Can't reach Washington Unemployment? Claimyr connects you to a live ESD agent in minutes.
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- Connect you to a human agent at the ESD
- Skip the long phone menu
- Call the correct department
- Redial until on hold
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- 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!
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- DO post tips & tricks to help folks.
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Just wanted to add my experience - I was in a similar situation last year and also used Claimyr to get through to Washington ESD. The agent I spoke with emphasized that the timing of when you report the 401k withdrawal matters. Make sure you report it in the week you actually receive the funds, not when you initiate the withdrawal. Also, keep in mind that even though it won't affect your weekly benefit amount, Washington ESD may still ask follow-up questions about large lump sum payments, so having all your documentation ready helps speed up the process.
That's really helpful about the timing! I was wondering when exactly to report it. So if I request the withdrawal on Monday but don't get the check until Friday, I report it on Friday's week? And what kind of follow-up questions do they usually ask?
Exactly right - report it the week you actually receive the money, not when you submit the request. As for follow-up questions, they typically ask about the source of the funds (employment-related vs personal retirement account), the amount, and sometimes whether it was part of any severance agreement. Nothing too invasive, but they want to make sure it's properly categorized. Having your 401k withdrawal paperwork handy when you call makes the whole process smoother.
Just to add another perspective - I'm a financial advisor and see this situation a lot. Before cashing out your 401k, consider if your plan offers hardship withdrawals instead of a full distribution. Many plans allow hardship withdrawals for preventing eviction or foreclosure, and while you still pay the 10% penalty, you can often withdraw just what you need rather than the full balance. This preserves more of your retirement savings. Also, some plans have provisions for unemployment-related hardships that might have more favorable terms. It's worth calling your 401k provider directly to ask about all available options before doing a standard early withdrawal.
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Good luck with your appeal! Based on what you found in eServices, it sounds like you have a really strong case since they clearly missed one of your employers. Just wanted to add - when you submit your appeal, also include a brief cover letter explaining that ESD failed to count wages from your previous employer and attach copies of ALL your wage documentation (W-2s, final paystubs, etc.). The more documentation you provide upfront, the faster they can process your appeal. Also, about that mysterious CAT approval - I've seen this happen when people have similar names or SSNs get mixed up in their system. Definitely worth asking about when you get through to them. Keep us posted on how it goes!
This happened to my coworker too! She got denied for hours but approved for CAT on the same day. Turns out ESD's system processes different types of applications separately, so you can get approved for training eligibility even if your main UI claim is denied. The CAT approval basically just sits there waiting until/if you qualify for regular benefits. Definitely appeal that denial since you found they missed your previous employer - that's exactly the kind of mistake that gets overturned. And yeah, keep filing weekly claims during the appeal process! The whole system is confusing but you're on the right track now.
That makes so much sense about the systems processing things separately! I was wondering how they could approve something for training when I don't even qualify for benefits yet. It's good to know the CAT approval will just wait there if I win my appeal. Thanks for the reassurance that I'm doing the right things - this whole process has been really overwhelming but everyone's advice here has been super helpful!
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Bottom line - 26 weeks maximum, file weekly, keep detailed job search records, and use the time wisely. That's the reality of the system in Washington state right now.
Thanks everyone for all the helpful information! This gives me a much clearer picture of what to expect.
Good luck with your job search! The 26 weeks will be here before you know it.
Just wanted to add that you should also be aware of the "waiting week" - in Washington, you typically don't get paid for your first week of unemployment. So even though you can claim for up to 26 weeks, you'll usually only receive payment for 25 weeks unless there are special circumstances. This caught me off guard when I first filed my claim a few months ago. Make sure to factor this into your financial planning!
Oh wow, I had no idea about the waiting week! So basically you only get paid for 25 out of the 26 weeks you can claim? That's really important to know for budgeting. Did you have to do anything special to get through that first unpaid week, or do you just have to tough it out?
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Thanks everyone for all the helpful information! This thread answered way more questions than I even knew I had.
Agreed! Really appreciate everyone taking the time to explain all this stuff.
Happy to help! The unemployment system can be overwhelming, but once you understand the basics it makes more sense.
This is super helpful! I'm in a similar boat making around $1,400/week and was worried about what would happen if I got laid off. So if I understand correctly, even though we make good money, we're still capped at that $844 maximum? That's a pretty big drop from what we're used to earning. Does anyone know if there are any other programs or assistance available in Washington to help bridge that gap?
Yeah, unfortunately Washington caps everyone at $844 regardless of how much you were making. The drop is pretty significant when you're used to higher wages. As for bridging the gap, there aren't really other state programs specifically for that. Some people look into short-term disability if they have it, or use savings/emergency funds. The main thing is to apply right away if you do get laid off since there's no waiting period in Washington. You might also want to check if your employer offers any severance package that could help with the transition.
Ethan Campbell
they always do this annoyin stuff right when u need benifits the most lol. classic ESD. glad u got in tho!
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Ruby Blake
Great to hear you got in! For anyone else still struggling with this, I'd also recommend checking if your browser has any security settings that might be blocking cookies or JavaScript from government sites. Sometimes overly strict privacy settings can cause these endless refresh loops. Also, if you have a VPN running, try turning it off - some VPN IP ranges seem to trigger their fraud detection systems. The late night approach really does work best though!
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