Washington Unemployment
CommunityGovernment Services
Can't reach Washington Unemployment? Claimyr calls for you, so you don't have to wait on hold.
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
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 :)
Filed ESD claim at midnight - anyone else seeing delayed processing?
I submitted my initial unemployment claim last night right at midnight (figured the system would be less busy). It's been about 18 hours and my claim is still showing as 'processing' on the dashboard. Normally when I've filed weekly claims they process pretty quick. Is this normal for brand new claims? The website says it could take 'up to 4 weeks' but I'm getting nervous since my savings are pretty minimal after being laid off from the construction project. Anyone else file recently and know how long it's taking ESD to process new claims right now?
Join the conversation
ESD showing wrong employer on my weekly claim - how to remove old employer I never got laid off from?
I just filed my waiting week claim today and I'm confused about something. The ESD system is showing an old employer that I haven't worked for in like 2 years! I voluntarily left that job (didn't get laid off) and moved on to my current employer who actually DID lay me off last week due to budget cuts. How do I remove this old employer from my claim? I'm worried that having this incorrect employer info might cause problems with my claim or delay my benefits. Has anyone dealt with this before? I don't want ESD contacting my old employer since that's not even relevant to my current unemployment situation.
Join the conversation
when i had this happen the esd lady told me they only care about employers in your "base year" which is like the last 5 quarters or something before you filed. so if that old job was before your base year it doesnt even matter. but yeah call and make sure the right info is there about your recent employer thats the important part
That's exactly right. The base year is the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you filed your claim. Only employment during that period affects your claim. If your old employer falls outside that timeframe, they're irrelevant to your current claim.
I had a kinda related issue whre ESD kept sending letters to an employer I worked at for like 3 weeks as a temp job. They were suuuuper confused and kept calling me about it even tho I had a full time job after that for 2 years which was the one that actually laid me off! The system is so weird sometimes lol. But I eventually got it sorted by talking to an agent on the phone who fixed it in their system.
Glad you got it sorted out! I'm going to keep trying to reach someone. I've been trying all week without success but I'll try early Monday morning when they first open. Thanks everyone for the help and advice!
ESD taking $227 from my weekly benefit for WA debt - only got $23 this week?
I just checked my account and I'm shocked. ESD only deposited $23 into my account when I should be getting my full weekly benefit! Looking at the payment details, it shows they took $227 for "Washington debt" but I didn't expect this at all. I know I had an overpayment situation from last year, but nobody told me they'd start deducting it from my current claim. I thought maybe they'd send me a bill or set up a payment plan first? I can't survive on $23 a week - I have rent due next week! Is this normal? Can they just start taking money without warning? Is there any way to reduce how much they take each week so I can actually pay my bills?
Join the conversation
One more thing to know: when you do get through to ESD, ask about setting up a formal repayment plan instead of having them deduct from your benefits. Sometimes they'll let you make smaller payments after your claim ends, which gives you the full benefit amount now when you need it most. Make sure to get any agreement in writing through your eServices account.
this is good advice! my friend did this and they let her pay just $25 a month after her benefits ended instead of taking half her benefit now
UPDATE: Finally got through to someone at ESD this morning! They agreed to reduce the weekly recovery amount to $75 instead of $227. Not ideal but MUCH better than what I was left with before. They said I should see the change on next week's payment. For anyone else dealing with this, definitely call and explain your financial situation - they can adjust it!
That's great news! Congrats on getting through to someone. ESD can be reasonable sometimes if you actually reach a human.
ESD pandemic overpayment waiver stuck in processing for 6 months - anyone else waiting?
I submitted my pandemic overpayment waiver back in September 2024 and haven't heard ANYTHING from ESD for nearly 6 months now! It's getting ridiculous. My overpayment amount is around $7,800 which I honestly can't afford to pay back since I was legitimately unemployed when I received those benefits. The overpayment notice claimed I didn't provide proper income verification, but I swear I submitted everything they asked for. Is anyone else still waiting on their pandemic overpayment waiver to be processed? How long did it take for those who got approvals? Did you have to do anything special to get ESD to review your case faster? I've tried calling but can't get through, and their message system is useless. This debt is hanging over my head and I'm getting anxious with the uncertainty. Any advice?
Join the conversation
My brother had an overpayment from 2023 and his waiver took 9 months to get approved!! By the time they finished he had already paid back half of it because he was scared of the collection threats. Then he had to wait another 2 months to get a refund for what he'd already paid. The whole system is designed to make you give up and just pay even if you qualify for forgiveness.
That's awful about your brother - and exactly what I'm afraid of. They create so much anxiety with their collection threats that people end up paying even when they shouldn't have to. I'm determined to hold out for the waiver decision, but it's stressful not knowing if/when it will ever be resolved.
Update on my earlier comment - I just remembered something important. When I called ESD about my waiver, the agent mentioned they were prioritizing cases where people had submitted a "Financial Hardship Statement" along with their waiver request. It's not officially required, but apparently it helps move your case up in the queue. Basically, write up a 1-page statement explaining: 1. Why you can't afford to repay the amount 2. How the overpayment wasn't your fault 3. How repayment would affect your ability to meet basic needs Submit this through eServices as an additional document for your waiver request. Title it "Financial Hardship Statement - [Your Name] - [Claim ID]
This is incredibly helpful! I'm going to draft a Financial Hardship Statement tonight and submit it tomorrow. Thank you so much for this specific advice - it gives me something concrete I can do while waiting.
Won my ESD overpayment appeal, how long until refund of money I already paid?
Just got the decision letter that I WON my overpayment appeal! After fighting ESD for 3 months over a $6,200 overpayment they claimed I owed from last year. I had already paid back about $1,800 through payment plans before I got a lawyer to help me appeal. The judge ruled the overpayment was ESD's fault because they misclassified my job separation.\n\nNow I'm wondering - how long does it typically take for ESD to refund the money I already paid towards this overpayment? The decision letter doesn't mention anything about getting my money back. Has anyone gone through this process and can tell me what to expect? Do I need to call them or will they automatically process the refund?
Join the conversation
Malik Jackson
My sister works at a WorkSource office (not ESD directly but they work with them) and she says they've been super backed up lately because of some seasonal construction layoffs. She mentioned something about their system doing maintenance overnight too, so maybe filing at midnight actually puts you at the back of the line for the next day's processing?
0 coins
Javier Hernandez
Of COURSE they don't tell us about system maintenance or slow periods. Just another way they make it harder to get benefits we've EARNED. They should be required to post processing times on the website so people know what to expect!!
0 coins
Paolo Marino
UPDATE: My claim finally moved from "processing" to "pending" this morning! So it took about 3 days total. I also got a notice that I need to complete an identity verification interview, which is scheduled for next week. Thanks everyone for the advice and help!
0 coins
Amina Bah
Great news! For the identity verification interview, make sure you have your driver's license/ID, social security card, and at least one recent pay stub ready. They'll likely ask you to confirm details about your previous employers and wages too. If you prepared all this in advance, these interviews usually only take about 15 minutes.
0 coins