UPDATE: My payment from this morning finally hit my account! It was about 14 hours after the status changed to paid. Thanks everyone for the reassurance that this was normal. I'll adjust my expectations for future payments. For anyone finding this thread later - don't panic if there's a delay between the 'paid' status and actually receiving your money!

I'm dealing with the exact same thing right now! My claim shows "paid" as of this morning but my checking account is still empty. Reading through everyone's responses is really helpful - I had no idea that 24-48 hours was normal. I was starting to think something went wrong with my account. Thanks for posting this question, it's reassuring to know this delay happens to others too. Hopefully both our payments show up soon!

I just wanted to add something that helped me tremendously when I was on unemployment after my restaurant closed down - reaching out to culinary schools and hospitality programs in your area! Many of these schools have job placement services that aren't just for their students. I called the career services department at Seattle Central's culinary program and they let me know about job openings their industry partners were looking to fill. Also, attending their guest chef demonstrations or industry talks counts as professional development activities. These events are usually free or very low cost, and you get to network with working chefs and restaurant owners who are often scouting for talent. Another thing I discovered was food service temp agencies like CookJobs or Hospitality Staffing Solutions. Even if you don't get placed immediately, registering with multiple agencies counts as separate job search activities, and they often have last-minute opportunities that can turn into permanent positions. One last tip - if you have any specialty skills from your 3 years of experience (like wine knowledge, POS system expertise, or experience with specific cuisines), make sure to highlight these when documenting your job search activities. Employers in the restaurant industry really value workers who can hit the ground running with minimal training. The restaurant labor shortage is real right now, so don't get discouraged! Your experience is definitely an asset. Keep documenting everything thoroughly and you should land something soon.

I've been following this thread and wanted to add one more resource that really helped me during my unemployment stint last year - your local WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) office often hosts job fairs and career workshops that are open to everyone, not just WIC participants. I found out about several restaurant openings through their community bulletin board, and attending their "soft skills for hospitality workers" workshop counted as professional development. Also, don't forget that researching minimum wage laws and tip reporting requirements for different cities/counties counts as job search preparation! I spent time learning about how tip pooling works at different types of establishments, and when I got audited, ESD accepted this as legitimate research since it showed I was preparing to work in various restaurant formats. One thing I wish someone had told me earlier - if you have any food allergies or dietary restrictions, researching restaurants that specialize in accommodating those needs (and would value your personal experience) counts as employer research. For example, if you're gluten-free, reaching out to restaurants that specifically cater to gluten-free diners shows targeted job searching. The unemployment process can feel overwhelming at first, but you're asking all the right questions and clearly taking it seriously. With your 3 years of restaurant experience, you're going to be a very attractive candidate once you start applying. Hang in there!

I'm dealing with this exact same situation right now and it's so stressful! I filed my weekly claim on Sunday as usual, but with Monday being a holiday I have no idea when to expect my payment. Reading through everyone's experiences here is really helpful - sounds like Tuesday or Wednesday is realistic to expect. It's frustrating that Washington ESD doesn't give us any advance notice about holiday delays, especially when we're already struggling financially. I'm going to start tracking my payments like some of you suggested and maybe set up those federal holiday reminders too. At least now I know I'm not the only one dealing with this confusion!

I just want to say thank you to everyone who shared their experiences here! I was panicking thinking something was wrong with my claim when my payment didn't come on Monday, but reading all your comments about holiday delays has really put my mind at ease. It sounds like this is just a normal part of the process that Washington ESD doesn't bother to explain to us. I'm definitely going to start keeping track of federal holidays and maybe set up those calendar reminders like some of you suggested. It's ridiculous that we have to figure this stuff out ourselves when we're already stressed about money, but at least we have each other to share information. Fingers crossed my payment hits tomorrow!

Congratulations on getting your claim approved! This thread is so helpful - I'm dealing with the same identity verification delay right now (going on week 2). I had no idea about checking for those hidden "Additional Information Needed" alerts in eServices. Just logged in and found one requesting a utility bill for address verification that I completely missed! Uploading it now. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and tips here - it's reassuring to know I'm not alone in this frustrating process.

Just wanted to add another tip that helped me - if you're still waiting after uploading all your documents, try calling ESD first thing in the morning (like 8:01 AM) when they open. The wait times are usually shorter then. Also, when you do get through to someone, ask them to specifically check if there are any "internal notes" on your account that might explain the delay. Sometimes there are system flags or additional review requirements that aren't visible to you in eServices but the agents can see them. I had a weird flag on mine that was causing extra delays, and the agent was able to clear it immediately once we identified it. Hope this helps someone else avoid the weeks of unnecessary waiting!

I'm going through this exact situation right now too! My payment was marked as "paid" on Tuesday but went to my old credit union account that I closed in February. After reading everyone's advice here, I called ESD first thing this morning at 8 AM and actually got through after about 45 minutes on hold. The agent confirmed that my payment was indeed rejected by the bank yesterday and the funds are now back in their system. She was able to see my updated banking information that I had entered last week and said she's putting in a request to reissue the payment to my new account. She told me to expect it within 3-5 business days. For anyone else dealing with this - definitely call as early as possible and ask specifically for "Payment Services" when you get through the initial menu. Having your claim number and the exact payment date ready really did speed things up. Also, the agent mentioned that they're seeing a lot of these closed account issues lately, so you're definitely not alone if this happens to you!

I had this happen to me about 6 months ago when I closed my old Wells Fargo account but forgot to update ESD right away. The good news is that the bank will definitely reject the payment since the account is closed - usually within 2-3 business days. The bad news is that ESD won't automatically know about the rejection or reprocess it without you contacting them. Here's what worked for me: I called ESD the day after I realized what happened (don't wait for the rejection to process first). When I got through, the agent was able to put a note on my account about the closed bank situation. Then once the funds were returned to ESD a few days later, they already had my updated banking info and the note about the issue, so they reprocessed it pretty quickly. The key is being proactive - if you wait for ESD to figure it out on their own, you could be waiting weeks or even months. Also, take screenshots of your updated banking information in the portal as proof you made the change, just in case there are any disputes later. Good luck getting through on the phones!