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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You can still change your payment method even after your claims show PAID status. Log in to eServices, go to Settings > Payment Method, and update it to direct deposit with your bank information. If you do this within 24 hours of the PAID status appearing, there's a good chance the payment will go to your bank account instead of the card. However, if it's been more than a day, the payment may already be processing to the card. In that case, once you receive the card, you can transfer the funds to your bank account through the card's online portal.
THANK YOU! Just changed it to direct deposit and triple-checked all my bank info is correct. Crossing my fingers it's not too late and the payment goes to my bank account. What a mess.
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Just wanted to jump in here since I'm also navigating unemployment for the first time after getting laid off from a startup in Redmond. Reading through all these responses has been super helpful! One thing I learned the hard way is to screenshot everything when you're filing your claim - the website sometimes glitches and you lose your progress. Also, if anyone is wondering about the timeline, I filed my claim 10 days ago and just got my determination letter yesterday showing my weekly benefit amount of $743 (I was making about $72k). The waiting is definitely the hardest part but it sounds like most people are getting reasonable amounts based on their previous wages.
That's really helpful about screenshotting everything! I hadn't thought about the website glitching but that makes total sense given what everyone's saying about the tech being outdated. Your timeline is encouraging too - 10 days isn't too bad for getting the determination letter. Did you have any employment verification issues or did it go through pretty smoothly? I'm still waiting to hear back after filing yesterday so trying to get a sense of what to expect.
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I'm so glad I stumbled across this thread! I just started receiving unemployment benefits from Washington ESD last month and saw "distributed" status for the first time this week. Like so many others here, I immediately panicked thinking something was wrong with my claim. The word "distributed" just sounds so ominous when you're not sure what it means in this context! After reading everyone's explanations, I feel so much better knowing it actually means my payment is on its way. It's really helpful to see so many people sharing the same experience - makes me feel less alone in navigating this confusing system. Washington ESD definitely needs to work on making their terminology more user-friendly!
I'm really glad this thread exists too! I just went through the exact same thing a couple weeks ago - saw "distributed" and immediately started googling frantically trying to figure out what it meant. The word really does sound scary when you don't know the context! It's so reassuring to see that literally everyone here had the same initial panic reaction. This community has been such a lifesaver for understanding all the confusing parts of the unemployment system. Hopefully Washington ESD will eventually make their website more beginner-friendly, but until then at least we have each other to help decode what everything means!
I just went through this exact same confusion last week! Saw "distributed" status on my Washington ESD claim and immediately thought there was some kind of error or that my payment got sent to the wrong person. It's such a relief to read all these explanations - I had no idea it actually meant good news! The terminology is so confusing when you're already stressed about finances. I ended up calling ESD after worrying about it for two days, and they confirmed what everyone here is saying - "distributed" means your payment has been sent to your account and should arrive within 1-2 business days. Really wish they would just say "payment sent" instead of using such a vague term. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences, it's so helpful to know we're all going through the same learning curve with this system!
I'm so relieved to find this thread! I literally just saw "distributed" status for the first time today and had the exact same panic reaction. I was convinced something had gone terribly wrong with my claim or that Washington ESD was somehow distributing my payment to other people. It's such a weird choice of words when they could have just said "payment sent" or "funds transferred" - something that would actually make sense to regular people! Reading everyone's experiences here has been incredibly reassuring. It's amazing how we all had the same initial fear about this status. I feel so much better knowing it's actually good news and that my payment should be in my account soon. This community is such a valuable resource for navigating all the confusing aspects of the unemployment system!
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To answer your question about whether payments come individually or as a lump sum - it can actually be either! I've seen cases where all back payments come at once, and others where ESD processes each week separately, resulting in multiple deposits over a day or two. Also, important note: when they process your backpay, they'll withhold taxes if you elected for tax withholding on your initial application. You can verify or change this selection in your eServices account before payments are processed if needed.
Thank you! I just checked and I did select tax withholding when I first applied. Better to handle that now than deal with a tax bill later. I really appreciate everyone's help - feeling much more informed about what to expect now!
Congrats on winning your appeal! Just wanted to add that you should also keep an eye on your online account for any "pending issues" that might pop up after the appeal decision. Sometimes ESD flags accounts for identity verification or other random checks even after a successful appeal, which can delay payments. If you see any new issues appear, address them immediately through your eServices account or you might face additional delays. Also, if your employer does file another appeal, don't stress too much - the vast majority of these secondary appeals are unsuccessful since the OAH judge already reviewed all the evidence thoroughly. Good luck and hope you get your payments soon!
Javier Mendoza
The benefit amount might seem low compared to your regular salary, but remember it's tax-free at the state level in Washington. Plus you'll save on commuting costs, work clothes, and other job-related expenses while you're looking for work.
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Emma Wilson
•Actually unemployment IS taxable for federal taxes. You'll get a 1099-G at the end of the year and need to report it on your tax return.
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Javier Mendoza
•You're right, I misspoke. It's not subject to Washington state taxes since we don't have income tax, but it is federally taxable. Thanks for the correction.
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Malik Davis
If you're still confused about the calculation after reading all this, seriously consider using that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier. I was going in circles trying to understand my benefit amount and a 10-minute call with an ESD agent cleared everything up.
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Malik Davis
•Yeah, it's worth the peace of mind to talk to someone who can look at your specific wage history and give you an exact number instead of trying to guess.
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Freya Andersen
•I was in a similar situation last month and called ESD directly using their callback system. It took about 2 hours to get through, but the agent walked me through the entire calculation step by step. They also helped me understand the dependency allowances and tax withholding options. Sometimes the official route works if you're patient enough!
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