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.
160,000+ people connected since 2021
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 :)
ESD says I'm not 'available for work' despite having part-time job - now they want $2900 back!
So frustrated right now! Been on partial unemployment since January while working a retail job 25 hours a week. Yesterday I got this crazy letter from ESD saying I'm DENIED benefits for the last THREE weeks (not just two like I expected) because 'information received indicates claimant is not available for work.' What?! I've literally been working AND looking for full-time work this entire time! I've reported all my hours and earnings faithfully every single week. Never missed a weekly claim. Always did my 3 job search activities. I don't understand how they could say I'm not available when I'm ACTIVELY WORKING already! The letter says I owe $2,900 back immediately. I'm freaking out because that money is long gone - paid rent and bills with it. I submitted an appeal online last night but it just says 'pending' on my account with no information about what happens next. Has anyone dealt with this ridiculous 'not available for work' issue before? How do I prove I'm available when I'm literally already working?! And does anyone know how long these appeals typically take before you get a hearing date? This is seriously keeping me up at night.
Join the conversation
ESD payments still 'processing' after 2 weeks - anyone else waiting?
Filed my UI claim on May 3rd and got approved right away, but my payments have been stuck on 'processing' for over 2 weeks now. Anyone else dealing with this? My eServices account shows everything's fine but no money has hit my bank account. Called ESD like 50 times but can't get through. Getting desperate since rent is due next week! Has anyone who filed recently actually gotten paid or are we all in limbo?
Join the conversation
Anyone seen their payment status change from "processing" to "pending"? Mine just switched and I'm not sure if that's good or bad...
Pending is good! That usually means they've approved the payment and it's in the final stage before being sent to your bank. You should see it in 1-2 business days.
UPDATE: Got through to ESD this morning! The "Ability Issue" was because I answered a question wrong on my initial application about being able to work. The rep cleared it on the spot and said my payments should process in 24-48 hours. She also said they're seeing a lot of minor issues like this holding up claims. If you're stuck in processing, definitely try to get through to a rep!
Congrats! How early did you call? I've been trying at 8am when they open but still can't get through.
ESD payment timeline: When weekly claims hit bank accounts (my experience)
Hi everyone, wanted to share some info about ESD direct deposit timing that might help with planning, especially with bills due soon after the holidays. I've been tracking when my payments hit my account based on when I filed my weekly claim: Last week: Filed Sunday at 7am → Money appeared at 2pm same day This week: Filed 12:05am Sunday (right after midnight) → Money in account by 11:45am When I called ESD about it, the agent explained it works like a "queue system" - earlier you file, earlier you get processed in their batch runs. She said if you file later in the week, expect later payment processing. Anyone else notice patterns with their payment timing? Trying to figure out the optimal time to file my claim to get paid as early as possible each week.
Join the conversation
I filed my claim last Sunday at 4am and still haven't received my payment. Status just says "processing" - is that normal? Should I be worried? This is only my second week on unemployment.
If it's still showing "processing" after more than 3 business days, I would recommend calling ESD to check if there's an issue. New claims sometimes have additional verification steps that can delay the first few payments. It could be a simple verification issue or something that needs adjudication. Did you receive your first payment without any problems? And have you verified your identity through ID.me yet? Those are common issues for new claims.
Just tried calling ESD to ask about my delayed payment and got the "high call volume" message for the 5th time today! How is ANYONE supposed to get through to them?? This is so frustrating!
DON'T BOTHER with their regular line - COMPLETE WASTE OF TIME!! I called 47 times yesterday and never got through. Their phone system is DELIBERATELY designed to prevent people from reaching agents. They don't want to deal with us!!
I used that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier in this thread last month when my payment was stuck. It actually worked - got through to an agent in about 10 minutes instead of spending days redialing. Worth checking out if you're desperate.
Reporting holiday/vacation pay mistakes on ESD weekly claims - will I get penalized?
I'm freaking out a little bit. I've been filing weekly claims for about a month now, and I just realized I made a mistake on two of my claims. I selected 'No' for the question about receiving holiday/vacation pay, but then my company actually paid out some unused PTO on my final check this week. I completely forgot I had that PTO available! It's about $740 that I didn't report. Has anyone dealt with a similar situation? Can I still correct this somehow, or will ESD automatically flag me for fraud? I'm worried they'll make me pay everything back or worse. Really don't want to get in legal trouble over an honest mistake!
Join the conversation
Just to update everyone in this thread with accurate information: for vacation/holiday pay specifically, you need to report it for the week it was PAID, not the week it was earned or accrued. Many people get confused about this. So if your final check with the PTO payout was issued this week, you would report it on this week's claim, even if the PTO was technically earned months ago. This is different from how regular work hours are reported (which are reported when worked).
THAT'S NOT WHAT THEY TOLD ME! An ESD rep specifically said vacation pay should be reported for the weeks it WOULD HAVE COVERED if you had taken the time off! This system is so inconsistent and broken!
UPDATE: I spoke with an ESD representative this morning (used that Claimyr service which actually did work great). They were understanding about the mistake and had me fill out a statement explaining what happened. They said they'll calculate any overpayment and send me a notice with options for repayment. The agent assured me that since I self-reported, this wouldn't be considered fraud - just an adjustment that needs to be made. Such a relief! Thanks everyone for your advice and sharing your experiences.
Glad it worked out! This happens all the time from what I hear.
Will ESD stop payments due to new adjudication while laid off again?
My husband was partially employed for a few weeks (reported everything correctly) and has been receiving partial UI benefits. Yesterday he noticed ESD added a new adjudication to his account about a potential overpayment related to one of his weekly claims from last month. Now he's been laid off completely again and needs full unemployment benefits. Will this new adjudication freeze all his payments while they investigate? We rely on these payments for rent and I'm freaking out about what happens next. Has anyone dealt with a similar situation where an adjudication popped up in the middle of an active claim? Will they keep paying while they investigate or are we about to have zero income?
Join the conversation
UPDATE: We finally got through to ESD this morning! They said the adjudication is only about that specific week where they think his hours might have been misreported (they weren't - we have documentation). The good news is they confirmed payments WILL continue for his current weekly claims while they investigate the past week! Such a relief. Also thanks to those who suggested documentation - we're gathering everything now just in case. Will update again once this is fully resolved.
That's great news! How did you manage to get through to them? I've been trying for days.
We tried that Claimyr service someone mentioned above. Honestly wasn't sure about it at first but it worked - got connected with an ESD agent in about 25 minutes instead of spending days trying to call ourselves. Definitely worth it just for the peace of mind knowing our benefits won't stop.
Joshua Hellan
After seeing your update about getting disconnected multiple times, I really do recommend trying Claimyr. I was in the same boat - disconnected constantly, couldn't get through for weeks. It's frustrating that we have to use a service just to reach a government agency, but it saved me so much stress. The peace of mind from actually talking to someone was worth it. Regarding collections - they typically don't start aggressive collections during an appeal, but they may send you notices. Make sure to respond to those notices by stating you have an appeal pending. Keep documentation of everything.
0 coins
Ryder Ross
AuthorI might have to try that service. I've now called 8 times today and either get disconnected or told the queue is full. I'll check out that video link you shared. At this point I'd do anything to just talk to an actual human at ESD who can explain what's happening with my claim.
0 coins
Henry Delgado
Since you mentioned childcare issues, I want to add some specific advice for your appeal: 1. Washington state actually has a "parental obligation" provision that can allow for reasonable childcare-related restrictions. Emphasize this in your hearing. 2. When explaining your situation to the judge, be very specific about your overall availability. For example: "I'm available to work 38 out of 40 standard hours in my industry. My only restriction is Sunday 9am-12pm due to temporary childcare issues." 3. Bring documentation of your efforts to secure alternative childcare for those hours. 4. Be prepared to explain why this restriction doesn't significantly impact your employability in your field. The key is showing that your restriction is both reasonable and doesn't substantially diminish your ability to accept suitable work. Given that yours is just Sunday morning and temporary, you have a good chance of winning your appeal if presented properly.
0 coins
Ryder Ross
AuthorThank you! I didn't know about the parental obligation provision. That gives me some hope. I'll definitely prepare documentation showing I've been trying to find alternative childcare. I appreciate everyone's help with this - I was feeling completely lost when I first got that denial letter.
0 coins