Does Washington ESD unemployment pay weekly or biweekly - confused about payment schedule

Thanks! So I file weekly and get paid weekly? That makes sense. I was worried I'd have to wait two weeks between payments.

Yeah but sometimes there are delays if there are issues with your claim. I had to wait 3 weeks for my first payment because of some verification thing.

That makes sense! So I file every week but only get paid every other week. Thanks for clearing that up.

Yeah exactly, and the payment usually comes on Tuesday or Wednesday after you file your second weekly claim

Good to know about not missing weeks! What happens if I'm late filing by a few hours?

As long as you file before the deadline the following Saturday, you should be fine. But don't make it a habit - they want consistency.

Good to know! I was worried I was doing something wrong since I wasn't seeing weekly payments.

This tripped me up for like a month when I first started claiming lol

Thanks for the tip! I've been trying to call Washington ESD for days with no luck.

Never heard of claimyr before but might be worth trying if the phone lines are still impossible

Wait is this legit? How does it work exactly?

How much does that cost? I'm already struggling financially and can't afford extra fees.

It's really reasonable compared to the time you save. Plus when you're not getting payments because of confusion, getting answers quickly pays for itself.

I might try this too. I've been calling for days about my claim status with no luck.

I filed on a Sunday so I think I'm on the standard schedule. Still learning all these details!

The filing day doesn't really change the biweekly schedule, but it can affect which weeks you're claiming for

What kind of job search verification? I thought you just had to look for work.

You have to keep a log of your job search activities and sometimes they audit it. Make sure you're documenting everything properly.

6 months?? How long can you stay on unemployment benefits in Washington?

Usually up to 26 weeks for regular UI benefits, depends on your work history and the economy

Some people can get extensions but thats rare these days

That's usually because of banking processing times, not Washington ESD. Direct deposit is faster than getting a debit card.

i have direct deposit set up but still inconsistent timing

You get paid for the week you just reported. So if you file on Sunday for the previous week, payment usually comes Tuesday-Thursday of that same week.

Okay that makes more sense. And holidays?

Holidays can delay payments by a day or two but you still need to file your weekly claim on schedule.

That's usually because of part-time work earnings that get deducted from your weekly benefit. Did you report any work hours or earnings?

Oh yeah, I had a few hours of work one week. So they deduct that from my unemployment?

Yes, but there's an earnings disregard formula. You can work part-time and still get some unemployment benefits.

Yeah it really is confusing! Why not just make everything weekly if you have to file weekly?

I think it's just how their computer system processes payments. Easier to batch them biweekly

Good tip! I'll double-check my address info.

How fast did Claimyr get you connected? I'm getting desperate trying to reach ESD.

Usually within an hour, sometimes less. Way better than spending all day redialing.

Thanks for the reminder! I've been keeping track in my WorkSourceWA account.

Yeah they're pretty strict about the job search requirements now

What counts as a job search activity? Just applying for jobs?

Good to know I'm not the only one who was confused about this!

They should really make this clearer on their website

This is super helpful! So I should expect payment 2-3 days after filing my second weekly claim.

Yep that's been my experience. Sometimes takes until Thursday if there's a holiday

And if your payment is delayed or you need to check status, that's when services like claimyr can help you actually reach a Washington ESD agent to find out what's going on

Oh wow, that's important to know! So I can't skip a week even if I forgot?

You can file late claims but it's more complicated. Better to just set a reminder and file on time every week

I learned this the hard way when I missed a Sunday deadline and lost two weeks of benefits

Yeah I can see how that would mess with budgeting. At least it's predictable though.

I actually like getting bigger payments less often, feels like more money even though its the same amount

I think it's just their system setup. Processing payments takes time and resources so biweekly is more efficient for them.

Some states do weekly, some biweekly. Washington has always been biweekly as far as I know

Probably saves them money on processing fees and administrative costs

What's a waiting week? I haven't heard of that before.

First week of your claim is unpaid - it's like a deductible. You get it back when your claim ends if you qualify

Yeah the waiting week is annoying but everyone has to do it

I might need to try that if I have more questions. The phone lines are always busy when I call.

How much does something like that cost? Seems too good to be true

It's worth it when you consider how much time you save not sitting on hold. Check out their demo video to see if it makes sense for your situation

Thanks! That's a good way to remember it - file weekly, paid biweekly.

Simple but accurate summary lol

Good idea about the reminder! I'll set one up too.

I do Sunday mornings right after coffee. Making it a routine helps

Yeah routine is key. I file mine every Sunday around 9am like clockwork

Perfect summary! This clears up all my confusion. Thanks everyone for the help!

Should pin this comment at the top, great explanation

Yep this covers all the important points about the payment schedule

What happens if you miss a week by accident?

You can sometimes file for past weeks but you need a good reason and it's a hassle. Better to just never miss a week.

The weekly system helps track your job search efforts and availability for work more accurately. It's designed to make sure you're actively looking for employment.

i guess that makes sense but still annoying to remember every week

That's a great idea! I'll set that up right now.

I do the same thing. Also helps to file at the same time each week so it becomes routine.

Standby status still requires weekly filing and payments are on the same schedule. The main difference is you don't have to job search while on standby.

Perfect, thanks for clarifying that!

This is so true. I learned to never count on the money being there on a specific day.

Yeah the system is reliable overall but timing can vary. Having a small buffer helps.

I keep hearing about Claimyr in these threads. Might be worth trying if I run into issues.

I was skeptical at first but when you really need to talk to someone at ESD, it's a lifesaver.

Perfect summary! This thread has been really helpful.

Agreed, this cleared up a lot of confusion for me too.