Does Washington ESD unemployment back pay from when you first applied?
I'm confused about how back pay works with Washington ESD. I applied for unemployment 6 weeks ago but my claim just got approved yesterday after being stuck in adjudication. Will I get paid for all those weeks I was waiting, or do I only get money starting from when it was approved? I've been doing my weekly claims this whole time but haven't received anything yet. Really need to know because I'm behind on rent and bills.
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Hazel Garcia
Yes, you should get back pay for all eligible weeks from when you first applied, as long as you kept filing your weekly claims during the adjudication period. Washington ESD pays retroactively once your claim is approved.
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Salim Nasir
AuthorThat's such a relief! Do you know how long it usually takes for the back pay to show up?
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Hazel Garcia
Usually 2-3 business days after approval. Check your payment history on your ESD account to track it.
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Laila Fury
I had the same situation last year - took 8 weeks to get through adjudication but I got every penny of back pay. Just make sure you filed weekly claims for all those weeks or you won't get paid for the ones you missed.
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Salim Nasir
AuthorYeah I made sure to file every week even though I wasn't getting paid. Glad I did that now!
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Geoff Richards
Smart move. I know people who gave up filing weekly claims and lost out on thousands in back pay.
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Simon White
The back pay will cover your entire benefit period from your application date, but only for weeks you actually filed claims. Washington ESD won't automatically pay for weeks you didn't file, even if you were eligible. Also make sure your job search requirements were met for each week if that applies to your claim type.
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Salim Nasir
AuthorI kept doing job searches and logging them in WorkSourceWA just in case. Hope that was the right thing to do.
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Simon White
Definitely the right move. Better to have done the job searches and not need them than the other way around.
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Hugo Kass
Wait, do you have to do job searches even during adjudication? I thought you only started after approval.
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Nasira Ibanez
Ugh this whole adjudication process is such BS. I've been waiting 4 weeks now and still no word from Washington ESD. Called probably 200 times and can never get through to a human. How are we supposed to get answers when they make it impossible to reach them?
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Khalil Urso
I was in the same boat until I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com). They actually got me connected to a Washington ESD agent within an hour. Sounds too good to be true but it worked - there's even a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ
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Nasira Ibanez
Never heard of that. Is it legit or some kind of scam?
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Khalil Urso
I was skeptical too but it's totally legitimate. They just help you get through the phone queue faster. Saved me hours of calling and redialing.
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Myles Regis
six weeks in adjudication is crazy but not unusual unfortunately. mine took 5 weeks last summer. the back pay came through fine though, just took forever to process initially
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Salim Nasir
AuthorDid you get any explanation for why adjudication took so long?
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Myles Regis
they said it was because my previous employer contested the claim but i never heard anything about that until after it was resolved
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Hazel Garcia
One thing to watch out for - sometimes there are issues with the back pay calculation if you had any part-time work during those weeks. Make sure to double-check the amounts against what you reported on your weekly claims.
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Salim Nasir
AuthorI didn't work at all during those weeks so hopefully it should be straightforward.
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Brian Downey
Yeah if you had zero earnings it should be the full weekly benefit amount for each week. Much simpler calculation.
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Jacinda Yu
The waiting game with Washington ESD is brutal. I remember checking my account every day during adjudication hoping something would change. At least you're finally approved - that's the hardest part!
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Salim Nasir
AuthorYes! Such a weight off my shoulders. Now I just need to see that money hit my account.
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Landon Flounder
Usually deposits on Tuesday or Wednesday if it processes over the weekend. Keep checking!
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Callum Savage
For anyone else dealing with long adjudication times, I highly recommend that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier. I used it two weeks ago when my claim got stuck and was able to speak with someone at Washington ESD the same day. Turns out there was just one document they needed that I could upload online. Would have saved me weeks of waiting if I'd known about it sooner.
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Ally Tailer
How much does it cost? Seems like something that should be free.
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Callum Savage
I agree it shouldn't be necessary, but when you're dealing with bills piling up, it's worth it to get through faster. The peace of mind alone was valuable.
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Aliyah Debovski
I looked into this and it seems like they just help you navigate the phone system more efficiently. Not a bad idea if you're stuck.
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Miranda Singer
FINALLY someone else who understands the nightmare of Washington ESD adjudication! Mine took 7 weeks and I almost lost my apartment. The back pay saved me but the stress was unreal. System is completely broken.
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Salim Nasir
AuthorI'm so sorry you went through that. It's ridiculous that they make people wait so long for money they're entitled to.
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Cass Green
The worst part is how they give you no updates during the process. Just 'adjudication in progress' for weeks on end.
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Finley Garrett
Make sure to keep records of your back pay when you get it. I got an overpayment notice months later that turned out to be their mistake, but I had to prove the payments were correct.
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Salim Nasir
AuthorGood point - I'll screenshot everything once the payments come through.
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Madison Tipne
Smart. Washington ESD's payment tracking isn't always accurate so having your own records helps.
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Holly Lascelles
I keep a spreadsheet of all my weekly claims and payments. Saved me during an audit last year.
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Malia Ponder
The back pay should include any waiting week credit too if this is your first claim in the benefit year. Don't forget about that - it's an extra week's worth of benefits.
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Salim Nasir
AuthorOh I didn't know about that! This is my first unemployment claim ever so that would apply to me.
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Malia Ponder
Yeah, they eliminated the waiting week a few years ago so now you get paid for that first week too. Should show up with your back pay.
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Kyle Wallace
Just wanted to add that if anyone is still struggling to get through to Washington ESD about adjudication issues, that Claimyr thing really does work. I was skeptical but used it last month and actually got my issue resolved. Sometimes you just need to talk to a real person to move things along.
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Ryder Ross
I might have to try that. Been calling for two weeks straight with no luck getting through.
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Kyle Wallace
It's definitely worth it if you're stuck. The phone system is just overwhelmed otherwise.
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Gianni Serpent
Congrats on getting approved! The back pay will definitely help catch up on everything. I remember that feeling of relief when my claim finally went through.
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Salim Nasir
AuthorThank you! I can finally breathe a little easier knowing the money is coming.
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Henry Delgado
Pro tip: set up direct deposit if you haven't already. The debit card option can have delays sometimes and you want that back pay as fast as possible.
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Salim Nasir
AuthorAlready have direct deposit set up thankfully. Learned that lesson from a friend who had to wait extra days for the card.
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Olivia Kay
Good call. Direct deposit is definitely the way to go for faster access to funds.
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Joshua Hellan
The whole adjudication process needs to be reformed. Six weeks is way too long to make people wait for benefits they've earned. Glad yours is finally resolved though.
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Salim Nasir
AuthorCompletely agree. No one should have to stress for weeks wondering if they'll be able to pay their bills.
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Jibriel Kohn
It's gotten better than it was during COVID but still way too slow for people who need the money to survive.
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