Washington Unemployment

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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!

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Ask the community...

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  • DO NOT post call problems here - there is a support tab at the top for that :)

just make sure ur ready early my phone hearing they called 10 mins before the scheduled time and i almost missed it lol

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Looking at what you said about your separation letter mentioning both "budget-related workforce reduction" AND "voluntary separation" - that's actually quite common. Employers often try to frame layoffs as voluntary to avoid impacting their unemployment insurance tax rates. This is exactly the type of evidence that can win your case. The judge will likely see through this contradictory language. The fact that you also have emails mentioning "layoffs" is very helpful. One more piece of advice: be very clear that you would have continued working if given the option. Make sure to state that you did not choose to leave and had no reasonable alternative employment options within the company. This is crucial for distinguishing between a quit and a layoff.

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have u tryed looking in ur spam folder? ESD emails sometimes go there. also sometimes they mail stuff 2 ur address on file but take 4ever

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I've checked my spam folder pretty regularly but I'll look again. And I haven't received anything in regular mail yet either. Thanks for the suggestion though!

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Just wanted to follow up - were you able to get what you needed? If you're still struggling with this, there are a couple of other options: 1. The self-service option: If you go to your eServices account, under the "More" dropdown menu, there should be an option for "Benefits Verification" where you can generate a letter yourself 2. WorkSource offices can sometimes help with documentation needs when you can't reach ESD directly 3. As a last resort, a written statement from you along with bank statements showing the deposits from Employment Security Department might work for your landlord temporarily

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Thank you for checking back! I used Claimyr yesterday and finally got through to ESD. They're emailing me an official benefit verification letter today. The agent said there's been a system issue with some of the automatic letters not generating properly. For anyone else with this issue - definitely check the "More" dropdown menu as suggested, but in my case that option wasn't showing up due to the system glitch.

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one more thing!! make sure u remember ur filing day!! ESD wants u to file on same day each week or it can mess things up!! set a reminder on ur phone!!

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That's not actually true. You can file any day during the week after your claim week ends. Sunday through Saturday the following week. You don't have to file on the same day each time. As long as you file within that window, you're fine.

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oh really?? my bad! the WorkSource lady told me that ages ago must be outdated info. thx for correcting me!

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To summarize what everyone's said: 1. Online and phone filing are processed at the same speed 2. Job search activities (3 per week) are reported as part of your weekly claim 3. You can file your weekly claim starting Sunday for the previous week 4. You have until the following Saturday to file (but filing early is better) 5. There's no separate 7-day waiting period for job search reporting Hope this helps clarify everything! The ESD system can be confusing at first, but once you get the rhythm down, it's fairly straightforward.

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Thank you so much for this clear summary! This is exactly what I needed. I'm going to stick with filing online since it seems easier for record-keeping. I'll file this Sunday for my first full claim week and make sure I've completed all 3 job search activities by then. You've all been so helpful!

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Just to follow up on some of the questions here - for those having trouble reaching ESD, the Claimyr service I mentioned earlier has been really helpful for my clients. Instead of waiting on hold for hours, it actually calls ESD for you and then connects you once an agent picks up. For overpayment issues specifically, you need to speak with the Benefit Payment Control unit, not the general claims agents. As for approval rates on hardship waivers, they have strict criteria, but financial hardship with dependents (like the original poster mentioned) is one of the stronger cases. Make sure you've clearly documented your income, expenses, and why repayment would cause significant hardship.

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I can confirm this worked for me too. After trying for weeks to get through on my own, I used this service and finally got connected to someone who could actually help with my overpayment issue.

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To answer your question about hardship waiver approvals - yes, they do approve them regularly, but the standards are strict. For a $43,000 overpayment, they scrutinize everything more carefully. They're looking at: - Whether the overpayment was your fault (not reporting income, etc.) or ESD's error - Your current income-to-expense ratio - Future earning potential - Number of dependents - Medical circumstances - Housing stability If you submitted comprehensive documentation of your hardship and have dependents, your chances are better than average. The approval rate for waiver requests overall is around 38-42%, but for documented hardship cases with dependents, it's closer to 65%.

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This is really helpful info, thank you! The overpayment happened because my employer reported my return-to-work date incorrectly, and I didn't catch it until ESD audited my claim. I definitely documented all my expenses, including childcare costs which are enormous. Fingers crossed I fall into that 65%!

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This seems to be a widespread issue this week. I work for a community resource center, and we've had multiple clients report the same problem with their UI claims still showing as "processing." From what we've been told, ESD implemented a software update on Sunday night that has caused some delays in processing. They expect all pending claims to be processed by tomorrow (Thursday). If your claim hasn't changed status by Friday morning, that's when I'd recommend contacting them directly.

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Thank you for this information! It's really helpful to know it's a system-wide issue and not something wrong with my specific claim. I'll wait until Friday morning before taking further action.

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my neighbor works at esd and said same thing about the update. they're working overtime to fix it but there's thousands of claims backed up. happened last year too i think

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Just checked my account - mine just switched from "processing" to "paid" about 10 minutes ago. Payment date shows tomorrow. Maybe they're just going through the backlog now? Check your accounts again, might be updating in batches.

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You're right! I just logged in and mine switched to "paid" as well! What a relief. Thanks everyone for your help and reassurance. The system must be catching up now.

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Mine is still processing!!! Why are some getting paid and others still waiting?? This is so unfair!

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my cousin works for esd and he says they just upgraded there system in jan so theres alot of glitchyness happening. if u keep getting login errors try waiting til early morning like 6am to login thats when the servers arent as busy.

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This is actually really good advice. I've found that trying to access the ESD site during 'business hours' is when it's most likely to have issues. Early morning or late evening tends to work better.

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UPDATE: You guys are the best! I took several of your suggestions. First, I tried Firefox instead of Chrome - that got me to the login page consistently but still had the password issue. Then I called the technical support line that @jobseeker89 suggested and got through in only 20 minutes! They confirmed my account was locked due to too many login attempts (oops) and unlocked it for me. Once I got in, I saw that my claim actually WAS processed from that dropped call! Status shows 'processing payment' now. Huge relief. Thanks to everyone for all your help!

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Great news! Glad to hear everything worked out. For future reference, it's always a good practice to set up direct deposit if you haven't already - it's much faster than waiting for a debit card or paper check. You can do this in your ESD account under the payment settings section.

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I had this same problem in June! I reported worked hours from training that happened outside my claim week. I ended up going to my local WorkSource office and they helped me get it fixed. They actually have a direct line to ESD that isn't the public number. Might be worth trying if you have a WorkSource nearby.

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That's a great idea! There's a WorkSource about 20 minutes from me. I'll head there if I can't get through by phone. Thanks for the suggestion!

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No problem! Just make sure to check their hours before you go. Most close at 5pm and some aren't open every day.

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UPDATE: I got through to ESD! For anyone who has this problem in the future - keep calling and try the WorkSource suggestion. The agent said they could see I was trying to correct an honest mistake. They canceled today's claim submission and I was able to refile it with the correct hours right away. Thank you all for your help and suggestions!

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Great news! Glad you got it sorted out. For future reference, always double-check your hours before submitting. It's much easier to get it right the first time than to fix it afterward.

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lucky!! glad it worked out for you!

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One more important detail: Make sure your husband answers "no" to the standby question unless ESD has specifically approved him for standby status. On-call work is different from official standby status, which requires ESD approval and is typically only granted in specific circumstances like temporary layoffs where you have a return date. And absolutely keep detailed records of all hours worked at the concert venue, including dates, times, and pay. If ESD ever questions his claims, having this documentation will be essential.

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That's good to know about the standby question - I think he's been answering that correctly. And yes, we're keeping careful records of everything. Thanks so much for all the help!

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Did your husband register with WorkSource yet? They make you do 3 job searches every week now and my cousin got his benefits cancelled when he forgot to log them!

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This is important - the job search requirement is back to 3 activities per week in Washington, and they're being more strict about enforcing it in 2025. Make sure he's documenting all job search activities properly in his weekly claims.

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i heard if u call esd and explain ur situation sometimes they make an exception but good luck getting thru to them lol took me 2 WEEKS of calling to reach a person last time

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This is unfortunately not accurate information. ESD cannot make exceptions to the requirement that you report hours worked in the week you work them - it's part of federal unemployment insurance regulations, not just state policy. They might be able to offer guidance on other resources, but they cannot continue paying benefits once someone is working full-time hours, regardless of pay schedule.

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AstroAce

Update: I called ESD this morning (took forever to get through) and confirmed what most of you said. I have to report my hours when worked even if unpaid, and once I start my full-time job, my benefits will stop regardless of when I get my first paycheck. The agent suggested I look into local emergency assistance programs to help bridge the gap. I've already talked to my landlord who's willing to accept a partial payment now and the remainder when I get paid, and I'm checking with my utility companies about payment extensions. Thanks everyone for your help and advice! This transition is stressful but at least I know where I stand with ESD now.

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is anyone else noticing that ESD keeps changing their policies??? last year my brother only had to provide ONE form of ID but now they want TWO from everyone? and then they take FOREVER to process them! i bet they're just trying to delay payments to save money. the whole system is designed to make people give up!!!

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They actually changed the ID verification requirements after the massive fraud cases during the pandemic. The two-ID requirement has been standard since mid-2023. While processing times are frustrating, it's not a deliberate attempt to deny benefits - they're just understaffed and dealing with a lot of claims.

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make sure u answer ur phone even if u dont recognize the number!!! sometimes ESD calls from random numbers and if u miss it they just mark ur file as 'unable to contact' and delay everything another week!

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Oh wow, I didn't know this! I've been ignoring unknown numbers because of all the spam calls. I'll definitely answer everything now, thanks for the tip!

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