Can ESD unemployment benefits be split between two different bank accounts?

Unfortunately, ESD's direct deposit system only allows for one bank account at a time. I went through this same situation last year and called to ask. The customer service rep told me ESD's system isn't set up to split payments between multiple accounts. Your only options are full payment to one account via direct deposit OR the ReliaCard debit card option.

no i don't think so... pretty sure u can only pick 1 account. why not just have ur bank automatically move half to savings when it hits ur account? most banks let u setup auto transfers

I HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM!! ESD is so behind the times with their payment systems! I wanted to split mine between my bills account and savings and NOPE. They said only one account per claim. They really need to update their systems... it's 2025 for crying out loud! Even my employer can split my direct deposit between accounts!!

The others are correct - ESD's payment system only allows one destination account for your benefits. This is actually common across most state unemployment systems, not just Washington. Your best options are: 1) Set up automatic transfers at your bank once the deposit arrives 2) Use the ReliaCard option and transfer from there 3) Manually transfer funds after each weekly payment If you're having trouble reaching ESD to confirm this or have other questions about your claim, I've had good luck using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an actual agent. They have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 Hope this helps!

When i was on unemployment last year I just had my bank automatically move money from checking to savings every week. most banks let you set up recurring transfers that you can time to happen right after your UI payment hits. That way you don't even have to think about it! :

This might be a dumb question but why not just deposit it all into savings and then transfer what you need to checking? Wouldn't that be better for saving anyway? That's what I do with my regular paycheck and it helps me not spend too much.

One more thing to note - if you ever need to change your direct deposit information, there's usually a 1-2 week processing time. So whatever account you choose, make sure it's one you plan to keep active throughout your claim period. I learned this the hard way when I switched banks mid-claim.

Just wanted to add that some credit unions like BECU (since you mentioned them) have really good budgeting tools in their mobile apps that might help with managing your unemployment funds even if they all go to one account. You can set up "buckets" or savings goals within your account to virtually split the money for different purposes - like rent, groceries, emergency fund, etc. Not the same as actually splitting the direct deposit, but it's helped me stay organized during my unemployment period!