Washington Unemployment

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Can't reach Washington Unemployment? Claimyr calls for you, so you don't have to wait on hold.

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
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  • Give you free callbacks if the ESD drops your call
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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 :)

How much can you make while on unemployment in Washington ESD without losing benefits?

I'm on unemployment right now and got offered some part-time work. I'm worried about messing up my benefits but I really need the extra money. Does anyone know exactly how much you can earn while still collecting unemployment from Washington ESD? I've heard different things from different people and the website is confusing. My weekly benefit amount is $520 so I don't want to accidentally go over some limit and lose everything.

Been there, done that. Working part-time while on unemployment is totally doable if you're careful about reporting. Just don't try to cut corners or hide anything.

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Thanks for all the advice everyone! I feel much more confident about taking this part-time job now.

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Good luck! Just remember to report everything accurately and you should be fine.

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One more thing to remember - if you're working part-time, you still need to be actively looking for full-time work and meeting all the other unemployment requirements. The job search requirement doesn't go away.

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That's a good point. I almost forgot about that requirement. Thanks for the reminder!

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How do I know if my unemployment claim was approved - Washington ESD status confusion

I submitted my initial unemployment claim through Washington ESD about 10 days ago and I'm not sure how to tell if it's been approved or not. My SecureAccess Washington account shows some information but I'm honestly confused about what it all means. There's a section that says 'claim status' but it just shows dates and dollar amounts that don't make much sense to me. I've been filing my weekly claims like I'm supposed to but I haven't received any payments yet. Is there a specific place I should be looking to see if my claim is actually approved? I'm starting to worry something went wrong with my application.

One last tip - take screenshots of your account pages showing your claim information. If there are any issues later, having that documentation can be really helpful when you need to contact Washington ESD.

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Smart idea! I'll start doing that just in case.

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Yeah definitely keep records of everything. The unemployment system can be unpredictable and you want proof of what your account showed and when.

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Hope this all works out for you! The waiting and uncertainty is really stressful but most claims do get approved eventually. Just gotta be patient with their slow processing times unfortunately.

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Thanks everyone! This thread has been incredibly helpful and I feel much less anxious about the whole process now.

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Good luck! Come back and update us when you get your determination letter.

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Washington ESD unemployment eligibility - who qualifies for benefits in my situation?

I'm trying to figure out if I'm eligible for Washington ESD unemployment benefits and honestly the website is confusing me. I've been working part-time at a retail job for about 8 months but also doing some gig work on the side. My hours got cut dramatically last month and I'm barely making ends meet. I know there are different groups of people who can and can't get UI benefits but I can't find a clear breakdown anywhere. Does anyone know who actually qualifies for unemployment insurance benefits in Washington? I don't want to waste time applying if I'm not even eligible.

Good luck with your application! The fact that you're asking these questions and doing your research shows you're approaching this the right way. Most people who qualify have pretty straightforward cases, it's just that the system can seem intimidating at first.

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Thank you! This thread has been incredibly helpful. I feel much more confident about applying now.

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One last thing to remember - even after you're approved, you'll need to file weekly claims and continue meeting all the ongoing eligibility requirements. But you've got this! The initial application is usually the hardest part.

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Noted! I'll make sure to stay on top of the weekly claims once I get approved. Thanks again everyone!

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How to check unemployment overpayment balance - Washington ESD portal confusing

I got hit with an overpayment notice from Washington ESD last month for about $2,800 and I've been making payments but I can't figure out how to see my current balance. I've looked all over the SecureAccess Washington site and my ESD account but there's no clear section showing what I still owe. The original notice had a payment plan option but didn't explain how to track progress. Has anyone found where this information is hidden in their system? I don't want to accidentally miss payments or pay too much.

One more tip: if you do get through to ESD, ask them to explain exactly how your overpayment was calculated. Sometimes there are errors in their calculations and you might not actually owe as much as they claim.

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That's a really good point. I just assumed their calculation was correct but I should probably verify it.

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This happened to my neighbor - they had calculated his overpayment wrong and he ended up owing $800 less than the original notice.

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thanks everyone for all the suggestions. this has been super stressful but at least now I have some actual steps to try instead of just randomly clicking around the ESD website

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Definitely try calling through Claimyr if the website stuff doesn't work out. Having an actual person explain everything makes such a difference.

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Agreed, I'm planning to call tomorrow morning. This thread gave me hope that I can actually get this figured out.

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How to calculate unemployment insurance benefits in Washington ESD - need help figuring out my weekly amount

I'm trying to figure out how much I'll get for unemployment benefits before I file with Washington ESD. I've been working at a warehouse for the past 2 years making $22/hour, usually 40 hours a week. Sometimes I got overtime but not consistently. I know they look at your wages from like the past year or something but I'm confused about how they actually calculate the weekly benefit amount. Do they use gross pay or net? And what if I had a few weeks where I was sick and didn't work full time? I'm worried I won't qualify for much since I heard Washington state has some weird formula. Can someone break this down for me?

Make sure you file as soon as possible after becoming unemployed. There's no waiting period in Washington for the first week, and you can't get benefits for weeks before you file your initial claim.

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Good to know there's no waiting period. I'll file this week.

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Exactly, don't wait around. The sooner you file, the sooner you can start receiving benefits.

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One last thing - make sure all your employers from the base period are listed correctly on your claim. If Washington ESD is missing wages from an employer, it will lower your benefit calculation.

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When you file your claim, they'll show you the wages they have on record. Compare that to your pay stubs to make sure everything is included.

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Got it. I'll definitely double-check that when I file. Thanks everyone for all the help!

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