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 :)
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Join the conversation
Bottom line - collect your unemployment benefits and don't worry about SS. They're apples and oranges. Your future SS is based on your 35 highest earning years from actual employment, period.
Perfect summary. I feel so much better about this now. Thanks everyone for all the helpful responses!
This thread was really helpful. I had the same concerns and now I know I was worrying for nothing.
One last thing - make sure you're thinking ahead about health insurance between when your UI ends and when you become eligible for Medicare. That gap can be expensive if you're not prepared.
Check if you qualify for any subsidies on the health insurance marketplace. At certain income levels you might get help with premiums.
Definitely worth looking into. The gap between employer insurance and Medicare can be brutal financially.
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Make sure your claim issue actually requires talking to someone. Some things can be resolved through the online system or by mailing documents. Check their FAQ first.
I've been through the FAQ multiple times. My adjudication issue definitely needs human intervention - I just need to know what they're waiting for.
Adjudication issues almost always require speaking with an agent. The FAQ won't help with case-specific delays.
Last resort - try calling your state representative's office. Sometimes they can help expedite unemployment issues when the system isn't working.
I didn't know that was an option. How do I find my state representative?
Google 'find my Washington state representative' and enter your address. Their offices often have staff who deal with constituent services including ESD issues.
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One thing nobody mentioned - if you're on standby status (temporary layoff expecting to return to work), the time you're on standby still counts against your 26 week maximum. So if you're on standby for 10 weeks then get permanently laid off, you'd only have 16 weeks left of regular benefits.
Good to know. In my case it was a permanent layoff so I won't have the standby issue.
Yeah, standby can be tricky. A lot of people don't realize it uses up their benefit weeks even though they're expecting to go back to work.
Bottom line - 26 weeks is the standard maximum for regular unemployment in Washington state. Plan accordingly, start your job search immediately, and make sure you understand all the weekly requirements to keep your benefits flowing. The time goes by quicker than you expect when you're dealing with unemployment.
Thanks everyone for all the helpful information. I feel much better prepared now to file my claim and plan my job search strategy.
Good luck with your job search! Hope you find something before you need all 26 weeks.
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One more thing - if you have any vacation pay or severance coming, that might affect when your benefits start. Washington ESD considers that earnings even if you're not working, so be honest about it on your application.
No, file right away but report the vacation pay when you do your weekly claims. They'll just delay your benefits until after the vacation pay period ends.
This is why it's so important to be upfront about everything. If they find out later you didn't report something, they'll make you pay back everything plus penalties.
The whole process stressed me out too but it's really not that bad once you get started. Washington ESD's website is actually pretty user-friendly compared to some other state systems I've heard about. Just take it one step at a time.
Thanks everyone, this has been super helpful. I feel a lot less anxious about filing now that I know what to expect.
CosmicCommander
The eligibility isn't that complicated really. Work for at least 680 hours or earn $1,000+ in your base period, lose your job through no fault of your own, be able and available for work. Most people who worked a regular job qualify.
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Anastasia Kozlov
•Thanks for breaking it down so simply! That helps a lot.
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CosmicCommander
•No problem! The ESD website makes it sound way more complicated than it actually is.
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Giovanni Colombo
I used that claimyr service someone mentioned earlier and it was honestly a game changer. Got connected to an ESD agent who walked me through the whole eligibility process and helped me understand exactly what I needed to do. Worth checking out if you're having trouble getting through on your own.
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Anastasia Kozlov
•I might have to try that if I run into issues. Thanks for the recommendation!
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Giovanni Colombo
•Definitely worth it. The video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ shows exactly how it works.
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