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Been there! My claim took 5 weeks but once it was approved I got all the back payments at once. The key is to stay on top of your weekly claims and don't miss any weeks even while you're waiting. Washington ESD won't pay for weeks you didn't file for.
From my experience, if it's been over 4 weeks you should definitely try to contact Washington ESD to check on the status. Sometimes claims get stuck for silly reasons like a missing signature or a form that didn't get processed properly.
Exactly! My claim was held up for an extra 2 weeks because they needed me to verify my identity and I never got the notice. Once I called and found out, it was resolved within a day.
This is making me more motivated to actually get through to someone on the phone. I'm going to try that Claimyr thing tomorrow.
Just wanted to add that if you worked in multiple states, you might need to file an interstate claim. Makes the calculation more complicated but Washington ESD can handle it.
Thanks everyone for all the helpful info! This thread has been way more useful than the Washington ESD website for understanding how benefit amounts work.
Just want to echo what others said about filing that first Sunday after your layoff. Don't wait thinking you might find a job quickly - you can always stop filing weekly claims if you get hired, but you can't go back in time to start your benefit year earlier.
One more thing - if you have any questions about whether you qualify or how much you'll get, Washington ESD has a benefit calculator on their website. It's not 100% accurate but gives you a rough idea of your weekly benefit amount.
I keep hearing about Claimyr in this thread. Might have to check them out.
Bottom line: You've worked way more than enough to qualify for Washington ESD benefits. The minimum requirements are pretty reasonable and you exceed them by a lot. File your claim and don't worry about it!
Melody Miles
The process seems overwhelming at first but it gets easier. File your claim, file your weekly claims every week, look for work, and keep good records. That's really the basics of how unemployment works in Washington.
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Rebecca Johnston
•Thank you everyone! This has been so helpful. I'm going to file my claim today.
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Nathan Dell
•Good luck! Don't hesitate to ask if you have more questions after you file.
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Nathaniel Mikhaylov
Quick tip: if you do end up needing to call Washington ESD and can't get through, that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier really does work. I was skeptical at first but it saved me hours of trying to call on my own.
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Rebecca Johnston
•I'll keep that in mind if I run into issues. Hopefully the online system works fine for me.
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Eva St. Cyr
•The online system works most of the time, but when you need to talk to a real person, good luck getting through without help.
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