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Using Claimyr will:
- Connect you to a human agent at the ESD
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- Call the correct department
- Redial until on hold
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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!
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- 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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Wait I'm confused about something. Does being in a union automatically exempt you from job searches even when NOT on standby? I thought union members still had to do job searches when not working unless they have standby status?
It depends on the type of union. Full referral unions (where all work must come through the union hiring hall) can provide an exemption from regular job searches. The claimant still has to be in good standing with the union and registered as available for work through their hiring hall. It's one of the few exemptions from job searches besides standby, approved training, and a few other special situations. Not all unions qualify though - only those with exclusive hiring hall arrangements.
Oh that makes sense! Thanks for explaining. I'm in a union but we don't have that kind of arrangement.
I just wanted to update that we went ahead and answered 'yes' to the job search question since he meets his requirements with his exemptions. The claim was accepted without any issues! Thanks everyone for your help. Going to stick with the online filing when possible since it's less confusing, but good to know how to handle the phone system if needed again.
Great to hear! Thanks for reporting back with the outcome.
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I'm in the EXACT same boat right now!!! 6 weeks pending, Governor's office "escalation" 2 weeks ago, called by ESD last Thursday with promises to fix it "immediately" and STILL NOTHING!!! This system is BROKEN. My car payment bounced yesterday and now I'll have late fees on top of everything else. I'm filing a formal complaint with the state auditor's office because this is beyond unacceptable. We need to start making more noise about this systematic failure.
Filing with the state auditor is actually a good idea. They've been investigating ESD's processing times since the 2024 system upgrade that was supposed to improve things but clearly made them worse. You can submit a complaint here: https://sao.wa.gov/report-a-concern/
UPDATE: My claim that was pending for 5 weeks finally got resolved today! Here's what worked: I called my state representative's office (not the Governor) and explained the situation. Their constituent services person made a call directly to their ESD liaison (apparently each rep has one), and my claim was processed within 24 hours. Might be worth trying if the Governor's office route isn't working fast enough. Good luck!
That's a great tip, thank you! I hadn't thought of contacting my state rep. I'll look up who mine is and give their office a call tomorrow. Congrats on finally getting your claim resolved!
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Did you try checking your eligibility on the eServices portal? Sometimes it will tell you if you have enough quarters. Thats how I found out I could file a new claim after my seasonal retail job ended last year. I dint have to call at all just filed online
I tried checking eServices but it just kept directing me to reopen my existing claim, which then gave me an error saying I had no more benefits available. It never gave me an option to check eligibility for a new claim. Maybe the system has changed since you did it?
oh that sucks maybe they changed it. mine was different cuz my benefit year had ended so maybe thats why it worked for me. good luck!!
Just to follow up on this thread - the key terminology you need when calling is "new claim within the same benefit year after exhaustion of benefits." This is a specific situation addressed in ESD's regulations, but it requires agent intervention. Based on what you've shared about earning $28,000 in the fishing season this year, you should easily meet the 680-hour requirement and the minimum earnings threshold. When you connect with an agent, make sure to have: 1. Your employment dates for the fishing season 2. Approximate earnings amounts 3. Your employer's contact information 4. Your last day of work This will help speed up the process. And just to clarify for everyone, the online system isn't designed to handle this specific situation - it's not a glitch or an attempt to deny benefits, it's simply a limitation of the automated system that requires human intervention for these special cases.
Thank you so much for the follow-up! I finally got through to ESD this morning using the Claimyr service someone recommended. The agent knew exactly what to do when I mentioned "new claim within same benefit year after exhaustion." They took all my fishing season information and said I definitely qualify for a new claim! Benefits should start in about a week. Such a relief!
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Another thing to check: did you recently pass your benefit year end date? Sometimes there's a payment gap when your claim rolls over to a new benefit year, even if you have remaining benefits. The system might be recalculating your eligibility. They don't make this clear anywhere in the portal.
Just checked - my benefit year end date is still a few months away (September 2025). So that's not it either. This is so confusing!
Quick update: just got my payment today! It was just delayed for some reason. The double payment from last week was indeed for a back-week adjustment like someone mentioned. Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions!
Great news! Their payment processing is so unpredictable sometimes.
Glad it worked out! This is pretty common with ESD - their payment processing schedule seems to shift randomly sometimes. For future reference, it's helpful to know that while they usually process claims quickly, the actual bank deposit can take 1-3 business days depending on your bank and any holidays.
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Everyone has been so helpful - thank you! I'm going to apply right away and make sure I do those weekly claims even during severance. One last question: if I get a job offer during my severance period but the start date is after my severance ends, will I still be eligible for unemployment for those weeks between severance ending and my new job starting?
Yes, you would be eligible for those weeks between severance ending and your new job starting, as long as you continue meeting all other requirements (filing weekly claims, conducting job searches, being able and available for work). Just make sure to accurately report your job acceptance and future start date when it happens.
jut wondering - do you have to pay taxes on unemployment benifits? and do they take taxes out or you have to pay them later? trying to figure this out for my budgeting
Yes, unemployment benefits are taxable income. When setting up your claim, you'll have the option to have 10% withheld for federal taxes (there's no state income tax in WA). If you don't choose withholding, you'll need to account for taxes when filing your annual return. Many people don't realize this and end up with an unexpected tax bill.
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As others have mentioned, WorkSource is your best bet for in-person help. I know the Tacoma location has specific hours for unemployment assistance. Also, if you're really struggling with the online application, you might qualify for assistance through their Priority service if you have limited English proficiency, disability, or technology barriers. Call the office directly to ask about this option.
What counts as technology barriers? Cause I definitely have those lol. My internet keeps cutting out and my computer is like 10 years old.
Technology barriers can include lack of reliable internet access, not having a computer/smartphone, or inability to use the online system due to skills/knowledge. Definitely mention this when you contact WorkSource - they may be able to provide additional support or priority assistance.
Ok thanks for the advice everyone. Im gonna try WorkSource tomorrow and if that doesnt work will try that phone service someone mentioned.
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I used Claimyr last month when I had a similar issue (though mine was stuck in adjudication, not $0 payments). Got through to ESD in about 2 hours instead of days of redial hell. The agent told me they've been having database synchronization problems since their February system update. Some approvals aren't properly connecting to the payment system. They had to manually fix something on the backend for mine to start processing correctly.
That sounds exactly like what might be happening with mine - some kind of system glitch. I'm going to try Claimyr tomorrow since multiple people are recommending it. At this point I just need to talk to a human at ESD who can look at my specific account.
Anyone get a resolution to this? I'm having the EXACT same problem now and panicking. Approved for benefits but every weekly claim shows $0 paid.
UPDATE: I finally got through to ESD using the Claimyr service people recommended here. Turns out there was an employer protest that wasn't showing up in my online account! My former employer claimed I quit instead of being laid off. The ESD agent was able to see this in their system even though it wasn't showing in my eServices account at all. They're expediting my case now and said I should see payments within 3-5 business days. So relieved to at least know what was happening! Definitely recommend trying to speak with an actual agent if you're having the same issue.
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does anyone know if we get extra $ for the holiday? my old job used to pay holiday pay even if you didnt work that day
Unfortunately, unemployment doesn't provide holiday pay. Benefits are calculated based on your base year wages and remain the same regardless of holidays. Only wages from actual work would have holiday differentials.
Looks like Wednesday is the consensus. I'll make sure to budget for that delay. I also had another question - do we still need to do the three job search activities during Christmas week?
Yes, you still need to complete your three job search activities during holiday weeks, even Christmas week. The job search requirements don't change for holidays. However, you can count job search preparation activities (like updating your resume or attending a WorkSource workshop) if businesses are closed for the holiday.
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Final update: All three weeks of payments hit my bank account this morning! Such a relief. For anyone else in this situation - definitely call if your payments are pending more than a week after approval. Don't just wait and hope like I was doing!
Anastasia Popov
When I was on unemployment in 2022, I declined a job that was about 35 miles away from my house. I explained in my weekly claim that 1) I calculated the commute would be 1hr15min each way during rush hour, 2) gas would cost me about $85/week with my vehicle's mpg, and 3) there was no reliable public transportation option. I didn't have any issues - they continued my benefits without question. Just make sure you're super detailed in your explanation!
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Sean Murphy
•You got lucky! Mine was similar distance and they put me in adjudication for 6 weeks! Finally got approved but it was so stressful. But good point about being detailed - I think that's what eventually helped my case.
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Ravi Kapoor
Thanks everyone for the helpful responses! I'm going to call ESD directly using that Claimyr service before making my decision, but I'm also going to prepare a detailed explanation with exact mileage (40.3 miles one-way), calculated gas costs based on my car's MPG, documentation of my car's repair history showing its unreliability, and the lack of public transit options for the specific work hours. I'm feeling much more confident about how to handle this now. Really appreciate all the advice!
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Diego Vargas
•Smart approach. Calling ahead is definitely the way to go. Just make sure to document who you speak with and what they tell you. Get their ID number if possible. Keep us posted on how it goes!
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