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
Don't forget that your base period for calculating benefits is based on the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file your claim. Since you've been working part-time for 8 months, you should have enough earnings in your base period to qualify for benefits.
This is confusing - can you explain the base period thing more simply?
Sure! If you file your claim in January 2025, your base period would be January 2024 through December 2024. Washington ESD looks at your earnings during that time to determine your benefit amount.
Another thing to keep in mind is that you'll need to report your gross earnings (before taxes) when you file your weekly claims. Don't report your take-home pay - report the full amount you earned before any deductions.
Good catch! I made that mistake on my first weekly claim and had to call to correct it.
Yeah, and make sure you report earnings for the week you actually worked, not the week you got paid. The timing can be tricky if your payroll is delayed.
Join the conversation
One more thing - if you move to another state while collecting Washington unemployment, you need to notify them. The benefits might continue but there could be complications with job search requirements.
I'm not planning to move, but good to know in case my job search expands to other areas.
Yeah, just something to keep in mind. Interstate claims can get complicated.
Bottom line - 26 weeks maximum, file every week, do your job search activities, and respond quickly to any requests from Washington ESD. It's not complicated once you get into the routine.
Thanks everyone! This has been super helpful. I feel much more prepared to navigate this whole process now.
Good luck with your job search! Hope you find something great before the 26 weeks are up.
Join the conversation
Also remember that if you quit your job voluntarily or got fired for misconduct, you might not be eligible for benefits at all. Washington ESD will investigate the reason for your job separation and make a determination.
I was laid off due to company downsizing, so I should be fine on that front.
Layoffs are usually pretty straightforward for approval. It's the voluntary quits and misconduct cases that get complicated.
Don't forget to keep track of all your job search activities in detail. They can audit your records at any time and if you can't prove you met the requirements, they can make you pay back benefits. I keep a spreadsheet with dates, company names, contact info, and what type of activity it was.
That's a good system. I'll set up something similar once I start filing.
WorkSourceWA also has a job search tracking tool built into their website that makes it easier to keep records organized.
Join the conversation
Keep us posted on how it goes! Hoping everything works out for you.
Will do, thanks again everyone. This thread has been super helpful!
Last thought - if you do need to contact Washington ESD and are having trouble getting through, seriously check out that Claimyr service I mentioned earlier. It made such a difference when I was dealing with my appeal. The video demo really shows how much time it can save you.
I might have to try that myself, I've been trying to get through to Washington ESD for a week about my own claim issue.
Definitely worth it if you're stuck in phone hell. Way better than spending your whole day redialing.
ElectricDreamer
thanks everyone for explaining this. feel much better about understanding the requirements now
0 coins
Dmitry Smirnov
•Happy to help! The Washington unemployment system isn't as complicated as it first seems once you break it down.
0 coins
Sofia Perez
This has been super helpful everyone. Sounds like the key things are: work in at least 2 quarters, earn at least $1,005 in your highest quarter, and have total earnings of at least 1.25 times your high quarter amount. And quarters are just 3-month periods, not calendar years like I was thinking.
0 coins
Dmitry Smirnov
•Exactly! You've got it. And remember the base period is usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you file.
0 coins
Ava Johnson
•Perfect summary. Those are the main requirements that trip people up.
0 coins