Can't reach Washington Unemployment? Claimyr connects you to a live ESD agent in minutes.
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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make sure you understand the difference between gross and net earnings when reporting. Washington ESD wants your gross earnings (before taxes), not your take-home pay
Good catch! I would have probably reported my net earnings by mistake.
yeah that's a common mistake that can cause problems later
Bottom line: you can work part-time and collect unemployment in Washington, but you need to report everything accurately and keep looking for full-time work. The system is complicated but manageable if you stay on top of it.
Thanks everyone for all the helpful advice! I feel much more confident about filing my claim now.
Good luck with your claim! The partial benefits really help when you're in between full-time jobs.
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Last thing - make sure you keep filing your weekly claims even if your initial claim is still pending. You can't get paid for weeks you don't file, even if you're approved later.
So I need to file weekly claims before I even know if I'm approved?
Yes, exactly. You file weekly claims for every week you're unemployed and looking for work, starting with your first week. If you're approved later, you'll get paid for all those weeks.
This thread has been super helpful! I'm in a similar situation and was just as confused about where to start. Sounds like the main steps are: 1) Go to esd.wa.gov to file initial claim, 2) File weekly claims every week, 3) Do job search activities, 4) Be patient and keep good records. Did I miss anything major?
That covers the basics perfectly. Just remember to check your account regularly for any messages or requests for additional information from Washington ESD.
And if you run into problems reaching them by phone, remember that Claimyr option I mentioned earlier. Sometimes you just need to talk to a person to get things sorted out.
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honestly the whole thing is confusing but if you worked 8 months you should be good. I worked way less and still got benefits
It depends on how much you earned and when, not just how long you worked. But consistent part-time work for 8 months would likely meet the requirements for most people.
To summarize for the OP: With 8 months of part-time work, you very likely have qualifying wages in multiple quarters of your base period. The specific requirements are $1,000 total base period wages, $200+ in at least 2 quarters, and total wages at least 1.25x your highest quarter. File your application - you can always appeal if there are any issues with the determination.
Perfect summary, thank you! I feel much more confident about applying now.
Khalil Urso
Don't forget about the tax implications. Unemployment benefits are taxable income. You can choose to have taxes withheld from your weekly payments or handle it when you file your tax return next year. Most people prefer to have it withheld.
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Cedric Chung
•Ugh I didn't even think about taxes. How much do they usually withhold?
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Khalil Urso
•I think it's 10% federal withholding. Better to have it taken out now than owe a big chunk at tax time.
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Myles Regis
Also wanted to mention that Claimyr service someone brought up earlier - I tried it when my payments suddenly stopped and I couldn't figure out why. Turned out there was an issue with my job search log that I never would have known about if I hadn't been able to speak to someone. Sometimes these systems have problems that only a human can fix.
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Cedric Chung
•Good to know there are options if I run into problems. Hopefully I won't need it but glad it exists.
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Myles Regis
•Exactly - hopefully you won't need it, but it's nice to know you have a way to actually reach someone if the online system isn't working or you're getting conflicting information.
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