Do you get paid for waiting week unemployment Washington ESD - still confused about this

Wait so that's just $400+ that I'll never see? That doesn't seem right

That's correct - the waiting week is unpaid. It's Washington state law, not just a Washington ESD policy decision.

So basically I lose a week of benefits no matter what? Even if I did everything right?

Exactly. Even if your claim is perfect, you still have the unpaid waiting week. It's not based on your actions.

This is so frustrating when you're already financially stressed from losing your job

Never heard of that service, does it actually work or is it a scam?

It's legit, they just help you get through the phone system faster. I was skeptical too but it actually connected me to a real Washington ESD agent.

I've used similar services before for other agencies. They're usually worth it when you can't get through normally.

I think it's supposed to discourage people from filing for unemployment unless they really need it

Well that's stupid because people who file for unemployment DO really need it

The waiting week has been part of Washington unemployment law for decades. It's not unique to our state either.

Okay that makes more sense. So I still get the full benefit amount over the year, just spread over 51 weeks instead of 52?

No, you actually get one less week of benefits total. If your weekly benefit is $400, you lose that $400 permanently.

Ugh that's even worse than I thought

No exceptions. Everyone has to serve the waiting week regardless of why they became unemployed.

Even if you're on standby from your employer you still have the waiting week

The phone system is brutal. I gave up trying to call after a week of busy signals

That's exactly why I ended up trying Claimyr - the regular phone system was impossible

Yeah I should have looked for something like that. Would have saved me so much frustration

Depends on if your claim needs adjudication. If it's straightforward: file today (week 1), file weekly claim next week (week 2), first payment comes week 3.

Three weeks before any money? That's rough when you're already unemployed

And that's assuming no delays. Adjudication can add weeks or months to the process.

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

Standby is when your employer expects to recall you within a certain timeframe, but you still get unemployment benefits while waiting

Correct, and standby claims still have the same waiting week requirement as regular unemployment claims.

Same here, I was already planning how to spend that money

It's a common mistake. The waiting week catches a lot of people off guard financially.

Seriously check out Claimyr if you need to talk to someone. It's the only way I've been able to get through consistently when I have questions.

Is it expensive? I'm already tight on money

I think it's worth it when you consider how much time you save vs calling repeatedly. Plus they actually get you to a real person.

Wait what? So even if Washington ESD takes forever to process my claim, I still don't get paid for week 1?

That's correct. The waiting week is based on when you file, not when you get approved.

This system is so messed up

Very common confusion. As long as your claim shows 'paid' status, even with $0, that's normal for the waiting week.

Yeah that's exactly what mine shows too. Good to know it's working correctly.

right? like 'unpaid week' would be more accurate

Or 'penalty week' since that's basically what it is

The waiting week counts as one of your 26 weeks, so yes, you only get paid for 25 weeks maximum.

That's so frustrating. You lose benefits both ways.

Exactly. It reduces both your weekly count and your total benefit amount.

Yes, the waiting week applies regardless of adjudication delays. Your first compensable week will still be unpaid.

That's ridiculous. So I'm being punished twice - once for the delay and once for the waiting week

I was in adjudication for 2 months and still had to do the waiting week. It really does add insult to injury.

This is another situation where Claimyr helped me - I was able to get status updates during my adjudication instead of just waiting in the dark.

It's Washington state law, so there's no appealing it. Every unemployment claim has the waiting week requirement.

I looked into this too when I first filed. There's literally no way around it.

Same here. This thread has been really helpful for understanding what's actually going to happen.

Yeah it's better to know upfront than be surprised by it later

Seriously. Like being unemployed isn't hard enough without losing a week of benefits too.

At least it's only one week I guess. Could be worse.

Still feels unfair though

Agreed, this thread explained it better than any official documentation I've found

The Washington ESD website could definitely do a better job explaining basic concepts like the waiting week.