Do you have to pay for Washington ESD unemployment benefits when you apply?

No, unemployment benefits are completely free! Washington ESD doesn't charge any fees to file your initial claim or receive weekly payments. Your friend might be thinking of something else or got some bad information.

Unemployment insurance is funded through employer taxes, not claimant fees. You've already 'paid' for it through the work you did at covered employers. Washington ESD administers the program but never charges recipients.

I had trouble getting through to Washington ESD when I filed my claim last month. Kept getting busy signals and dropped calls. If you run into the same problem, I used Claimyr.com to get connected to an actual agent. They have this video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Made the whole process way easier than trying to call myself.

BEWARE OF SCAMS! There are fake websites that try to charge you to file unemployment claims. Only use the official Washington ESD website at esd.wa.gov. Never pay anyone to help you file - it's designed to be done by yourself for free.

The only 'cost' is that your benefits might be subject to federal and state income taxes, but that's not a fee - it's just regular tax treatment. You can choose to have taxes withheld from your weekly payments or pay them later when you file your tax return.

just filed mine last week, whole thing was free through the website. took like 20 minutes

Maybe your friend was talking about having to pay back overpayments? Like if Washington ESD determines you received benefits you weren't entitled to, you'd have to repay those. But that's different from paying to apply.

I've been on unemployment twice in the past five years and never paid a dime to Washington ESD. The benefits are there to help you get back on your feet, not make your financial situation worse!

One thing to watch out for - some job search websites or resume services might try to target unemployed people with paid services. Those aren't required for your unemployment claim. Washington ESD has free job search resources through WorkSourceWA.

lol no you dont pay for unemployment thats like the whole point. if you had to pay for it when you're already broke it would be pretty useless

Just to be completely clear: filing your initial claim is free, filing weekly claims is free, receiving payments is free, and accessing Washington ESD services is free. The program exists specifically to provide financial assistance to eligible unemployed workers.

maybe she was thinking of disability insurance or something else? lots of people confuse different benefit programs

The system is confusing enough without having to worry about hidden fees. Glad you asked before stressing about it!

I remember being confused about this too when I first filed. It's totally normal to have questions about the process. The important thing is you're asking and getting correct information.

Pro tip: when you do file, make sure you have all your employment information handy - dates of employment, employer contact info, and reason for separation. Having everything organized will make the process smoother.

Also remember that once you file, you'll need to file weekly claims to continue receiving benefits. Those are also completely free, but you do need to do them every week to keep your benefits active.

If you do run into any issues with the online system or need to speak with someone at Washington ESD, remember that Claimyr service I mentioned earlier. Sometimes it's worth using when you can't get through on your own and need answers quickly.

you should be good to go then! dont stress about it too much, the system works pretty well most of the time

Welcome to the community! Don't hesitate to ask more questions as you go through the process. We've all been there and are happy to help.

good luck with your claim! hope you find work soon but at least you'll have some income while you're looking