Can't reach Washington Unemployment? Claimyr connects you to a live ESD agent in minutes.
Claimyr is a pay-as-you-go service. We do not charge a recurring subscription.
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 :)
Join the conversation
Join the conversation
I totally understand that feeling. Just remember that even if unemployment runs out, it doesn't mean you stop being unemployed or stop deserving support. There are other resources out there.
I'm in a similar situation - about 20 weeks into my claim and starting to worry about what comes next. This thread has been really helpful! I didn't know about continuing to file weekly claims even with a $0 balance. One thing I'd add is to make sure you're networking as much as possible during these last few weeks. I've found that a lot of opportunities come through personal connections rather than just online applications. Also, if you haven't already, consider reaching out to local career centers or libraries - many offer free resume reviews and job search workshops that can give you an edge. Hang in there!
Thanks Mary, that's really solid advice about networking! I've been so focused on online applications that I haven't been leveraging my personal connections as much as I should. Do you have any tips on how to approach people in your network when you're getting close to exhausting benefits? I feel a bit awkward bringing up that I'm still unemployed after this long.
Join the conversation
I work in HR for a mid-sized nonprofit and deal with unemployment insurance regularly. In Washington, religious organizations with 4 or more employees are generally required to participate in unemployment insurance unless they file for an exemption. The key thing is that even if they're exempt from paying regular UI taxes, they may still be liable as a "reimbursing employer" - meaning they'd have to reimburse the state for any benefits paid to former employees. Your best bet is definitely to contact Washington ESD directly, but also ask your former church's HR or finance person about their unemployment status. They should know whether they pay into the system or have filed for exemption.
Wow, this is exactly the kind of detailed info I needed! I had no clue about the reimbursing employer option - that could totally change my situation. I'm going to dig through my paperwork and see if I can find anything about the church's unemployment status, and definitely reach out to their finance person like you suggested. This gives me so much more hope that I might still be eligible for something even if they don't pay regular UI taxes. Thank you so much for taking the time to explain all this!
This is incredibly helpful! I had no idea about the reimbursing employer distinction - that completely changes how I should approach this. I'm going to contact my former church's finance office first to find out their exact unemployment status before calling Washington ESD. Having that information upfront should make the conversation much more productive. The fact that they might still be liable for benefits even without paying regular UI taxes gives me hope that I might still have options. Thanks so much for breaking this down in such detail!
This thread has been super educational! I'm dealing with a similar situation but with a different angle - I worked for a religious nonprofit (not technically a church) that provided social services. They definitely deducted unemployment taxes from my paychecks, but when I got laid off last month, Washington ESD is saying there might be complications with my claim because of the religious exemption status. It's so confusing how these rules work differently for various types of faith-based organizations. Has anyone else dealt with religious nonprofits versus actual churches? Wondering if the rules are different.
I think you're right that the rules can be different for religious nonprofits versus churches! From what I understand, if your organization was providing social services (like a food bank, homeless shelter, etc.), they might fall under different employment law categories even if they're faith-based. The fact that they were deducting unemployment taxes from your paychecks is a really good sign though - that usually means they were participating in the regular UI system. When you say Washington ESD mentioned "complications," did they give you any specifics? It might be worth asking them to clarify exactly what type of exemption status they think applies to your former employer. Sometimes there are just administrative hiccups that can be sorted out once they get the right information.
Join the conversation
I'm in the same situation - been trying to get through for over a week about my adjudication status with no luck. Reading through all these comments, it seems like Claimyr might be worth trying since so many people have had success with it. The fact that multiple people got through in under an hour when they couldn't get through on their own for weeks is pretty compelling. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - at least now I know I'm not the only one dealing with this broken phone system!
You're definitely not alone in this! I've been following this thread as someone new to dealing with Washington ESD and it's been really eye-opening. The number of people having the exact same phone issues is both frustrating and somewhat reassuring. Based on all the success stories here, I'm also considering trying Claimyr - seems like when the state system fails us, we have to find our own solutions. Hope you get your adjudication sorted out soon!
I've been dealing with Washington ESD for unemployment issues for a few months now and this thread really hits home. The phone system is absolutely broken - I've experienced the same endless busy signals and automatic hangups that everyone here is describing. What's particularly frustrating is that when you finally do need help, there's no reliable way to get it. I've tried the early morning calls, midday attempts, and even the secure messaging system with minimal success. Reading through all these experiences, it's clear this is a systemic problem affecting hundreds of people. The fact that so many folks have found success with services like Claimyr really says something about how inadequate the current system is. It shouldn't take a third-party service to reach your own state's unemployment office, but sometimes you have to work with the reality you're given rather than the system you wish existed.
Join the conversation
For anyone else reading this thread in the future, here are some proven strategies for contacting ESD in 2025: 1. Call at 8:00am sharp when they first open (or 7:59am as someone mentioned) 2. If your issue is urgent (eviction, utilities being shut off), make sure to mention this 3. Keep your claim ID number, last 4 of SSN, and specific issue details ready 4. If you can't get through after multiple attempts, contact your state representative 5. Always document every contact attempt with date/time for reference 6. Check if your issue can be resolved through the eServices portal 7. Prepare for a potential 30-60 minute hold time once you do connect Staying calm and being specific about your issue when you do reach someone will help get your problem resolved more quickly.
I've been dealing with this same nightmare for the past 2 weeks! After reading through all these suggestions, I finally got through yesterday using a combination of the tips here. Called at exactly 8:00am, selected option 1 then 4, and waited on hold for almost an hour. The agent was able to see that my claim had been flagged for identity verification even though I never received any notice about it. She walked me through uploading documents right there on the call and said it should process within 48 hours. Dylan, so glad you got through too! For anyone still struggling - persistence really is key, and having all your info ready makes the call go much smoother once you do connect. Don't give up!
Thank you for sharing your experience Dana! It's so frustrating that they don't send notices about identity verification flags - how are we supposed to know what's wrong if they don't tell us? I'm going to try your exact approach tomorrow morning. Did the agent mention why these identity verification flags are happening so frequently? It seems like a lot of people are getting stuck on this step without any notification.
Javier Hernandez
I'm new to PFMLA and just got my approval letter yesterday! Reading through everyone's experiences here is so reassuring - I was really worried about the unpredictable timing since I need to plan my reduced income carefully. It sounds like the Sunday night submission routine that several people mentioned is the way to go. Quick question for those who've been doing this for a while - when you submit your certification on Sunday nights, are you submitting for the week that just ended, or the upcoming week? I want to make sure I understand the timing correctly so I don't mess up my first few submissions. Also, has anyone had issues with Chime flagging these government deposits as suspicious? I've heard some people have problems with unusual deposit sources getting temporarily held. Thanks for all the detailed info everyone has shared - this thread is incredibly helpful for someone just starting out!
0 coins
Jamal Thompson
•Congrats on getting approved! You'll be submitting for the week that just ended - so if you submit Sunday night, you're certifying for the previous week (Monday through Sunday). The system won't let you submit for future weeks. I haven't had any issues with Chime flagging PFMLA deposits as suspicious - they seem to recognize ESD payments pretty well. Just make sure your name on your Chime account matches exactly what's on file with ESD to avoid any potential issues. One tip for your first few submissions: take your time and read each question carefully. Some of the wording can be confusing, especially around reporting work hours vs. leave hours if you're doing intermittent leave. And definitely keep screenshots of your completed certifications like others mentioned - it's saved me from having to recreate information when I had questions later. Good luck!
0 coins
James Maki
I've been on PFMLA with Chime for about 7 months now and wanted to share my experience since I see you're just getting started! The consistency advice everyone's giving is spot on - I submit every Sunday evening around 9 PM and get my deposits Wednesday mornings like clockwork. One thing that really helped me in the beginning was setting up a simple spreadsheet to track my submission dates and deposit dates for the first month or two. It helped me see the pattern clearly and gave me confidence in the timing. Now I don't even think about it - just submit Sunday night and know Wednesday morning I'll have my payment. Also, don't stress too much about the reduced income adjustment period. It's tough at first, but once you get into a rhythm with the predictable payment schedule, budgeting becomes much more manageable. The key is just being consistent with that Sunday night submission routine that so many people have mentioned. You've got this!
0 coins
Julian Paolo
•The spreadsheet tracking idea is brilliant! I'm definitely going to set that up for my first few weeks to establish my own pattern. It's so helpful hearing from someone who's been doing this for 7 months - gives me confidence that once I get the routine down, it really will become predictable. I'm planning to start with the Sunday 9 PM submission schedule that you and others have recommended. Thanks for the encouragement about the reduced income adjustment too - it's definitely stressful right now, but knowing I'll have consistent Wednesday deposits to plan around makes it feel much more manageable. Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences!
0 coins