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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!
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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One last tip - if you do start collecting Social Security, make sure you understand how it might affect your spouse's benefits too, especially if they haven't started collecting yet.
My wife is 61, so she's not eligible yet. I'll need to research how my decision affects her options.
Spousal benefits can be complicated, especially with the timing of when each person starts collecting. Definitely worth discussing with Social Security directly.
I went through this exact situation last year at age 64. Washington ESD unemployment benefits definitely don't affect your Social Security calculation - they're completely separate systems. I collected both for about 4 months while job searching. The key things to remember: 1) Both are taxable income so plan for taxes accordingly, 2) You need to stay available for work to keep getting unemployment, and 3) If you find work while on early Social Security, there are earning limits to consider ($23,400 for 2025). I'd recommend using that Claimyr service others mentioned to get through to Social Security - it really does work better than calling directly. The peace of mind from having both income sources while looking for work was worth it for me.
This is really reassuring to hear from someone who actually went through it! Four months of collecting both sounds like it gave you good financial stability while job searching. Did you have any issues with Washington ESD when you were also collecting Social Security, or did they not care as long as you were doing your work search activities?
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Make sure you register with Washington ESD as soon as you hire your first employee. There are penalties for late registration and you'll be liable for back taxes from the date you should have registered.
How do I register? Do I need to do it online or mail in forms?
You can do it online through the Washington ESD employer portal. Much faster than mailing forms. You'll get your employer account number right away.
Thanks everyone for all this detailed info! This thread has been incredibly helpful. Just to summarize what I've learned: new tech businesses typically start around 1.5-2.7%, there's an additional 0.02% surcharge, taxes are paid quarterly on wages up to $68,500 per employee, and rates can drop significantly over time with good experience ratings. The hardest part seems to be actually reaching Washington ESD when you have questions - definitely going to check out that Claimyr service several people mentioned. Really appreciate this community sharing real-world experiences!
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Last thought - if you're really struggling while waiting, some employers offer emergency hardship assistance even after layoffs. Might be worth reaching out to HR to ask. Also, local churches and community organizations often have emergency assistance funds available.
Community resources are often underutilized. Don't be embarrassed to ask for help - that's what they're there for.
Hope your claim processes smoothly! Come back and update us when you get your first payment.
Based on my recent experience with Washington ESD, I'd plan for 3-4 weeks realistically. Mine took exactly 22 days from initial filing to first direct deposit. The key things that helped speed it up: having all my employment docs ready upfront, setting up direct deposit immediately, and making sure my WorkSourceWA registration was complete before filing my first weekly claim. The waiting week plus processing time is unavoidable, but being prepared with all the paperwork definitely prevents delays. Stay on top of your weekly claims even while the initial claim is pending - that's crucial!
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The system is actually pretty straightforward for seasonal workers once you understand it. The confusion usually comes from people not knowing about the base period earnings requirements.
Agreed! A lot of seasonal workers think they can't get benefits because they only worked a few months, but as long as you earned enough in the right quarters you qualify.
That was exactly my confusion - I thought seasonal work somehow didn't count the same way. Good to know it's treated like any other job for UI purposes.
One last tip - if your seasonal job was through a temp agency make sure you understand who your 'employer' was for Washington ESD purposes. Sometimes it's the agency, sometimes it's the actual worksite.
Good point though - temp agency situations can definitely complicate the wage reporting aspect of seasonal claims.
I had a temp agency situation with my seasonal warehouse job last year and it was such a headache! The agency wasn't reporting wages correctly to Washington ESD and I had to get them to fix their records before my claim could be processed. Make sure to keep all your paystubs if you're working through an agency.
Anita George
The whole process is designed to eventually move forward even if employers don't cooperate. Washington ESD can't just leave claims hanging indefinitely - they have performance metrics and federal requirements to meet for processing times.
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Nina Fitzgerald
•Performance metrics don't mean much when people are waiting months for benefits they desperately need.
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Anita George
•Fair point - the system definitely isn't perfect, but at least there are mechanisms to prevent claims from being stuck forever.
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Abigail Spencer
Just went through this exact situation last month. Employer never responded and my claim got approved after exactly 2 weeks and 3 days. Got all my back pay from the date I filed. Hang in there!
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Sophia Miller
•This is really encouraging to hear! I'm at about the 2 week mark now so hopefully I'll see movement soon. Did you get any notification when it was approved or did you just notice it when checking your account?
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Liam Fitzgerald
•I got both an email notification and saw the status change when I logged into my account. The email came about an hour after the status updated online. Definitely keep checking your account regularly!
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