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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!
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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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One more important tip: If there's any information you're unsure about during the hearing, it's perfectly acceptable to say "I don't recall exactly" rather than guessing. Incorrect information, even if unintentional, can hurt your case. Also, if they ask why you waited until now to appeal (since it's been since August), just explain that you were following the process as instructed and were waiting for your assigned hearing date. The backlog isn't your fault, and they know the system is delayed.
Thank you everyone for all this advice! I feel much more prepared now. I've organized my emails chronologically, prepared notes about the timeline of events, and will definitely mention the 50% pay cut ultimatum. I'm still nervous but at least I have a better idea of what to expect tomorrow. I'll update after the hearing to let you know how it went!
Good luck! Remember to take deep breaths and speak slowly. You've got this!
let us know how it goes!!
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wait did anyone else have to pay taxes on their ui benefits?? i just realized i have no idea if they withhold taxes automatically or if i'm gonna get screwed next april 😱
This is actually important. By default, ESD does NOT withhold taxes from unemployment benefits, but you can request they withhold 10% for federal taxes. You'll need to complete the Tax Withholding Form in your eServices account if you want taxes withheld. UI benefits are fully taxable at the federal level, though Washington state doesn't have income tax. If you don't have taxes withheld now, you could face a tax bill next year.
UPDATE: You all were right! All three of my pending payments hit my account this morning - exactly 2 business days after I got the approval letter. Such a relief! I also went ahead and set up that tax withholding that was mentioned. Thanks everyone for your help!
Great news! Glad it worked out for you.
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Just to be clear, holiday reporting is mainly impactful if: 1) You normally would have worked that day but didn't because of the holiday, AND 2) You received holiday pay from your employer. If you worked your normal hours and reported those hours correctly, the holiday question should have minimal impact. However, since your payment is pending, it's worth contacting ESD to clarify the situation. Small errors sometimes trigger automated reviews.
FINAL UPDATE: I used Claimyr to get through to ESD this morning and explained the situation. The agent said since I reported my work hours correctly (including the holiday), the system just needed manual verification. She fixed it right on the call! Payment is being processed now. Thanks everyone for the help!
thx for updating us! good to know for future reference. the ESD system can be so touchy about the smallest things sometimes
Glad it worked out! For future reference, always try to be extra careful with holiday weeks. The ESD system tends to flag those for additional verification even with small discrepancies.
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i lost my job last month and my first esd payment took forever but now they come like clockwork every week. chase usually shows it by 6am on wednesdays even tho i file on sundays. hang in there!
UPDATE: My payment just hit my Chase account this morning! It was exactly 2 business days after it showed 'paid' on the ESD website. Thanks everyone for your help and reassurance!
Great news! And now you know the pattern for future weeks. Glad it worked out before your rent was due.
nice!! told ya it would come thru 😎
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UPDATE: Finally got through to ESD this morning! Used the Claimyr service that someone mentioned above and was connected to an agent in about 30 minutes. Turns out my claim was flagged for identity verification because I had worked in two states last year. The agent was able to clear it while I was on the phone, and she said my payments should process within 48 hours. Such a relief to finally know what was happening! Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions.
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my cousin works at esd and says they're doing a new thing where they start everyone at 13 weeks and then add more later if you keep doing your weekly claims without any issues. might be that
That's not accurate. ESD determines your full benefit duration at the beginning of your claim based on your base year earnings and other factors. They don't start with a partial duration and add more later based on claim filing behavior. Your cousin may be confusing this with continued claim requirements or another program.
UPDATE: Finally got through to ESD today! The agent confirmed it was because of my work in Oregon. She's processing a combined wage claim that will include both states, and said my benefit duration should increase to the full 26 weeks once that's complete. She said it typically takes 2-3 weeks for the interstate verification. Thanks everyone for your help!
Great news! Glad you got it sorted out. Make sure to keep filing your weekly claims during this time so you don't miss any payments once it's fixed.
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I reopened my claim last month after a 6-week job didn't work out. The online process was pretty easy, but I got stuck in adjudication right away. For me, adjudication took 3 weeks, which isn't great but better than the 8+ weeks I've heard from others. One thing that helped me: I submitted a detailed letter through my eServices messages explaining exactly what happened with dates, specifics about misrepresentations, etc. I think being proactive with that information helped speed things up a bit. And definitely keep doing your job search activities while you wait! They're super strict about that now.
That's a smart idea about sending a detailed explanation through eServices messages. I'll definitely do that after I submit the reopening request. Did you get payments while in adjudication or only after they made a decision?
You don't get any payments during adjudication - they hold everything until they make a decision. That's why it's so stressful! But if they approve you, you'll get all the back payments for the weeks you claimed during adjudication. Just make sure you're answering the weekly claim questions accurately about why you're not working.
this happened to me too!!! the job market is crazy right now, companies lie about EVERYTHING just to get desperate people in the door. my situation was different bc I got laid off after 3 weeks (not quit) so I didn't have to deal with the "good cause" thing but I was able to reopen my old claim no problem. good luck!!!!
Thanks! It's so frustrating how common this seems to be. Glad you were able to reopen your claim without issues!
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Once I got through to a real person, they were able to see exactly what was going on with my claim and fixed the issue while I was on the phone. The whole thing took about 15 minutes once I was connected to an agent. Sometimes you just need someone to look at your specific situation rather than trying to figure it out through their automated systems.
Update: I just found a notice in my eServices account about the change! It was buried in the "Important Messages" section that I rarely check. It explains that they've simplified the weekly claim process but emphasizes that we still need to keep detailed records. Thought I'd share in case anyone else missed it too!
Typical ESD making major changes and barely communicating them 🙄 Thanks for pointing this out! I never check that section either
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Unfortunately you can't technically backfill job search activities, but you can document anything you actually did in those weeks (applications, resume submissions, networking, etc.). When you finally speak with an agent, explain your misunderstanding about the requirements. Sometimes they'll give you a one-time exemption if you can show you were actively looking but just not documenting properly. If you already have a job lined up at your new location with a future start date, you might qualify for "standby" status which would exempt you from job search requirements temporarily. But you'd need to apply for that specifically.
Thank you so much for all this information. I do have some emails showing job applications I sent out, so I'll gather those. I don't have a job lined up yet though, so I'll make sure to do my 3 activities per week going forward. This whole system is so complicated!
One additional thing to check - log into your eServices account and look for any alerts or questionnaires they might have sent. Sometimes they need additional information but the notification gets filtered to spam. Also, military spouse claims sometimes require an additional Military Spouse Declaration form that's separate from your initial application. If all else fails, you can also try contacting the WorkSource office in your new location - sometimes they have direct channels to ESD staff and can help move things along. Good luck!
I just checked and don't see any pending questionnaires, but I'll keep checking daily. I submitted the Military Spouse Declaration with my initial claim, but maybe I should resubmit it just to be safe? I'll also reach out to the local WorkSource office tomorrow. Thank you everyone for all your helpful suggestions!
Carmen Vega
y dont u just not tell them ur in school? not like they would know right?
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Mateo Sanchez
•This is definitely NOT recommended. ESD conducts regular cross-checks with educational institutions, especially state colleges and universities. If they discover you've been attending school without reporting it, you could be charged with fraud, required to pay back all benefits received during that time, plus penalties. Honesty is always the best policy with unemployment claims.
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Luca Russo
FINAL UPDATE: Just got my determination letter - I'm approved to continue receiving benefits while taking classes! They said since my classes are online and don't interfere with my ability to accept full-time work, I'm still eligible. Such a relief! Thanks everyone for your help and advice through this process.
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