the unemployment system!
Nina Chan
The whole reason they call it involuntary unemployment insurance is because there used to be voluntary unemployment insurance programs in some states decades ago. Now it's mostly just the involuntary type, but the name stuck for legal and administrative reasons.
0 coins
Ruby Knight
•Interesting history! So basically we're stuck with outdated terminology.
0 coins
Nina Chan
•Exactly. Government systems are slow to update terminology even when it becomes confusing to the public.
0 coins
Diego Castillo
Just to close the loop on this - if you filed an unemployment claim through Washington ESD after being laid off, you've already applied for involuntary unemployment insurance. No need to file anything else or worry about different programs unless you have other specific circumstances.
0 coins
Lydia Bailey
•Perfect, thanks everyone! This thread really helped clear up my confusion.
0 coins
Logan Stewart
•Glad it helped! This is exactly the kind of question that trips up a lot of new claimants.
0 coins