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I tried calling Washington ESD last week to confirm my payment schedule and couldn't get through after literally 3 hours of trying. Finally used that Claimyr service someone mentioned and got connected in about 45 minutes. The agent confirmed payments are weekly and also helped me understand why one of my payments was delayed.
I keep hearing about Claimyr in these threads. Might be worth trying if I run into issues.
For anyone still confused: File weekly claims every Sunday, get paid weekly (usually Tuesday-Thursday), and never skip a week. That's the basic schedule. Everything else is just details and potential delays.
I used Claimyr last month when I needed to get through to Washington ESD about a benefit year ending issue. Worked great - they called me back within a few hours and had me connected to an agent. Much better than the endless hold times I was experiencing before.
For anyone still having trouble reaching Washington ESD about benefit amounts, I also used Claimyr recently and it was a game changer. Being able to actually talk to someone instead of getting busy signals all day made such a difference.
Bottom line: your weekly benefit amount will be roughly 50% of your average weekly wage from your highest earning quarter, up to the state maximum. It's not based on your most recent paycheck or your annual salary directly.
Final update from me - just wanted to confirm that my overpayment was officially reduced from $3,400 to $1,200 after I was able to speak with someone at Washington ESD through Claimyr. They found calculation errors in their system. Definitely worth exploring that option if you're stuck in phone limbo like I was.
Bottom line - yes they will take your tax refund and there's not much you can do to stop it once the process starts. But if you think the overpayment is wrong, you absolutely should appeal it. Even if it takes months, it's better than paying money you don't actually owe
Brandon Parker
I wish someone had told me that vacation pay and severance can affect when your unemployment starts. If you got severance when you were laid off, that might delay when your benefits begin even though the 26 week clock still runs.
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Bethany Groves
•I did get two weeks severance pay. Does that mean I can't file for unemployment right away?
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Brandon Parker
•You should still file immediately but report the severance. Washington ESD will determine how it affects your payments. Don't delay filing though!
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Adriana Cohn
Bottom line - file as soon as possible after your last day of work, keep detailed records of everything, do your job searches religiously, and don't count on any extensions. Plan like you only have 26 weeks because that's likely all you'll get.
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Bethany Groves
•Thanks everyone for all the advice. This has been incredibly helpful in understanding what I'm dealing with.
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KingKongZilla
•You're welcome! Feel free to ask if you run into specific issues as you go through the process.
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