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
- Forward a call to your phone with reduced hold time
- Give you free callbacks if the ESD drops your call
If I could give 10 stars I would
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!
Really made a difference
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!
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 :)
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when i was on L&I last year i had the worst time getting updates on my claim. kept leaving messages and nobody called back for weeks! i finally got through to someone who helped after like 20 calls. maybe try early morning? seems like they pick up more before 9am
Thanks for the tip! I'll try calling first thing in the morning. The waiting and uncertainty is the hardest part.
I went through something similar when I injured my wrist at work. The key thing to remember is that these systems are designed to work together, not against each other. Since you have a documented workplace injury, L&I should be your primary focus - they'll cover your medical expenses and provide time-loss benefits while you recover. One thing that helped me was keeping a detailed log of all my interactions with each agency (dates, times, who I spoke with, what was discussed). This came in handy when there were discrepancies or when I needed to reference previous conversations. Also, don't feel bad about your HR department giving you conflicting info - unfortunately, many employers don't fully understand how these programs interact. The most important thing right now is getting your L&I claim properly established and following through with all medical appointments. Everything else can be sorted out once you have that foundation in place.
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Just want to echo what others said about partial unemployment - it's a lifesaver when your hours get cut but you're still working some. Don't overlook that option if you're in that situation.
I'm definitely going to look into partial unemployment since I'm still working the 15 hours. This thread has been incredibly helpful.
Just wanted to add that when you do apply, make sure you have your Social Security number, driver's license, and bank account info ready for direct deposit setup. The online application is pretty straightforward but having all your documents handy makes it go much faster. Also, they'll ask for your gross wages from each quarter, so dig up those old paystubs or W-2s if you have them. Good luck with your application - sounds like you have a solid case for partial benefits!
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I went through something similar about 6 months ago and want to share what I learned from the process. While everyone's right that drug test failures are typically classified as misconduct, I discovered that Washington ESD also looks at factors like whether your employer had a clear drug policy that you were aware of, if they followed their own procedures correctly, and your overall work performance. In my case, I was initially denied but won on appeal because my employer couldn't prove they had properly communicated their random testing policy to all employees. The key is documenting everything - get copies of your employee handbook, any drug policy acknowledgments you signed, and your performance reviews. Also, if you used marijuana for any medical reason (even without a card), mention that during adjudication as it can sometimes create gray areas in misconduct determinations. The whole process took about 10 weeks for me, but I eventually received benefits. Don't let the discouraging statistics stop you from trying - your specific circumstances matter more than general rules.
@Freya Andersen Your story gives me so much hope! I never realized that procedural violations by the employer could overturn a misconduct determination. This makes me think I should also look into whether my workplace followed proper chain of custody procedures for the drug test itself. I remember the whole process feeling pretty rushed and informal - they just told me to go to a clinic down the street with no advance notice. I m'wondering now if there were specific protocols they were supposed to follow that maybe they didn t.'Your point about chronic back pain is interesting too since I ve'been dealing with some joint issues from repetitive motion at the warehouse. Even though I didn t'have a prescription, maybe the context of using marijuana for pain management rather than recreation could matter during adjudication. Thank you for showing that these cases aren t'as black and white as they initially seem!
@Freya Andersen Thank you so much for sharing your detailed experience - this is incredibly valuable information! Your case really shows that there s'more nuance to these situations than the general drug "test failure = misconduct rule" suggests. I m'particularly interested in your point about employers needing to prove they properly communicated their drug testing policies. Looking back, I m'not even sure I received a copy of the updated employee handbook when they implemented random testing at my warehouse job. The testing itself did feel very informal and rushed - they just handed me a slip of paper and told me to go to a clinic immediately. I m'wondering if there were specific procedures for notification, timing, or documentation that they may not have followed correctly. Your mention of medical context is also really helpful. While I don t'have a medical marijuana card, I have been dealing with chronic pain from repetitive stress injuries at work, and using marijuana has been the only thing that helps me sleep at night. I never thought this context might be relevant, but maybe it creates some gray area around the willful "misconduct classification." Ten weeks is definitely a long wait, but knowing that appeals can actually succeed makes it feel worthwhile to fight this properly rather than just accepting the initial decision. I m'going to request all my employment documentation and really scrutinize every step of their process. Thank you again for giving me hope and a roadmap for how to approach this!
I'm new to this community but wanted to chime in after reading through all these responses. What strikes me most is how complex this situation really is - it's not just a simple "failed drug test = no benefits" equation. The stories from @Freya Andersen and others show there are real procedural and contextual factors that can make a difference. @Dmitry Petrov, I think you're getting great advice here about filing immediately and documenting everything. Even though the odds seem tough, the fact that Washington ESD reviews each case individually means your specific circumstances matter. Your clean 3-year work history definitely counts for something. I'd also suggest reaching out to your former coworkers (if you're comfortable) to see if they remember anything unusual about how the company handled drug testing procedures - sometimes there are details that only become important later. The mention of services like Claimyr for actually getting through to ESD agents seems really practical too. Stay strong and don't give up before you even try!
@Kaiya Rivera Thank you for the thoughtful response and for highlighting how complex this situation really is. You re'absolutely right that it s'not as black and white as it initially seemed. Reading through everyone s'experiences, especially @Freya Andersen s successful'appeal, has really opened my eyes to the importance of examining every detail of the process rather than just accepting the surface-level assumption that I m automatically'disqualified. Your suggestion about reaching out to former coworkers is brilliant - I hadn t thought'about whether other employees might have insights into how the company typically handles these situations or if there were any irregularities in my case. The support from this community has been incredible, and knowing that there are people who ve actually'navigated similar situations successfully gives me the motivation to fight this properly. I m definitely'going to file my claim today and start gathering all the documentation I can. Even if the outcome isn t what'I hope for, at least I ll know'I gave it my best shot rather than just giving up without trying.
@Amina Diallo I m'glad this thread has been so helpful for you! As someone who s'also new to navigating these waters, I ve'learned so much just from reading everyone s'experiences. The key takeaway seems to be that while drug test failures are challenging, they re'not automatically hopeless if you approach them strategically. Make sure to document everything about the testing process - timing, notifications, chain of custody, company policies, etc. Also keep track of all your communications with Washington ESD once you file. I ve'bookmarked that Claimyr service several people mentioned since getting through to actual ESD agents seems to be a major hurdle. Your situation with the chronic pain context could actually be more relevant than you initially thought, especially if you can show it was for legitimate medical reasons rather than recreational use. Wishing you the best of luck with your claim!
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Last resort option - you can actually file your weekly claim over the phone if you absolutely can't get into the website. The automated phone system for weekly claims is separate from the regular customer service line. The number should be on your paperwork from when you first filed your claim.
Yeah it's not as convenient as online but at least you won't miss your deadline. Just have your Social Security number and claim information ready.
Good point about the phone filing option. Not everyone knows about that backup method.
UPDATE: I tried the incognito browser suggestion and it worked! I was able to log in immediately. Thanks everyone for all the help. Turns out it was some kind of browser cache issue after all.
Glad you got it sorted without needing to call. Always try the free fixes first, but good to know there are options like Claimyr if you really get stuck.
Wait, I think there might be some confusion here - the UPDATE post was from Omar Hassan, but the original post was from Sofia Rodriguez. Are you Sofia posting from a different account, or did Omar have the same issue? Just want to make sure we're all on the same page here.
Debra Bai
Good thread. This info will help other people in the same situation. The phone system really is the worst part of dealing with unemployment.
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Jayden Reed
•Agreed. At least now people know what their options are instead of wasting time trying to visit offices that don't take walk-ins.
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Natasha Volkova
I went through the same thing a few months ago. The frustration is real! One tip that helped me - if you do try calling at 8am, have the number already dialed and hit call at exactly 8:00:00. Even a few seconds late and you'll be stuck in the queue forever. Also, don't hang up if you get the busy signal - sometimes it will actually connect you after a minute or two. The system is definitely broken but these little tricks can help you work around it.
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