Do you receive unemployment every week - Washington ESD payment schedule confusion
I'm really confused about how Washington ESD unemployment payments work. Do you actually receive unemployment every week or is it different? I just filed my initial claim last month and I'm not sure what to expect. Some people are telling me it's weekly, others say it depends on your claim type. I've been filing my weekly claims on the website but haven't gotten any payments yet. My claim status just says 'processed' but no money has hit my account. Is this normal? How often should I actually expect to get paid?
56 comments


Jordan Walker
Yes, Washington ESD pays unemployment benefits weekly if you're eligible and file your weekly claims on time. You need to file every week even if you haven't received your first payment yet. The key is to keep filing those weekly claims consistently.
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Emily Sanjay
•Thanks! So I should keep filing even though I haven't been paid anything yet? It's been 3 weeks since my initial claim.
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Jordan Walker
•Absolutely keep filing. Those weekly claims establish your continued eligibility. If there's an issue with your initial claim, you don't want gaps in your filing history.
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Natalie Adams
i think it depends on when you file your weekly claim, mine always comes on tuesday or wednesday
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Emily Sanjay
•What day do you usually file your weekly claim? I've been doing mine on Sunday nights.
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Natalie Adams
•sunday is good, that's what i do too. just takes a few days to process and hit your account
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Elijah O'Reilly
If your claim status shows 'processed' but you're not getting payments, there might be an adjudication issue holding things up. Have you checked your account for any pending eligibility determinations? Sometimes Washington ESD needs to verify your work history or separation reason before releasing payments.
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Emily Sanjay
•I don't see anything about adjudication in my account. Where would I look for that specifically?
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Elijah O'Reilly
•Log into your account and check under 'Claim Status' and also look for any alerts or messages. Sometimes they send correspondence through the online system.
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Amara Torres
•This happened to me too! Turned out they needed additional documentation from my employer. I had to call Washington ESD to find out what was holding up my claim.
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Olivia Van-Cleve
Getting through to Washington ESD by phone can be really challenging with their high call volume. If you need to talk to someone about why your payments haven't started, I recently discovered Claimyr (claimyr.com) which helps you actually reach an agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me hours of calling and getting disconnected.
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Emily Sanjay
•Really? I've been trying to call for days and can never get through. Does this actually work?
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Olivia Van-Cleve
•It worked for me. I was able to speak with an actual Washington ESD representative and get my issue resolved. Much better than spending all day redialing.
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Mason Kaczka
•Interesting, never heard of this service before. Might have to check it out since I can never get through either.
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Sophia Russo
THE WASHINGTON ESD SYSTEM IS SO BROKEN!!! I've been waiting 6 weeks for my first payment and they keep giving me the runaround. Weekly claims, weekly claims, weekly claims - but WHERE IS THE MONEY???
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Evelyn Xu
•I feel your frustration. Have you tried contacting your state representative's office? Sometimes they can help escalate Washington ESD issues.
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Sophia Russo
•Good idea, I'm desperate enough to try anything at this point. Bills don't wait for Washington ESD to figure things out!
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Jordan Walker
To clarify the payment schedule: Washington ESD processes weekly claims Sunday through Friday, and payments typically arrive 2-3 business days after your claim is processed. So if you file Sunday night, you might see payment Tuesday or Wednesday. But this only applies once your initial claim is approved and any adjudication issues are resolved.
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Emily Sanjay
•This is really helpful. So the delay I'm experiencing is probably because my initial claim isn't fully approved yet, not because of the weekly payment schedule.
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Jordan Walker
•Exactly. Keep filing those weekly claims, but you'll need to resolve whatever is holding up your initial claim approval first.
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Amara Torres
Just want to add that some people confuse standby status with regular unemployment. If you're on standby, the payment schedule might be different. Make sure you know which type of claim you filed.
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Emily Sanjay
•How do I know if I'm on standby vs regular unemployment? I got laid off permanently from my job.
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Amara Torres
•If you were permanently laid off, you should be on regular UI benefits, not standby. Standby is for temporary layoffs where you expect to return to the same employer.
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Natalie Adams
does anyone know if you can file your weekly claim early or do you have to wait until sunday?
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Elijah O'Reilly
•You typically need to wait until Sunday to file for the previous week. The system won't let you file early.
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Natalie Adams
•ok thanks, wasn't sure about the timing
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Evelyn Xu
For anyone still having trouble reaching Washington ESD, I also used that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier. Really did help me get through to someone who could explain why my payments were delayed. Worth trying if you're stuck.
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Dominic Green
•How much does something like that cost?
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Evelyn Xu
•I'd rather not discuss pricing here, but it was worth it to finally get answers about my claim status.
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Mason Kaczka
The weekly filing requirement is really important to maintain. Even if you're not getting paid yet, gaps in your weekly claims can cause problems later when your initial claim gets approved.
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Emily Sanjay
•Good to know. I'll definitely keep filing every week then. Better safe than sorry.
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Hannah Flores
•Yep, learned this the hard way. Missed a couple weeks early on and it caused issues with my back payments.
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Kayla Jacobson
wait so if i file every sunday, when exactly does the money show up? trying to time my bills
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Jordan Walker
•Usually Tuesday or Wednesday if you file Sunday, but it can vary slightly. Don't rely on exact timing for bill payments.
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Kayla Jacobson
•got it, thanks for the heads up
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William Rivera
I was in a similar situation a few months ago. Turned out Washington ESD needed verification of my identity before they could release payments. Check if you have any pending identity verification requirements.
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Emily Sanjay
•How would I check for identity verification issues?
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William Rivera
•Log into your account and look for any pending actions or verification requests. Sometimes they're not obvious in the interface.
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Grace Lee
The system is definitely confusing for new claimants. Between weekly claims, waiting weeks, and adjudication, there are a lot of moving parts that can delay your first payment.
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Emily Sanjay
•Waiting weeks? What are those?
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Grace Lee
•It's a one-week waiting period before you can receive benefits. So even if everything is approved, your first payable week might be your second filed week.
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Emily Sanjay
•Oh great, another delay I didn't know about. This system is so complicated.
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Mia Roberts
hang in there, once everything gets sorted out the weekly payments are pretty consistent
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Emily Sanjay
•Thanks for the encouragement. Really hoping things get resolved soon.
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The Boss
If you're still not getting answers about your payment delays, that Claimyr service mentioned earlier might be your best bet. I was skeptical at first but it actually worked when I needed to reach Washington ESD about my adjudication issue.
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Emily Sanjay
•I'm definitely considering it. Seems like a lot of people here have had success with it.
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Evan Kalinowski
•Same here, couldn't get through on my own but Claimyr helped me reach someone who could actually explain what was happening with my claim.
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Victoria Charity
Just remember that even once you start receiving payments, you still need to file every week and meet all the ongoing requirements like job search activities.
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Emily Sanjay
•What are the job search requirements? I haven't seen much information about that.
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Victoria Charity
•You need to make at least 3 job search contacts per week and keep a log. The requirements are on the Washington ESD website.
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Jasmine Quinn
this whole thread is making me realize how many hoops we have to jump through just to get benefits we're entitled to
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Oscar Murphy
•Right? The system seems designed to discourage people from claiming benefits.
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Sophia Russo
•Exactly! It's like they make it as difficult as possible on purpose.
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Nora Bennett
For what it's worth, once you get through the initial hurdles, the weekly routine becomes pretty straightforward. File your claim, wait a few days, payment arrives. It's just getting to that point that's frustrating.
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Emily Sanjay
•That's reassuring. I'm hoping to get to that point soon.
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Nora Bennett
•You will. Just stay persistent with the weekly filing and follow up on any issues that come up.
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