Washington Unemployment
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ESD back payments after approval - when will I see my money?
After weeks of checking my ESD portal daily and making about 30 failed call attempts, I FINALLY got approved for unemployment benefits yesterday (March 1st)! What a relief. I initially filed on February 5th and have been filing my weekly claims this whole time while waiting for a decision. My question is - does anyone know how long it typically takes to receive the back payments for those weeks I claimed while waiting for approval? My account shows 'paid' status for those weeks now, but nothing has hit my bank account yet. My rent is already 3 days late and I'm starting to get nervous...
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ESD website issues and long callback wait times - will my benefits be delayed?
So I just found out my seasonal construction job is ending next week and I'll need to file for unemployment again. Tried logging into my ESD account to start the process but the website keeps giving me errors about 'session timeout' every time I try to complete the application. Called the ESD helpline at 8:15 this morning and after waiting 45 minutes, the rep just put me on a callback list. It's now almost 5pm and still no call back! I'm seriously stressed because last year when I was on unemployment it took over 10 weeks before I got my first payment. My savings are basically non-existent after inflation ate everything. Anyone know if there's a faster way to get through to ESD or if they've improved their processing times? My rent is due in 3 weeks and I'm already calculating which bills I can skip...
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One more critical piece of advice: start documenting your job search activities immediately (at least 3 per week). Even if your claim is still processing, you need to be completing and logging these activities from the first week you're unemployed. I've seen so many people get denied retroactive payments because they didn't do their job search requirements during the waiting period. The WorkSource Virtual Job Fair next Tuesday might be worth attending - it counts as a job search activity and you might find something that beats waiting for unemployment.
Thanks for the reminder about job search activities! I wasn't doing those last time until after I was approved and then had to scramble to catch up. I'll start keeping track right away this time. And I'll definitely check out that job fair - at this point I'd rather find something quick than deal with ESD for months.
btw dont forget to check ur spam folder for ESD emails.. they sent me like 5 messages asking for more info and they ALL went to spam. cost me like 3 extra weeks of waiting!
Oh! Great tip - I just checked and actually found an ESD notice from today in my spam folder! It's asking me to verify my identity through ID.me. Thank you!!!
Self-employment while waiting for ESD claim approval - Will it affect my benefits?
I've been waiting for my ESD unemployment claim to process for almost 6 weeks now. My savings are basically gone, and I'm starting to panic about upcoming bills. I'm thinking about doing some freelance graphic design work to bring in SOMETHING while I wait. Has anyone done self-employment while waiting for their unemployment to get approved? Will this mess up my claim? Do I need to report income even though my claim isn't active yet? I'm worried that if I start working for myself, they'll deny my entire claim when it finally gets reviewed. Any advice would be really appreciated - I'm about to hit a wall financially but don't want to shoot myself in the foot with ESD.
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my friend did instacart while waiting for unemployment and ended up getting denied completely bc she made too much money one week. just be careful how much u work
I went through this last year. Two important things to remember: 1. You have to file weekly claims WHILE your initial claim is processing. You can only backfile for 4 weeks, so if you've missed more than that, those benefits may be lost. 2. For self-employment: ESD considers your GROSS earnings before expenses in the week you performed the work (not when paid). They apply this formula: (your weekly benefit amount) - ((gross earnings) - ($5 × 20%)) = adjusted weekly benefit So if your weekly benefit amount would be $850, and you earn $400 in self-employment in a week: $850 - ($400 - $80) = $850 - $320 = $530 benefit for that week Hope this helps!
Thank you for breaking down the calculation - that's really helpful! I'm going to call ESD tomorrow and see if I can still file for the weeks I missed.
Will reporting work but not being paid yet affect my ESD payment tomorrow?
I just started a new job last week (after being on unemployment for almost 2 months) but won't receive my first paycheck until 9/25. I'm worried about how to handle my weekly claim for this week. If I honestly report that I worked but haven't been paid yet, will that reduce or eliminate my unemployment payment that I'm expecting tomorrow? I really need that money to cover bills for the next 2 weeks until my first paycheck comes through. Does anyone know how ESD handles this situation? Do they care about when you WORKED or when you actually GET PAID?
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Have you tried calling ESD directly to ask? I've been trying to reach someone about my claim for THREE WEEKS and can never get through - always busy signals or disconnects after waiting forever. This system is absolutely maddening when you need actual help.
I had the same problem until I found this service called Claimyr that got me through to an actual ESD agent in about 20 minutes. It was such a relief after weeks of failing to get through on my own. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 and the website is claimyr.com. Definitely worth checking out if you're desperate to talk to someone at ESD directly.
Is there any way to request a hardship payment or something? I mean there should be some provision for this exact situation!
Unfortunately, ESD doesn't offer any hardship provisions for this specific situation. The system is designed to support you during periods of no work, not during the transition to employment. You might want to check with local community assistance programs if you need emergency help with bills before your paycheck arrives.
ESD not processing payment after bank info update - need urgent help reaching a representative
I'm at my wit's end trying to reach someone at ESD! I updated my direct deposit information last week, and now my weekly claim is stuck in limbo. My payment status just says 'pending' instead of the usual 'paid' by now. I'm 100% sure it's because they haven't processed my updated banking info yet, but I can't get through to anyone to fix it! I've been calling the main ESD number every day, sometimes 15-20 times, starting right when they open at 8am. Either I get the dreaded 'high call volume' message or it disconnects me after being on hold for 45 minutes. I'm approved for benefits (been receiving them for 6 weeks now), so this isn't an eligibility issue - it's just a technical problem that needs a quick fix. Does anyone have any insider tricks for actually getting through to a live person? Any special phone numbers or best times to call? I've got rent due next week and really need this back pay plus my regular payments to start flowing correctly again. Really appreciate any advice!
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why dont u just switch back to ur old bank info if its so important to get paid now???
Unfortunately I can't - I closed that account (it was with a bank that started charging monthly fees I couldn't afford while unemployed). So I'm kind of stuck waiting for them to process the new account.
Just wanted to follow up - did your payment go through yet? The banking verification should be complete by now if it's been more than a week.
Yes! The payment finally went through yesterday - took exactly 6 business days like you said. Such a relief! I wish ESD would make this verification period clear on their website instead of leaving us all in the dark. Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions!
Dylan Cooper
Just a friendly reminder that ESD processes payments Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. So since you were approved on March 1st (which was a Friday), the payment processing likely didn't start until Monday, March 4th. Direct deposits typically take 2-3 business days after processing begins. And yes, as others mentioned, back payments generally arrive as one lump sum. Check both your ESD account payment history AND your bank account regularly. Sometimes the ESD portal will update before the money arrives.
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Sofia Ramirez
I hate that their system is basically stuck in the 1990s. Why can't they do instant transfers like literally everyone else these days?? I get paid instantly from my side gigs but the government takes a week 🙄
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Liam Sullivan
UPDATE: My back payments just hit my account! It took exactly 4 business days after approval. Total relief! Thanks everyone for your help and advice. For anyone else in the same situation - hang in there, the money does come through eventually.
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Amara Okafor
awesome!! glad it worked out for u!
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