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

Oh thank god, that's such a relief! I was worried I'd have to wait an extra week for my first payment. So I just file normally then?

Yes, just file your weekly claims as normal. The payment should process if everything else is approved.

That's correct. Many people still think there's a waiting week because other states still have them, but Washington ESD doesn't require one anymore.

Wait really? I thought I had to wait a week when I filed last year. Maybe I'm remembering wrong or my claim had other issues.

How does that service work? I've been trying to call Washington ESD for days and can never get through.

It basically calls for you and gets you connected to an actual person. Way better than sitting on hold for hours just to get hung up on.

Is that legit? Sounds too good to be true but I'm desperate to talk to someone at Washington ESD about my claim.

Thanks for the clarification! I was confused because my mom had to do a waiting week years ago but that must have been before they changed it.

Exactly right. The waiting week was a thing for decades before 2020, so older information might still mention it.

You might be thinking of a different issue. Sometimes the first payment is delayed for other reasons like identity verification or job separation verification, but that's not a waiting week.

OH! That might be it. My claim was held up for identity verification for like 2 weeks. I was confusing that delay with a waiting week.

This happens to a lot of people. Delays aren't the same as waiting weeks but they feel the same when you need money.

Yes! That's exactly what happened to me. I was reading about other states accidentally.

Pro tip: always add 'Washington' or 'WA' to your unemployment searches to get state-specific info.

How long did it take for your claim to get approved? Mine is still showing 'under review' after a week.

Mine took about 10 days but I know some people wait longer if there are complications with their job separation or work history.

Good to know. I did some gig work last week so I'll make sure to report that correctly.

Yes, always report all work and earnings even if it's just a few hours. Washington ESD will calculate the deduction from your benefit amount.

How much does that cost? If it's reasonable I might try it because I've been calling for weeks with no luck.

Check their website for pricing. For me it was worth it just to get actual answers instead of guessing about my claim.

Right? I felt dumb asking but there's so much confusing info out there.

No stupid questions when it comes to unemployment. The system is confusing enough without outdated information floating around.

I must have missed that when I was looking. Thanks for pointing me to the right section!

Sometimes the website search function doesn't work great so it's easy to miss important info like that.

That's reassuring to hear from someone with experience. I was really worried about having to go another week without income.

Yeah the waiting week thing is from like the old days. Washington got rid of it and it's been great for people who need benefits right away.

It varies by state. Washington eliminated it but many other states still have waiting weeks. Your brother's experience in Oregon doesn't apply to Washington claims.

Ah ok that makes sense. I was mixing up the state rules. Thanks for clarifying!

What kind of other reasons? I want to know what to expect.

Things like identity verification, job separation issues, or if your employer contests your claim. These aren't waiting weeks but they can delay your first payment.

This is good info. I was freaking out when my first payment was late but it was just identity verification holding it up.

Good reminder! I was wondering if I should skip the first week but I'll definitely file it now.

Yes this is important! If you don't file for a week you can't go back and get benefits for that week later.

I keep seeing people mention this Claimyr thing. Might have to check it out because calling Washington ESD directly is impossible.

Seriously try it. I wasted so many hours trying to call myself before someone recommended it to me.

Perfect timing on this info since I'm filing for January too. Thanks for the recent confirmation!

No problem! It's always nerve-wracking filing for the first time so I wanted to share my recent experience.

This is exactly the summary I needed! Thanks everyone for all the helpful responses. I feel much less stressed about this now.

Glad this thread helped! Unemployment can be really confusing especially when you're already stressed about money.