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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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I've been through something similar - was self-employed for about 18 months and worried I wouldn't qualify. The most important thing is checking your base period wages in your ESD account first. I was surprised to find I had enough W-2 wages from my previous job to qualify, even though it felt like forever ago. The benefit amount was lower than I hoped since it was based on older wages, but it definitely helped bridge the gap while I looked for new work. Also, be prepared for the adjudication process to take a few weeks - they'll want to verify your work history and may ask for tax documents showing your self-employment income. Don't let the complexity discourage you from applying though!
Thanks for sharing your experience! This gives me hope. I'm definitely going to check my wage history tonight - I had a part-time W-2 job while building my consulting business initially, so maybe those wages are enough. Did they ask for specific tax documents during the adjudication, or just general proof of your self-employment? I want to have everything ready to avoid delays.
They asked for my Schedule C from my tax returns to verify the self-employment income and dates, plus a few bank statements showing business transactions. Having everything organized beforehand definitely speeds up the process. The key thing they're looking for is proof that you weren't just claiming to be unemployed while still actively running your business. Since you had legitimate W-2 wages mixed in, you should be in good shape! Just make sure to be completely transparent about your work timeline when you apply.
I'm in almost the exact same situation - been self-employed for about 2.5 years and work has completely dried up. Reading through all these responses has been really helpful, especially learning about checking the base period wages first. I had no idea that was even a thing! I worked part-time at a marketing agency while getting my freelance business off the ground, so hopefully those wages are still in my base period. The Claimyr service sounds interesting too - I've been dreading trying to call Washington ESD because everyone says it's impossible to get through. Has anyone here actually used it recently? I'm willing to pay a reasonable fee if it means I can actually talk to a real person about my situation instead of spending days redialing busy signals.
I used Claimyr about 3 months ago when I was dealing with a similar self-employment eligibility question. It actually worked really well - took about 45 minutes for them to get me connected to an agent, which was way better than the hours I'd already wasted trying to call myself. The cost was around $20 I think, which seemed totally worth it to avoid the frustration. The agent I spoke with was able to look at my specific wage history and give me a clear answer about whether I qualified. Definitely recommend checking your base period wages first though - if you see those marketing agency wages in there, you're probably in good shape! The whole process was much less scary once I actually talked to someone who knew what they were doing.
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Just joined this community after finding this incredible thread! I've been battling the ESD phone system for over a week trying to resolve a similar "able and available" flag issue, and I was starting to think I was losing my mind. Reading through all these detailed strategies and success stories is giving me the first real hope I've had in days. The fact that so many people have actually broken through using these methods - especially the 8:00 AM sharp timing combined with the specific menu sequence (7→2→3) and pre-uploading documentation to eServices - makes me feel like there's finally a real path forward. What really strikes me is how this community has essentially crowd-sourced solutions to a fundamentally broken government system. We shouldn't have to become phone system hackers just to access benefits we're legally entitled to, but I'm incredibly grateful that people are sharing their hard-won knowledge here. I'm definitely trying the early morning call strategy tomorrow (already set my alarm for 7:59 AM!) and uploading all my documentation tonight. The Spanish line workaround and callback option suggestions are brilliant backup plans I never would have thought of. @Jamal Thompson - your frustration in the original post resonated so deeply with what I'm going through. Really hoping you've managed to get through by now with all this amazing advice! Will definitely report back if I have success to pay it forward to the next person stuck in this nightmare. This community support is what's keeping me sane right now! 🙏
@Carmen Diaz Welcome to the community! Your post really captures what we re'all going through with this broken ESD system. I just joined today after spending the last week in the same phone system hell trying to reach someone about my claim issues. It s'honestly both comforting and infuriating to see how many of us are dealing with identical problems. The fact that we ve'had to create an entire crowdsourced database of workarounds just to access basic government services is ridiculous, but I m'so grateful this community exists. I m'also planning to try the 8:00 AM strategy tomorrow - seems like that timing combined with uploading documentation to eServices first is the winning combination based on all the success stories here. The menu sequence 7→2→3 (that) keeps getting mentioned gives me hope there s'actually a reliable path through the automated maze. Good luck with your early morning call attempt! I ll'be setting my alarm for 7:59 AM too. It s'wild that we re'all becoming phone system ninjas together, but at least we re'supporting each other through this bureaucratic nightmare. Hoping we both break through tomorrow and can add our own success stories to help the next person! 🤞
Just wanted to jump in here as another newcomer dealing with the exact same ESD phone nightmare! I've been trying to reach someone for 6 days about my claim being flagged and was honestly starting to lose hope until I found this thread. The level of detailed, tested strategies shared here is incredible - it's like discovering a secret playbook for navigating this broken system. I'm especially grateful for the specific menu sequence (7→2→3) and the 8:00 AM sharp timing strategy that multiple people have confirmed actually works. What really gives me confidence is seeing actual success stories like @Amara Chukwu who got their issue resolved in 10 minutes once they reached someone. It proves that the fix itself is simple - it's just getting through the phone system that's the impossible part. I'm definitely uploading all my documentation to eServices tonight and setting my alarm for 7:59 AM tomorrow to try the early morning approach. The backup strategies like the Spanish line trick and callback option are brilliant additions to have in case the main approach doesn't work. @Jamal Thompson - really hoping you've managed to break through by now! Your original post perfectly captured the desperation we all feel when trapped in that automated loop. This community has turned what felt like an impossible situation into something that actually has multiple potential solutions. Will absolutely report back with results to keep paying it forward. Thank you to everyone who's shared their hard-won knowledge here - you're literally helping people survive while dealing with this bureaucratic mess! 🙏
@Omar Fawaz Welcome to the community! I m'also brand new here and stumbled across this thread while desperately searching for ESD solutions. It s'both reassuring and disheartening to see how many of us are stuck in the same bureaucratic quicksand! I ve'been taking detailed notes on all the strategies shared here, and like you, I m'most encouraged by the consistent success stories with the 8:00 AM timing approach. The fact that @Amara Chukwu got their able "and available flag" resolved in just 10 minutes once they reached someone really drives home that these issues aren t'complex to fix - the phone system is just designed to keep us from reaching humans who can actually help. I m'also planning to try the early morning strategy tomorrow 7:59 (AM alarm is set! combined) with uploading my documentation to eServices tonight. Having multiple backup plans like the Spanish line workaround and callback option makes me feel like I finally have a real fighting chance. It s'incredible how this community has essentially reverse-engineered a broken government system and created our own support network. We shouldn t'have to become phone system detectives just to access our benefits, but I m'grateful we can at least help each other navigate this nightmare together. Good luck with your call attempt tomorrow! Fingers crossed we both break through and can add our own success stories to help the next person who finds this thread. This community solidarity is what s'keeping me hopeful! 💪
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I'm on day 10 waiting for my ReliaCard and honestly finding this thread has been such a relief! I was starting to get really worried since I'm already past that 7-10 business day estimate from ESD, but seeing everyone's actual experiences here shows that 2-3 weeks is way more realistic. I've got about $1,050 sitting in my account that I can see but obviously can't touch without the physical card. It's definitely stressful when rent is coming up, but reading @Luca's update that they got theirs on day 18 with all payments intact really helps ease the anxiety. I'm saving that US Bank number (1-888-964-0359) and will definitely call them if I don't see my card by the 3-week mark. And wow, I had no idea about being able to set up automatic transfers with no fees! That sounds like the perfect solution once I finally get this card - never having to worry about ReliaCard delivery delays for future payments would be amazing. Thanks to everyone for sharing their real timelines and experiences. This community is so helpful for understanding what to actually expect versus what ESD tells you to expect! 🙏
@Diego You're still pretty early in the process at day 10! Based on all the experiences shared in this thread, you've probably got at least another week before you should start to worry. It's honestly frustrating how misleading that ESD timeline is - seems like they should really update their website to reflect the 2-3 week reality instead of getting people's hopes up with 7-10 days. $1,050 is a substantial amount to have sitting there, so I totally get the stress about rent coming up! But like everyone has said, your money is completely safe and just waiting for that card to arrive. Your plan to wait until the 3-week mark to call US Bank sounds perfect based on all the advice here. The automatic transfer setup really is a game changer once you get through this initial hurdle! I wish I had known about it from the start - having future payments just appear in your regular account without any of this delivery anxiety is honestly amazing. Hang in there, you're right on track with the normal timeline! 🤞
I'm on day 14 waiting for my ReliaCard and this entire thread has been such a godsend! I was getting really anxious after passing that 10 business day mark from ESD's estimate, but seeing everyone's real experiences here - especially @Luca getting theirs on day 18 - has really helped manage my expectations. I can see about $1,420 in approved payments just sitting there that I can't access, which is definitely nerve-wracking with bills coming due. But knowing this 2-3 week timeline is completely normal makes it so much more bearable. I'm planning to follow everyone's advice and call US Bank at 1-888-964-0359 next week if my card still hasn't arrived by then. The automatic transfer feature everyone mentioned sounds absolutely perfect! I had no idea you could set that up with zero fees to bypass the ReliaCard for future payments. That's definitely going to be my first move once this card finally shows up. Thanks to everyone for creating such a supportive and informative community here. It really makes all the difference when you're navigating this stressful process for the first time! 😊
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One thing to watch out for - if there's a bank holiday on Monday, everything gets pushed back a day. So Tuesday deposits become Wednesday deposits that week.
Oh good point about holidays. I hadn't thought about that affecting the timing.
Yeah Martin Luther King Day messed up my timing last month. Always check the holiday schedule.
Bottom line: if you filed Sunday night and it was processed Monday, you should see money Tuesday morning. If not Tuesday, then Wednesday. If still nothing Wednesday, time to call Washington ESD and figure out what's wrong.
This thread has been so incredibly helpful! I'm also on unemployment and was really anxious about the deposit timing. I'm with a local credit union (Numerica) and based on everyone's experiences here, it sounds like credit unions are pretty reliable with getting these deposits processed quickly. @Kaiya Rivera really hoping your deposit shows up first thing tomorrow morning so you can make rent! The stress of waiting for unemployment when bills are due is so real. And wow, had no idea about Claimyr - definitely bookmarking that service in case I ever need to actually talk to someone at Washington ESD. The regular phone system seems like a nightmare from what everyone s'saying.
This whole conversation has been so reassuring to read! I'm also new to the unemployment system and had no idea what to expect with deposit timing. I'm with a smaller regional bank and after seeing all these consistent experiences, I'm feeling much more confident that there's actually a predictable pattern once you get used to it. @Kaiya Rivera really hope your deposit comes through tomorrow morning so you can make rent without stress! The waiting game is nerve-wracking but it sounds like Tuesday morning is very likely based on everyone s'experiences. Also really grateful for all the mentions of Claimyr - I had no clue there was an actual way to get through to Washington ESD that doesn t'involve hours of hold music and disconnections. Definitely keeping that resource saved for when I need it!
Yara Nassar
I just went through this exact situation a few months ago! The key thing to remember is that ESD will likely put your claim on hold temporarily to review the lump sum payment, so don't panic when that happens. When I reported my severance + bonus combo (mine was about $9k total), they sent me a questionnaire asking me to break down exactly what each payment was for. I had to provide my final paystub and a letter from HR detailing the severance terms vs the bonus calculation. The whole review process took about 3 weeks, but once they sorted it out, my benefits resumed normally. Just make sure you keep filing your weekly claims even during the review period - don't stop filing just because your benefits are on hold or reduced to zero. That was the mistake I almost made!
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Yuki Tanaka
•This is really reassuring to hear! I was worried about what would happen if my claim got put on hold. Three weeks for the review doesn't sound too bad, especially if benefits resume normally afterward. Did you have any trouble getting the HR letter breaking down the payments? I'm wondering if I should reach out to my former employer now to request that documentation proactively, or wait until ESD asks for it. Also, when you say you kept filing weekly claims during the review period - were you still required to do job search activities even though your benefits were on hold?
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Amina Toure
•I'd definitely recommend reaching out to HR proactively to get that breakdown letter! It was actually pretty easy for me - I just sent an email explaining that I needed documentation for my unemployment claim showing the difference between my severance payment and performance bonus. They had it to me within a couple days. And yes, you absolutely still need to do your job search activities even when your claim is on hold or your benefits are zero due to severance! I learned this the hard way when I got a warning notice for not completing my work search requirements during week 2 of my review period. The system still expects you to be actively seeking work regardless of your benefit payment status. It's annoying but just think of it as staying in practice for when your benefits resume!
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Aisha Rahman
This thread has been incredibly informative! I'm currently facing a similar situation - got laid off in December and expecting a combined severance/bonus payment next week. Based on everyone's experiences here, it sounds like the key points are: 1) Report everything as separation pay when you actually receive it, 2) Upload detailed documentation breaking down severance vs bonus amounts, 3) Keep filing weekly claims even if benefits go to zero, 4) Don't forget job search requirements during the severance period, and 5) Be prepared for potential holds/reviews. One thing I'm curious about - has anyone had experience with ESD treating different types of bonuses differently? Mine includes both a performance bonus for last year AND a small retention bonus they paid when they announced layoffs. I'm wondering if I should expect them to be handled the same way or if the retention bonus might be treated differently since it was specifically related to the layoff process.
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