Can't reach Washington Unemployment? Claimyr connects you to a live ESD agent in minutes.
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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
If I could give 10 stars I would
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!
Really made a difference
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.
IT WORKS!! Not a scam!
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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Final piece of advice - if you run into any issues with your claim or need to speak with someone at Washington ESD, don't give up on trying to reach them. The phone system is frustrating but persistence pays off. Or use one of those callback services like someone mentioned earlier if you can't get through on your own.
Thanks to everyone who replied! I feel much more confident about filing now. Going to submit my application this afternoon.
Just to reinforce what everyone else has said - there's absolutely no downside to filing immediately after losing your job. I made the mistake of thinking I needed to wait for some kind of "official" termination paperwork from my employer and it cost me. Washington ESD doesn't care about your employer's internal processes - they just need to know you're unemployed and when it started. The application itself takes maybe 30-45 minutes if you have your basic employment info ready. Don't overthink it - just get it submitted as soon as you can!
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I'm in a similar boat - been working commission-only sales at a furniture store for about 3 years and they just announced they're closing next month. Reading through all these responses has been super helpful! I've been putting off applying because I wasn't sure if commission workers even qualified, but it sounds like as long as I have my W-2s (which I do) and my employer was paying unemployment taxes, I should be eligible. One question - did anyone have issues with the varying income affecting their job search requirements? Like, are they expecting me to look for the same type of commission-based sales jobs, or can I apply for hourly positions too while I'm collecting benefits? I'm wondering if I should stick to my industry or if branching out would cause any problems with ESD.
Great question about the job search requirements! From my experience, ESD doesn't restrict you to only looking for commission-based jobs - you can absolutely apply for hourly or salary positions too. In fact, having a mix of different types of job applications might actually strengthen your job search log since it shows you're being proactive and flexible. Just make sure to document everything properly (company names, positions applied for, dates, method of application) and hit that minimum of 3 job search activities per week. Some people even count things like updating your LinkedIn profile or attending virtual job fairs as valid activities. The key is just being able to show you're actively looking for work, regardless of the pay structure. Good luck with your application!
I went through a very similar situation as a commission-only mortgage loan officer when my company went out of business in 2023. The whole process was definitely more involved than I expected, but I did get approved after about 5-6 weeks. A few things that helped me that I haven't seen mentioned yet: - Keep copies of your pay stubs/commission statements that show taxes were withheld (this proves your employer was treating you as a W-2 employee) - If your brokerage used a payroll company, try to get contact info for them since ESD might need to verify the unemployment tax payments directly - Be prepared for them to ask about any 1099 income you might have received on top of your W-2 commission (some real estate agents get referral fees as 1099 income which can complicate things) The income verification took the longest for me, but once they confirmed everything, my weekly benefit amount was actually calculated pretty fairly based on my stronger quarters. Don't let the extra paperwork discourage you - commission workers definitely have rights to unemployment benefits in Washington! Just start gathering your documents now and be patient with the process.
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Bottom line: unemployment is taxable income, you'll get a 1099-G showing how much you received, and you should either have taxes withheld or set money aside. Washington state has no income tax so it's just federal taxes you need to worry about.
Thanks everyone for all the helpful information. I'm going to change my withholding settings on my next weekly claim and start planning for tax season.
Smart move. Better to be prepared than surprised by a big tax bill next year.
One more thing to keep in mind - if you end up finding a new job before the end of the year, make sure to tell your new employer about the unemployment income when filling out your W-4. They might need to withhold extra taxes from your paychecks to cover what you'll owe on the UI benefits. I made this mistake once and ended up owing way more than expected because my new job's withholding didn't account for the unemployment income I'd received earlier in the year.
That's really good advice! I hadn't thought about that scenario. If I do find a job later this year, should I ask HR to withhold an extra amount or is there a specific way to calculate how much extra I'd need?
You can use the IRS withholding calculator on their website to figure out the right amount, or work with your new employer's HR/payroll team. Generally, you'd want to estimate your total tax liability including the unemployment income and then have your employer withhold enough to cover the gap. Some people just request an extra flat amount per paycheck - like an extra $100-200 depending on how much unemployment they received.
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Good luck OP! The Washington ESD website has pretty clear instructions for filing. Don't let the bureaucracy intimidate you - you paid into this system and you deserve the benefits.
And remember, if you need help getting through to ESD later on, that Claimyr option is there. Sometimes having that backup really helps with peace of mind.
I'll definitely keep that in mind. Thanks again everyone!
I'm also in Washington and was laid off recently. Reading through everyone's responses here really helped clarify things for me too! One thing I'd add is to make sure you have your bank account info ready when you file - they'll ask how you want to receive payments (direct deposit vs. debit card). Direct deposit is usually faster once you start getting benefits. Also, don't be discouraged if the website seems slow or glitchy sometimes - just keep trying. The system can get overloaded but it does work. Good luck with your filing!
Ravi Sharma
Perfect summary. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences. This community is really helpful!
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Elijah Jackson
I went through this exact situation about 6 months ago in Washington. The key thing to remember is that severance timing matters more than the amount. When I got my $6,000 severance as a lump sum, I filed my UI claim immediately after my last day of work. Washington ESD determined that since my employer didn't allocate the severance to specific weeks, it didn't delay my benefits. I started receiving payments within 3 weeks of filing. My advice: file your claim right away and let ESD make the determination rather than trying to guess. Also, keep every piece of severance documentation - they may ask for it during the review process.
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