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 :)
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Just want to add that if you're having trouble reaching Washington ESD about partial unemployment questions, I found success using that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier. Got through in minutes instead of hours of busy signals.
I was skeptical about using a third-party service, but honestly the Washington ESD phone system is so broken that anything that helps get through is worth it. Might have to try it myself.
I was skeptical too, but when you're dealing with time-sensitive benefit issues, sometimes you need to use whatever works. The video demo on their site really helped me understand how it works before I tried it.
Final thought from someone who's been through this whole part-time work while on unemployment thing - it's actually not as scary as it seems. The system is designed to encourage people to work even if it's not full-time. Just be honest, keep good records, and don't overthink it.
Thanks for the reassurance! I'm definitely overthinking it. Time to just take the job and figure it out as I go.
Exactly! You'll learn as you go, and there are always people here to help if you run into issues. Welcome to the part-time unemployment club!
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Also worth mentioning - if you're on standby with your employer (like seasonal work), you might have different rules about benefit duration and job search requirements. Make sure you understand which type of unemployment claim you have.
Mine is regular unemployment since I was permanently laid off, not seasonal or standby.
Good clarification. Standby claims have their own set of rules and requirements that are quite different from regular UI claims.
Just to summarize for the original poster - you get 26 weeks of regular unemployment benefits in Washington state. Your benefit year lasts 52 weeks from when it was established, giving you time to use those 26 weeks. Extended benefits may become available during high unemployment periods, but don't count on them. Keep filing weekly claims and meeting job search requirements throughout.
Perfect summary, thank you! This thread has been really helpful in understanding how it all works.
Glad we could help clear things up. Washington ESD's website has good info too, but sometimes it's nice to hear from real people who've been through the process.
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Thanks for sharing your experience OP. I'm in a similar situation with my photography business being slow this winter. Going to look into whether my summer job at a wedding venue would qualify me.
Definitely worth checking! The seasonal nature of both our businesses makes it even more important to know all your options.
Wedding industry is tough in winter. Hope you can get some benefits to help tide you over until spring.
This has been really educational. I always thought UI was only for people who got laid off from regular jobs. The mixed employment situation is way more common than I realized.
A lot of people have multiple income streams these days - gig work, part-time jobs, small businesses. The unemployment system tries to account for that complexity, but it's not always clear how it works.
The key is talking to someone at ESD who can look at your specific situation. Every case is different based on your work history and wages.
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Final update for anyone still reading - I used Claimyr one more time to get connected with Washington ESD about setting up payment plans for taxes owed. Turns out they can't help with IRS payment plans, but they confirmed my 1099-G was correct and explained how the withholding system works. Definitely saved me from more confused phone calls.
Good to know they can't help with IRS issues, but at least they can clarify the Washington ESD side of things. I might give them a try if I can't figure out my benefit calculation.
sounds like they're pretty thorough about explaining the unemployment benefits part. That's usually where most of the confusion comes from anyway.
Update on my situation - finally got my tax calculation done and I owe about $3,100 in federal taxes on my unemployment benefits. Setting up a payment plan with the IRS since I can't pay it all at once. Lesson learned about tax withholding!
Ouch! That's exactly what I was afraid of. At least you got it figured out though. I'm still working on my calculations.
Yeah it stings but it's manageable with a payment plan. Just glad I didn't ignore it and let it get worse.
Andrew Pinnock
I used that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier when I had questions about my termination benefits. Really did help me get through to an agent quickly instead of spending my whole day on hold.
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Amelia Cartwright
•That seems to be a popular recommendation. I might give it a try if I have trouble getting through to Washington ESD.
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Brianna Schmidt
One thing to keep in mind - even if you get approved, there might be a waiting period before benefits start. Plan accordingly for your first few weeks.
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Amelia Cartwright
•How long is the typical waiting period for termination cases?
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Brianna Schmidt
•It varies, but usually 3-6 weeks for the investigation plus any standard waiting week. Could be longer if they need more information.
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