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Make sure you understand the difference between being fired and being laid off when you file. It affects how Washington ESD handles your claim during adjudication.
Filed my claim 3 days after getting fired and the whole process took about 2 weeks to get my first payment. Would have been longer if I had waited to file.
Thanks everyone! My payment just showed up this morning. Really appreciate all the advice and explanations. This community is incredibly helpful for navigating Washington ESD's system.
For anyone else reading this, remember that Washington ESD payment timing is pretty consistent once you learn the pattern. The anxiety of that first payment is totally normal - we've all been there!
The Washington ESD eligibility requirements aren't that strict compared to some other states. If you worked consistently for 8 months you should have no problem qualifying.
One more thing - if your claim gets stuck in adjudication or you have any issues, that Claimyr service mentioned earlier is actually pretty helpful for getting through to talk to someone. The regular phone lines are basically useless.
For anyone wondering about the exact timing - your 52-week benefit year starts the Sunday of the week you file your initial claim, not the day you actually submit it. Just wanted to clarify that since it affects when your benefits expire.
One last thing I wanted to add - if you're approaching your 26 week limit and think you might qualify for a new claim after working, it's worth talking to Washington ESD about the timing. Sometimes it makes sense to let your current claim expire before starting a new one, depending on your wage history.
Good luck getting through to them though. I tried for days before giving up and just filing when my claim expired.
This is exactly the type of question where Claimyr really helps. Complex timing questions like this need a real person to look at your account, not just general information from websites.
Jessica Nolan
One more thing - make sure you're prepared for the potential tax implications. Unemployment benefits are taxable income, so you might want to have taxes withheld or set money aside for tax season.
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Mason Stone
•Oh I hadn't thought about taxes. Can I have them withhold taxes automatically?
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Jessica Nolan
•Yes, when you set up your benefit payments you can choose to have federal and state taxes withheld. It's usually 10% federal and whatever your state rate is.
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Angelina Farar
Bottom line - file your claim, be honest about what happened, keep looking for work, and don't let anyone tell you that you can't get benefits just because you were fired. Performance issues are not misconduct in Washington State.
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Mason Stone
•Thanks everyone for all the advice! I'm going to file my claim today and see what happens.
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Sebastián Stevens
•Good luck! Most people in your situation do get approved, so try not to worry too much about it.
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