Claim shows 'waiting week' with $0.00 - is my ESD claim approved?

Congrats! The waiting week status means your claim has been approved. In Washington, the first eligible week of unemployment is always a \

Oh thank you so much! That's a huge relief. So I should expect to see payment after I file next week? Do they direct deposit or send a card? It's been so long I can't remember how I got paid last time.

the waiting week is normal it means ur first week is unpayed that doesnt mean ur aproved though. my claim said waiting week but then i got stuck in adjudication for like 2 months!!! keep an eye on ur claim status page to make sure it doesnt say pending or adjudication

Oh no, that's concerning. Where exactly do I check for adjudication status? I don't see anything saying

WAITING WEEK DOESN'T ALWAYS MEAN APPROVED!! The system automatically marks your first week as waiting week even before they've fully processed your claim. Mine showed waiting week but then got stuck in adjudication for 5 weeks before actually being approved. Don't assume anything until you actually see a payment hit your account for week 2.\n\nCheck under the \

That's really stressful. I don't see anything under the Decisions tab, it's just blank. Does that mean there's a problem? I guess I'll need to try calling them, but I've heard that's nearly impossible.

I went through this exact situation in January. A blank Decisions tab usually means your claim is still being processed. It doesn't mean approval or denial yet. Don't panic though!\n\nIf you were laid off (not fired for misconduct) and have sufficient work history, your claim will likely be approved without issues. The waiting week status is just the system's default for week 1.\n\nI recommend trying to reach ESD directly to confirm your status. I struggled for days trying to get through on their phone lines until I discovered Claimyr (claimyr.com). They have a service that helps you get through to an ESD agent usually within an hour instead of spending days redialing. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3\n\nIt was worth it for me to get a definitive answer about my claim status rather than stressing for weeks not knowing.

i used that claimyr thing too when i was stuck in adjutication for 2 months!! got through to esd in like 45 min when i was trying to call for WEEKS with no luck

Sometimes it takes a few days for the decision letters to show up even after you get the notification email. I'd wait another day or two before panicking. The system is slow and glitchy. If you're still not seeing anything by Monday, then I'd worry.

That's good to know about the delay with letters. I'll try to be patient until Monday before I start really worrying. Thanks!

To clarify what others have said with the most accurate information:\n\n1. The waiting week status itself doesn't confirm approval, but it's a positive sign.\n\n2. For a standard layoff situation with no complicating factors, most claims are approved within 1-2 weeks.\n\n3. Look under the \

Thank you for this detailed information! I don't see anything under Alerts, so I guess that's good. I did provide my bank info so hopefully direct deposit works. I've already started tracking my job search activities in the WorkSource journal - definitely don't want to mess anything up by missing those requirements.

Did you check your spam folder for the letter? Sometimes ESD emails go there. Also, make sure you're checking both the \

I just checked spam and there's nothing there from ESD. I didn't realize there were two different places to check for documents! I'll look for a separate Letters section when I log back in. This system seems unnecessarily complicated.

Quick update on my earlier comment - I should clarify that while the waiting week status is generally a positive sign, the official approval comes in the form of a determination letter. Since you were laid off (not fired for cause or quit), your claim should be straightforward and likely to be approved.\n\nThe ESD system in 2025 is better than it was during the pandemic years, but there are still delays and glitches. The most important thing right now is to:\n\n1. Continue filing your weekly claims on time\n2. Complete your 3 job search activities each week\n3. Document everything in your WorkSource job search log\n4. Check your online account daily for new letters\n\nIf you haven't seen any determination by the time you file your second weekly claim, then I would recommend trying to contact ESD directly.

Thanks for the additional info! I'll keep filing and documenting everything carefully. If I don't see anything definitive by my second claim, I'll try to contact them directly. Really appreciate all the help!