Also wanted to mention that there are different types of unemployment benefits - regular UI, standby, and others. Most people qualify for regular UI but if you're in a union or certain industries, you might have different options. The application will help determine what you're eligible for.

One thing I wanted to add that hasn't been mentioned yet - make sure you have your bank account information ready for direct deposit setup. Washington ESD strongly encourages direct deposit over paper checks, and it's much faster (usually 1-2 business days vs up to a week for checks). You'll need your routing number and account number. Also, don't be discouraged if the website is slow or crashes sometimes - it gets heavy traffic, especially on Sundays when people are filing their weekly claims. Just be patient and try again later if you run into technical issues.

Sounds like you're all set based on seeing the pending payments! Just wanted to add that if anyone else is reading this and having payment issues after more than a week, definitely try to speak with someone at ESD. Don't just wait indefinitely.

I went through something similar recently - approved on a Tuesday and got my payment that Friday. The key thing that helped my anxiety was checking the payment history section like others mentioned. Once I could see it was "in process" I knew it was just a matter of waiting for my bank to receive it. Also worth noting that the first payment after a long adjudication period often includes a nice chunk of back pay, so it's usually worth the wait! Keep checking that payment history section - it really does show the status before it hits your account.

Bottom line for anyone else reading this thread: Washington has NO waiting week as of 2021. You get paid for your first eligible week IF your claim is approved and you meet all requirements for that week. If you're seeing $0 for week 1, it's probably because your claim is still processing or there's an eligibility issue, not because of a waiting week.

Just wanted to add my experience for anyone else dealing with this confusion - I filed my Washington unemployment claim about 6 weeks ago and was also worried about the waiting week. After reading through all these responses, I can confirm that Washington really did eliminate the waiting week. I got paid for my first week once my claim was fully approved, which took about 3 weeks total. The key is just being patient while they process everything and making sure you meet all the weekly requirements from day one. Don't stress if you see $0 initially - it doesn't mean there's a waiting week, it just means they're still working on your claim!

Don't forget that if Monday is a holiday, it can push everything back a day. Washington ESD doesn't process claims on federal holidays.

Just wanted to update everyone - my deposit came through this morning (Thursday) like several people predicted. Thanks for the reassurance that this timing is normal!

Thanks everyone for all the detailed responses. This is exactly the kind of practical information that Washington ESD should provide upfront but doesn't. Really appreciate this community!

Another place to check is your initial claim confirmation page when you log into the Washington ESD portal. If you go to "View Claim Details" or "Claim History," the account number is often displayed at the top of that page along with your claim status. I found mine there when I couldn't locate my monetary determination letter. Also, make sure you're checking all folders in your email - sometimes those ESD emails end up in spam or promotions folders.