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- Connect you to a human agent at the ESD
- Skip the long phone menu
- Call the correct department
- Redial until on hold
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- Give you free callbacks if the ESD drops your call
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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!
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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.
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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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Remember to document everything you're doing for job search activities. Even though you're not getting unemployment anymore, if you do find training programs or other assistance, they might ask about your job search efforts.
Good point, I'll keep tracking everything I'm doing. Thanks for all the advice everyone!
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The waiting is the worst part. I was disqualified for 3 weeks before I found out it was just a computer glitch that flagged my account incorrectly. Keep pushing for answers.
A computer glitch? That's both frustrating and reassuring to know it might not be something I actually did wrong.
Exactly. Sometimes it's not your fault at all, but you still have to fight to get it fixed.
Summary for OP: Get your determination letter first (call or check online messages), understand the specific reason for disqualification, continue filing weekly claims, gather supporting documentation, and be prepared to appeal if you disagree. The 30-day appeal deadline is crucial.
Thank you so much everyone. This gives me a clear plan of action. I feel much less panicked now knowing this might be fixable.
Good luck! Keep us updated on how it goes.
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Don't forget about the tax implications - unemployment benefits are taxable income. You can choose to have taxes withheld or pay at the end of the year, but don't get surprised come tax time. I owed $800 in taxes on my unemployment benefits last year because I didn't have anything withheld.
Oh wow, I hadn't even thought about taxes. Is it better to have them withheld or pay later?
I'd recommend having them withheld so you don't get hit with a big bill later. It's an option when you file your weekly claims.
Update us when you get your determination letter! I'm curious to see if the estimates in this thread are accurate. Good luck with everything.
Will do! I really appreciate everyone's help. This thread made me feel so much less anxious about the whole process.
That's what this community is for! We've all been there and it's scary the first time.
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The automated system is pretty useless too. Half the time it just tells you to go online, but online doesn't help when you need to actually talk to someone about a specific problem.
So true. The automated options never seem to match the actual issue you're having.
Exactly! It's like they designed it to discourage people from actually reaching a human agent.
Just to summarize for anyone still reading - the main Washington ESD number is 833-572-8400. Expect long waits or busy signals. Alternative approaches include calling at off-peak times, trying the employer services line first, or using a service like Claimyr to handle the calling for you.
Thanks for the summary! This thread has been really helpful. I'm going to try a few of these suggestions.
Good luck! Hopefully one of these approaches works better for you than just calling the main number over and over.
Javier Torres
this is why i always tell people to have taxes withheld from unemployment right from the start. even if it means smaller weekly payments its better than getting hit with a huge tax bill later
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Emma Davis
•Hindsight is 20/20 though. When you're desperate to get any income coming in, tax planning isn't exactly top priority.
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AstroAdventurer
•Exactly. I was just focused on getting approved and getting money to pay bills. Taxes were the last thing on my mind.
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Malik Johnson
One more thing to consider - if you're doing any side work or gig economy stuff while on unemployment, that income is also taxable and usually doesn't have withholding either. Make sure to account for ALL your income when planning for taxes.
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Isabella Ferreira
•Good reminder. And don't forget you have to report that side income to Washington ESD too when you file your weekly claims.
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AstroAdventurer
•I'm not doing any side work right now but good to know for the future. This whole unemployment thing has so many rules to keep track of.
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