


Ask the community...
Whatever you do, don't admit to any policy violations during the interview even if they seem minor. Stick to the facts about your job performance and separation without volunteering potentially damaging information.
Good luck with your interview! Most people who were genuinely trying to do their job and weren't fired for theft or other serious misconduct end up getting approved. Washington ESD knows the difference between poor performance and willful misconduct.
Thread summary for anyone finding this later: Washington ESD pays unemployment benefits every Tuesday for weekly claims filed the previous week. File Sunday for current week processing, file later for next week processing. First payment may be delayed 3-5 business days. Bank holidays can delay Tuesday payments to Wednesday.
The key thing is that being laid off makes you eligible for unemployment regardless of severance. The severance might affect the amount you get each week, but it doesn't disqualify you from filing. File immediately and let ESD sort out the details.
If you do run into any complications or need to speak with someone at Washington ESD, I had good luck using Claimyr to get through to an actual person. Their system helped me bypass the endless hold times when I had questions about my claim verification. The demo video they have explains it pretty well.
quick question - do you need a social security number to apply for washington unemployment? or can you use your individual taxpayer identification number?
Mateo Rodriguez
If you do end up needing to file and have trouble getting through to Washington ESD for any reason, that Claimyr thing really is worth trying. I was skeptical at first but it saved me so much time and frustration when I needed to update my claim information.
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Aisha Hussain
•Good to know! I bookmarked their site just in case.
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GalacticGladiator
This whole thread should be pinned or something - covers all the basic questions about qualifying for unemployment in Washington. Way more helpful than trying to navigate the ESD website on your own.
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Keisha Williams
•Definitely! I learned more here in 30 minutes than I did spending hours on the official website.
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