Claim reopened and approved but no weekly claim filing option - can't reach ESD!
I'm at my wits end trying to figure this out! I reopened my unemployment claim back in December and finally got the approval letter on February 23rd, 2025. But when I log into my eServices account, there's absolutely NO option for me to file a weekly claim! The system just shows my claim is active but doesn't give me that 'file weekly claim' button everyone talks about. I've been calling the ESD number for THREE DAYS straight (both the regular and claims center numbers) but either get disconnected immediately or sit on hold forever until the system hangs up on me at closing time. My bills are piling up and I'm supposed to be getting benefits but can't even file! Has anyone else experienced this weird glitch where your claim is approved but no weekly claim option appears? Is there some secret menu I'm missing or do I need to do something special for a reopened claim?
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Alexis Renard
This happened to me in January. The issue was that my claim was approved, but not yet fully processed in their system. It took about 5 business days after I got my approval letter before the weekly claim option appeared. Have you checked if there are any alerts or action items in your eServices dashboard? Sometimes they need additional info before enabling weekly claims.
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Brianna Schmidt
•Thanks for responding! I've checked everywhere in eServices and there are zero alerts or action items. Just shows my claim is active with my weekly benefit amount. It's already been 10 days since my approval letter, so I'm past that 5-day window you mentioned. Did you end up having to call them to fix this?
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Camila Jordan
wait did u try clicking on the "online services" tab and then "UI claim" from the dropdown? sometimes the buttons hide in weird places. also make sure ur using chrome or edge not safari, the esd site hates safari lol
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Brianna Schmidt
•Yes, I tried that exact path! I get to UI claim and it just shows me my claim summary with benefit amount, effective dates, etc. But no button or link to file weekly claims anywhere on that page. And I'm using Chrome, so that shouldn't be the issue... ugh this is so frustrating!
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Tyler Lefleur
The system is completely BROKEN. I had this EXACT SAME PROBLEM in November. My claim showed active but no weekly filing option. Called 47 times before getting through. Turns out they had some "flag" on my account that needed manual removal by a specialist. Of course nobody bothered to tell me or put that information anywhere on my account! They just expect us to magically know why their garbage system isn't working. You NEED to get through to an actual claims specialist - the regular agents can't fix this issue. They're probably backed up from the layoffs in the aerospace industry right now.
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Brianna Schmidt
•Seriously?! That's infuriating! Did they at least backdate your weekly claims after fixing the flag issue? I'm worried about losing weeks of benefits because of THEIR system error.
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Tyler Lefleur
Yes, they backdated mine but ONLY AFTER I specifically asked them to. Make sure you mention that you've been trying to file since your approval date and couldn't because of their system error. Document every attempt you've made to contact them too - dates, times, how long you waited. The agent told me they're supposed to automatically set up backdated claims in these cases but half the time they "forget" unless you push for it.
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Madeline Blaze
I'm an unemployment appeals paralegal, and this is a known issue with reopened claims, especially if your original claim was from before they updated the eServices system in October 2024. What's happening is that your claim is approved in the eligibility database but there's a synchronization delay with the weekly claims portal. You need to speak with a claims center specialist who can manually enable weekly filing for your account. For the backdating issue - they are required to allow you to backfile all weeks from your approval date once the issue is fixed. Make sure to document everything as mentioned above. The technical term for this is a "system-prevented filing" case and they have specific protocols for handling it.
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Brianna Schmidt
•Thank you so much for this detailed info! My original claim was from 2023, so that explains why this might be happening. Do you know if there's any specific department or option I should select when calling to get to these claims center specialists? Or is it just luck of the draw with whoever answers?
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Max Knight
I went through this nightmare back in December and had to call over 200 times before finally getting through to someone who could help!! I found this service called Claimyr that got me connected to an ESD agent in under 15 minutes after I'd been trying for days. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 Their website is claimyr.com - it was seriously worth it for me because my situation was exactly like yours where I needed a human to fix something in the system that couldn't be resolved online. Just sharing because I wish someone had told me about this sooner!
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Camila Jordan
•does that actually work?? ive been trying to get thru to esd for like 2 weeks now!
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Emma Swift
My sister-in-law works at WorkSource and she said another option is to go to your local WorkSource office in person. They can sometimes help reset things in the system or at least use their direct line to connect you with someone at ESD who can help. Might be worth trying if you keep striking out with the phone.
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Brianna Schmidt
•That's a great idea! There's a WorkSource office about 20 minutes from me. I'll try calling one more time tomorrow morning right when they open, and if that doesn't work, I'll head to WorkSource. Thanks for the suggestion!
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Alexis Renard
One more thing to check - log out completely, clear your browser cache/cookies, and then log back in. Sometimes the eServices site caches old information and doesn't display updated options. Also, make sure you're going through the SecureAccess Washington portal and not an old bookmarked link. The direct links sometimes bypass important page elements.
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Brianna Schmidt
•Just tried the logout/clear cache/login approach and unfortunately still no weekly claim option. I am going through the SAW portal each time too. I'm going to try either that Claimyr service or the WorkSource office tomorrow. Will update here once I get this resolved in case it helps someone else!
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Brianna Schmidt
UPDATE: Finally got this resolved! I ended up using the Claimyr service this morning and got connected to an agent in about 12 minutes. The agent confirmed what @unemploymenthelper said - my reopened claim was approved but had a system flag that prevented weekly filing options from appearing. They removed the flag while I was on the phone, and I was able to backfile for the weeks since my approval letter. The agent said this happens fairly often with reopened claims from before their October system update. Thanks everyone for your help!
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Tyler Lefleur
•Glad you got it fixed! Now watch how they'll probably find some ridiculously minor issue and put you in adjudication for 8 weeks... 🙄 The ESD system is a complete joke.
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