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
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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If anyone's still having trouble reaching the right people about their applications, I also had success with that Claimyr service. Worth checking out if you're stuck on hold - the video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ shows exactly how it works.
Third recommendation for that service in this thread. Must actually work if people keep mentioning it.
Yeah I was surprised how well it worked. Saved me a lot of frustration trying to get through to someone.
Thanks everyone for all the helpful info! I'm going to get my UI payment history together and apply for Medicaid this week. Sounds like I shouldn't have been putting it off.
Same here. This thread answered all my questions. Time to stop procrastinating and just apply.
Good luck to both of you! The peace of mind from having health coverage is worth the application hassle.
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The whole process is designed to be confusing I swear. But once you figure out where to look it's not too bad. Good luck!
Definitely feels that way sometimes! Appreciate all the help from everyone here.
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This has been super helpful! I was worried I didn't qualify because I had a few months gap between jobs, but now I understand it's more about the quarters and total wages.
Gaps in employment don't necessarily disqualify you as long as you have the required wages in the right time periods.
That's such a relief. I was stressing about that gap for nothing.
Does anyone know if the wage requirements change each year? I qualified a few years ago but I'm not sure if the thresholds are the same now.
Yes, they adjust the wage requirements annually. For 2025 it's $7,000 minimum in your base period, but it was lower in previous years.
Thanks! Good to know they update it. Makes sense that it would adjust with inflation and wage changes.
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Remember that unemployment benefits are taxable income. You can choose to have taxes withheld from your weekly payments or pay them when you file your tax return.
I had no idea it was taxable! Should I have taxes withheld?
It's usually smart to have taxes withheld so you don't get hit with a big bill at tax time. You can change this option anytime in your account.
Good luck with your claim! The process seems overwhelming at first but it gets easier once you get into the routine of filing weekly claims.
Thanks everyone for all the helpful advice! I feel much more confident about starting the process now.
You're welcome! Don't hesitate to ask if you run into any issues along the way.
Freya Pedersen
Update: I filed my initial claim this afternoon and it went smoother than expected! Now I just need to wait for my determination letter and start filing weekly claims. Thanks everyone for all the help and advice!
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Nia Jackson
•Awesome! The hardest part is behind you now. Weekly claims will become second nature after a few weeks.
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Chloe Anderson
•Congrats on getting it filed! Remember to keep track of your job search activities starting now, even before your first weekly claim.
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Yuki Ito
This whole thread is super helpful. I'm bookmarking it in case I ever need to file for unemployment. Hope everything works out for you OP!
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Freya Pedersen
•Thanks! Hopefully you never need it, but good to know the info is here if you do.
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