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Maggie Martinez

Do you get paid for the waiting week of unemployment in Washington ESD?

I just filed my first unemployment claim with Washington ESD and I'm confused about the waiting week. My friend told me there's a waiting week where you don't get paid but I can't find clear info on the website. Do you actually get paid for that first week or not? I filed my weekly claim but I'm not sure if I should expect payment. This is my first time dealing with unemployment so I'm pretty lost on how this all works.

There is no waiting week in Washington state anymore. They eliminated it back in 2018. You should get paid for your first week if you're eligible and file your weekly claim correctly.

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Oh that's a relief! So I should expect payment for that first week then? How long does it usually take to get the first payment?

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Usually takes about 3-5 business days after you file your weekly claim, assuming there are no issues with your claim.

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wait what? i thought there was still a waiting week... i've been telling everyone they don't get paid for the first week

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Nope, Washington eliminated the waiting week requirement several years ago. You might be thinking of other states that still have it.

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oh man i feel dumb now lol thanks for clearing that up

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I had the same confusion when I first filed! But yeah, no waiting week in WA. Just make sure you file your weekly claims on time every week. If your claim gets stuck in adjudication though, that's a different story - you won't get paid until that's resolved.

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What's adjudication? Is that something I should be worried about?

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It's when they need to review something about your claim before they can approve it. Could be job separation issues, identity verification, stuff like that. Most claims go through fine but some get flagged for review.

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If you do get stuck in adjudication and can't reach anyone at Washington ESD, I found this service called Claimyr that helped me get through to an actual agent. They have a website at claimyr.com and there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

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Your friend probably lives in a different state. Lots of states still have waiting weeks but Washington doesn't. Make sure you're looking at Washington ESD info specifically, not general unemployment info.

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Yeah that's probably it. She's in Oregon and I think they might still have a waiting week there.

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Oregon definitely still has a waiting week. So does California and most other states. Washington is actually pretty good about not having one.

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Just to be super clear - Washington state eliminated the waiting week in 2018. You get paid for week 1 as long as you meet all the other eligibility requirements (job search, able and available, etc.). The confusion comes because most states still have waiting weeks.

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That makes sense. So I just need to make sure I'm doing the job search requirements and filing my weekly claims on time?

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Exactly. You need to be actively looking for work and report your job search activities when you file your weekly claim. Keep track of where you apply because they can audit your job search log.

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How many jobs do you have to apply to each week? I keep seeing different numbers.

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The job search requirement is 3 job search activities per week in Washington. Can be applications, networking, career counseling, etc. Just make sure you document everything.

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Thanks! Do they actually check this stuff or is it just honor system?

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They can audit you randomly or if something seems suspicious. Better to keep good records just in case.

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I remember being confused about this too when I first filed. The Washington ESD website could definitely be clearer about the waiting week thing. It's buried in the FAQ somewhere.

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Yeah I spent like an hour trying to find a clear answer on their website. This thread has been way more helpful.

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Their website is pretty confusing in general. I always have trouble finding what I need on there.

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For what it's worth, when I called Washington ESD to ask about this exact question, I was on hold for 2 hours before giving up. The phone system is awful.

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Tell me about it. I've never successfully gotten through to a human there. The phone system just hangs up on you after a certain amount of time.

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That's exactly why I used Claimyr when I needed to talk to someone. Way easier than dealing with the phone system myself.

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What's Claimyr? Never heard of it.

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It's a service that helps you get through to Washington ESD agents without having to deal with the terrible phone system. They basically call for you and connect you when they get through. Saved me hours of frustration.

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That sounds too good to be true. How much does it cost?

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I'd rather not get into pricing here but it was worth it for me when I was stuck in adjudication hell. Check out their site claimyr.com if you're interested.

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Back to the original question - no waiting week in WA. Just make sure you file your weekly claims every week and do your job search. If you miss a week of filing, you can lose that week's benefits permanently.

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Good to know! What day of the week do you usually file? Is there a best time?

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You can file Sunday through Saturday for the previous week. I usually file on Sunday mornings when the system is less busy.

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I always file on Tuesday or Wednesday. Seems like the system is more stable mid-week.

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One thing to watch out for - even though there's no waiting week, your first payment might be delayed if there are any verification issues. Make sure all your info is correct when you first file.

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What kind of verification issues? I thought I filled everything out correctly.

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Could be identity verification, employment history verification, reason for separation from your last job. Usually minor stuff but it can delay your first payment.

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I wish they would just put a big banner on the website saying 'NO WAITING WEEK IN WASHINGTON' because this question comes up constantly. So many people get confused about it.

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Seriously. The number of times I've seen this question on Facebook groups and Reddit is crazy.

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Well this thread definitely cleared it up for me! Thanks everyone for the help.

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Just to add one more confirmation - filed my claim in January 2025 and got paid for my first week. No waiting week. The system works pretty smoothly if you don't have any complications.

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Same here. Filed in December and got my first payment within a week. Much better than I expected based on all the horror stories.

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The horror stories are usually from people who have complications or get stuck in adjudication. If your claim is straightforward, it's actually pretty smooth.

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For future reference, if you ever need to contact Washington ESD and can't get through on the phone, that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier actually works. Used it last month when I had a question about my claim status.

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How long did it take them to connect you?

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About 30 minutes. Way better than the 3+ hours I spent trying to call myself with no success.

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Bottom line for OP - you should get paid for your first week if you're eligible. File your weekly claims on time, do your job search, and you should be good to go. Washington doesn't have a waiting week anymore.

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Perfect, that's exactly what I needed to know. Thanks everyone!

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Good luck with your claim! Hope everything goes smoothly for you.

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