Do I get unemployment every week from Washington ESD?

Oh okay that makes more sense! I was expecting money after just one weekly claim filing.

Yeah it's confusing at first. The weekly claim filing is separate from when you actually get paid.

What happens if I miss the Sunday deadline? Can I still file late?

You can file late but you won't get paid for that week. You'll need to restart your weekly claim filing the following week.

Is that legit? I've been trying to call Washington ESD for weeks about my adjudication.

Yeah it worked for me. I was skeptical too but got through in like 20 minutes instead of spending hours redialing.

How much does it cost though? I'm already broke waiting for my benefits.

Right?! They should explain this better when you first apply.

There's usually a waiting week too for new claims, which adds to the confusion.

Wait what?? Nobody told me about job search requirements. Where do I log these?

You log them in your WorkSourceWA account. You need to create an account there if you don't have one already.

The job search requirement is 3 activities per week unless you're on standby status with your employer.

same here! i never know when to expect it

Bank holidays and processing delays can affect the exact day, but it should always be within that Tuesday-Wednesday window generally.

If your weekly claims show 'paid' but you haven't received money, there might be an issue with your payment method or bank account information. You should contact Washington ESD.

This is exactly why I mentioned Claimyr earlier. Getting through to someone at Washington ESD to fix payment issues is nearly impossible otherwise.

I'll check out that Claimyr thing. I'm desperate at this point.

This is really helpful, thank you! I wish they explained all this upfront.

Also make sure your direct deposit info is correct or you'll be waiting even longer for paper checks.

8 months?? I thought unemployment only lasted 6 months max?

Regular unemployment in Washington is up to 26 weeks, but there can be extensions available depending on unemployment rates and federal programs.

That's what happened to me! Still in adjudication after 3 weeks.

Adjudication issues are another good reason to use something like Claimyr to actually talk to someone. They can sometimes explain what's holding up your claim.

I was in adjudication for 6 weeks once. Never did find out what the issue was, it just randomly resolved.

How do I set that up? I don't see that option in my account.

It's under account settings or notification preferences. Sometimes the website is glitchy though.

I think you have to use the website. I don't think Washington ESD has a mobile app for weekly claims.

Correct, weekly claims must be filed through the secure website, not through any mobile app.

What's standby status? Is that different from regular unemployment?

Standby means your employer expects to call you back to work within a certain timeframe. You don't have to actively job search in the same way.

This happened to me too! Payment went from $450 to $200 with no explanation.

Usually benefit amount changes are due to additional wages being reported or changes in your base year calculation. You should have received a notice explaining the change.

What time on Sunday does the deadline end?

i think it's like 11:59 PM sunday but don't wait that long, sometimes the website crashes

What kind of questions do they ask on the weekly claim?

Things like did you work any hours, did you look for work, are you able and available to work, did you refuse any job offers. Pretty standard stuff.

This is great advice. I wish I had done this from the beginning.

Yes! And print out or save copies of your payment history regularly in case the website has issues.

I'm going to try this. Been calling for 2 weeks about an overpayment notice with no luck.

Thanks for mentioning this service. Seems like a lot of people have had success with it.

exactly!! like why is it so hard to explain that you file weekly but get paid bi-weekly?

Agreed. The process itself isn't that complicated once you understand it, but the communication could be much better.

Glad we could help! Feel free to ask if you have more questions as you go through the process.

Good luck! It gets easier once you get into the routine of it.