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 :)
Join the conversation
Join the conversation
I just wanted to jump in and say thank you to everyone who's shared their experiences here! I'm actually in a very similar situation - I've been on unemployment for about two months and was considering starting some gig work to supplement my benefits. I was planning to call ESD first to ask about reporting requirements, but after reading this thread I'm so glad I found this information first. It's honestly shocking how many people have gotten incorrect information from ESD agents about gig work classification. The fact that multiple people were told Instacart drivers are "employees" instead of independent contractors is really concerning - that kind of misinformation could seriously mess up someone's benefits if they follow it. I'm definitely going to treat any gig work as self-employment when I start, and I'm going to implement the tracking strategies everyone has mentioned here. The screenshot method and keeping detailed weekly records seems like the way to go. One thing I'm curious about - for those of you who've been doing this successfully for months, have you noticed any patterns in terms of which ESD agents seem more knowledgeable about gig work? Or is it pretty much a lottery every time you call? I'm hoping to avoid getting bad advice if I ever do need to contact them about this topic. Thanks again for sharing all your real-world experience. This thread should honestly be pinned somewhere as a resource for other people dealing with the same confusion!
You're absolutely right that this thread should be pinned somewhere - the amount of helpful, real-world experience shared here is incredible! To answer your question about ESD agent knowledge - from my experience calling them over the past few months, it really does seem like a complete lottery. I haven't noticed any patterns in terms of which agents are more knowledgeable about gig work. Some seem to have never heard of independent contractors, while others understand the classification immediately. I think the issue is that ESD just hasn't provided consistent training on how the gig economy fits into their system. My strategy now is to avoid calling about gig work questions entirely unless absolutely necessary. This community and the written guidelines on ESD's website are way more reliable than phone support. When I do have to call for other issues, I never mention my gig work unless specifically asked - I just stick to reporting it correctly on my weekly claims as self-employment. The tracking methods everyone has shared here are golden. I wish I'd found this kind of practical advice when I first started instead of having to figure it out through trial and error!
I'm a newcomer to both unemployment and gig work, but this thread has been absolutely invaluable! I was literally about to sign up for Instacart this week and had no clue about any of these reporting requirements. Reading through everyone's experiences, it's crystal clear that the ESD agent who told you Instacart drivers are "employees" was completely wrong. The consensus from everyone actually doing this work is unanimous - it's definitely self-employment/independent contractor status in Washington. I'm taking notes on all the practical advice shared here: - Report as self-employment on weekly claims - Include ALL earnings (base pay + tips + bonuses) - Report for the week you worked, not when paid - Keep weekly screenshots from the app - Track mileage for taxes The fact that so many people have gotten conflicting information from ESD phone agents is really troubling. It sounds like their training on gig economy work is seriously lacking. I'm definitely going to rely on this community and written guidelines rather than risking bad advice from phone support. Thank you to everyone who shared their real experiences - you've probably saved me from making costly reporting mistakes! This thread is like a masterclass in navigating gig work while on unemployment benefits.
Welcome to the community! I'm also pretty new to all this but this thread has been a goldmine of information. It's really eye-opening how many people have dealt with the same confusion from ESD agents about gig work classification. I was actually hesitant to start any gig work because I was worried about messing up my unemployment benefits, but seeing how many people here have been successfully managing Instacart while on unemployment (with proper reporting as self-employment) is really encouraging. The step-by-step advice and tracking methods everyone has shared make it feel much less overwhelming. It's also reassuring to know that if we follow the written guidelines and report everything correctly as self-employment, we should be fine - even if individual phone agents give conflicting information. This community definitely seems like a much more reliable resource than ESD's phone support for gig work questions! Are you planning to start with Instacart specifically, or are you considering other delivery platforms too? I'm trying to decide between a few different options myself.
Join the conversation
I'm in the exact same situation and this thread has been a lifesaver! My claim just moved from pending to adjudication yesterday after being disputed by my former employer who's claiming I was terminated for "poor performance" when I was actually laid off in a company-wide downsizing. The anxiety is through the roof, especially reading about 8-12 week wait times. What's really helping me cope is creating a daily action plan based on all the great advice here: 1) Continue filing weekly claims religiously, 2) Gather every piece of evidence I can find (company emails about layoffs, news articles about our financial struggles, coworker contacts), 3) Practice explaining my timeline clearly for when the adjudicator calls, 4) Look into emergency assistance programs through 211. The most frustrating part is how employers can just lie with zero consequences while we're left scrambling to prove the truth. But seeing all these success stories where people eventually got thousands in back pay gives me motivation to keep fighting. We shouldn't have to become unemployment law experts just to get benefits we earned, but here we are! Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences - knowing we're all supporting each other through this broken system makes it feel less overwhelming when the stress peaks.
Your daily action plan is exactly the right approach - it's so important to stay proactive instead of just sitting around worrying! I went through adjudication earlier this year and having a structured plan like that really helped me feel like I had some control over the situation. The "poor performance" claim when you were part of a documented downsizing is such a classic bad faith employer move. They know it's harder to dispute vague performance issues than clear policy violations, but if you have that company-wide downsizing documentation, you should be in really good shape. Make sure to get screenshots of any internal communications, LinkedIn posts from your company about restructuring, or local news coverage if your company's layoffs were reported. One thing I wish I'd done earlier was reaching out to former coworkers right away while the situation was fresh in everyone's mind. People's memories fade and they might change jobs or become harder to contact later, so if you're thinking about getting witness statements, sooner is better than later. The waiting is absolutely brutal but you've got the right mindset - don't let them wear you down! Keep documenting everything, stay on top of those weekly claims, and remember that when you do win (which sounds likely given your documentation), all that back pay will come through at once. We're all rooting for you!
I'm so sorry you're dealing with this - the uncertainty around ESD claim statuses is incredibly stressful when you're worried about rent! Everyone here has given you excellent advice, but I wanted to add one more resource that helped me during my own adjudication nightmare last year. If you're struggling with immediate needs while waiting, check if your local community colleges have emergency assistance funds for students/community members. Many have small grants ($200-500) for people facing temporary hardship. Also, some churches and community centers run "blessing boxes" or food pantries that don't require proof of income - just show up when you need help. The employer dispute situation is unfortunately super common right now. Companies know the system is overwhelmed and they're betting people will give up or find other work before adjudication completes. It's predatory, but don't let them win. Keep fighting with all that evidence you're gathering - those layoff emails should definitely work in your favor. One last tip: when the adjudicator eventually calls, ask them to repeat back what your employer specifically claimed. Sometimes their stories have inconsistencies that become obvious when stated clearly, and pointing those out can strengthen your case. You've got this - the back pay will be worth the wait!
Join the conversation
Thanks everyone for the helpful responses! I'll definitely be reporting all my Instacart earnings each week when I do my UI claim. Better safe than sorry, especially after hearing about that overpayment nightmare. I appreciate all the advice!
Smart move asking this question upfront! I've been doing gig work (Uber Eats) while on UI for a few months now and learned this the hard way. Definitely report everything - gross earnings and hours worked. One tip that's helped me: I created a simple spreadsheet to track my daily earnings and hours from each platform, then I just add it up when filing my weekly claim. Makes it much easier than trying to remember or dig through payment emails later. Also, keep screenshots of your earnings summaries from Instacart's app as backup documentation in case ESD ever asks for proof. Good luck with the deliveries!
That's such a great tip about the spreadsheet! I'm definitely going to set something like that up. Do you happen to know if there's a specific format ESD prefers for documentation, or are screenshots from the app usually sufficient? I want to make sure I'm keeping the right records in case they ever need to verify anything.
Join the conversation
This entire thread should be required reading for anyone dealing with ESD denials! I work in HR and see employees get tripped up by these hour requirements all the time. One thing I'd add that hasn't been mentioned yet - if you had any employer-paid training during your base year (orientation, safety training, etc.), make sure those hours are counted too. We've had several cases where new hire training hours weren't included in ESD's calculations. Also, if you were paid for any company meetings or mandatory events, those count as well. The key is that ANY time your employer paid you should be included in that 680-hour total. Keep all your pay stubs from the entire base year period - not just your regular work hours!
This is exactly the kind of comprehensive info that should be on ESD's website but isn't! The training hours point is especially important - I bet tons of people miss that. It's ridiculous that we have to crowdsource this knowledge when ESD could just provide clear guidance upfront about what counts toward the 680 hours. Thanks for adding the HR perspective - really helps to know what to look for on pay stubs beyond just regular hourly wages.
Wow, reading through this entire thread has been incredibly educational! I had no idea there were so many different types of paid hours that count toward the 680 requirement. I'm bookmarking this for future reference in case I ever need to file for unemployment. It's really frustrating that ESD doesn't provide this level of detail upfront - like why isn't there a clear checklist of what counts as "hours worked" on their website? The fact that vacation time, sick pay, training hours, temp agency work, and even alternative base year calculations can all make a difference is huge. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and expertise here. This thread is going to help so many people who find themselves in similar situations!
Ravi Kapoor
I went through something similar with Washington ESD about 8 months ago. One thing that really helped me was calling early in the morning (like right when they open at 8am) - the wait times were much shorter than calling during peak hours. Also, when you do get through to someone, ask them to email you a confirmation of whatever action they take on your claim. I learned this the hard way when there was some confusion later about whether my withdrawal request had actually been processed. Having that email documentation saved me a lot of headaches. Given that your employer is just "considering" bringing you back, I'd personally lean toward keeping the claim open but inactive until you have something more concrete from them.
0 coins
Kyle Wallace
•That's really smart advice about calling right when they open! I never thought about timing making such a difference with wait times. And getting email confirmation is brilliant - I can see how that documentation would be crucial if there's any confusion later. Your point about keeping the claim open but inactive until I have something concrete from my employer really resonates with me. Right now all I have is a phone call saying they're "considering" options, which isn't exactly a firm job offer. I think I'll follow your approach and wait for something more solid before making any big moves with the claim. Thanks for the practical tips!
0 coins
Keisha Williams
I'm currently dealing with a similar situation and this thread has been incredibly helpful! Based on what everyone's shared, it seems like the consensus is to keep your claim open but just stop filing weekly certifications until you get something concrete from your employer. That way you're not actively collecting benefits but you maintain your place in the system in case things fall through. I'd definitely recommend getting that early morning call strategy a try - calling right at 8am when Washington ESD opens. And if you do end up needing to talk to them about your specific situation, make sure to ask for email confirmation of whatever they tell you. It's really reassuring to see so many people who've navigated this successfully!
0 coins
Dmitry Kuznetsov
•I'm also in a similar spot right now - filed my claim about 10 days ago and my old job just reached out yesterday about potentially coming back. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been so valuable! The strategy of keeping the claim open but not filing weekly certifications really does seem like the safest middle ground. I'm definitely going to try that 8am calling tip if I need to speak with someone at Washington ESD. It's crazy how much better it is to hear from people who've actually been through this process rather than trying to figure it out from the website alone. Thanks to everyone for sharing their real experiences - this community is amazing!
0 coins