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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?
The bottom line is be completely honest and report everything. It's better to lose some benefits temporarily than to deal with fraud allegations later. Washington ESD takes unreported work very seriously.
For anyone still having trouble reaching Washington ESD by phone, I used that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier and it actually worked. Got through to an agent in about 10 minutes instead of spending hours trying to call.
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.
Bottom line: expect 3-4 weeks for a typical claim, keep filing weekly, and try not to panic if it takes the full month. The system is slow but it does work eventually.
One last thing - if you do end up needing to contact Washington ESD for any reason during the process, early morning (like 8 AM) seems to be the best time to try calling. Still hard to get through but slightly better odds.
Mateo Gonzalez
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.
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Luca Bianchi
•This should be pinned! Thanks for the clear breakdown.
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Mei Chen
good thread. was wondering about this myself. tuesday it is!
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Luca Bianchi
•Glad it helped you too!
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