ESD approved claim but no payment after 3 weeks - normal wait time?

This happened to me last month! Approved but no $$ for almost 4 weeks. turns out there was a payment block on my account that wasnt showing up anywhere on my dashboard. SO ANNOYING. He needs to actually talk to a claims specialist on the phone, not just use the chat.

There are a few common reasons for approved claims not paying out: 1. Verification hold - They might be verifying identity or wages 2. Payment block - Sometimes happens with first payments 3. Banking information errors - Check if direct deposit info is correct 4. Weekly claim issues - Has he been filing weekly claims correctly? He should keep filing his weekly claims while this gets sorted. And no, calling the governor's office isn't the solution - that's just going to delay things further.

my claim took 6 weeks to get first payment after approval!!! esd is TERRIBLE with this stuff and theres nothing we can do about it. they'll backpay him eventually but its gonna take forever because the system is broken

Have your son check if his claim shows any pending issues or adjudication status. Sometimes these don't appear in obvious places on the dashboard. Also, he should check if there's a 'waiting week' being applied - Washington state typically has a one-week waiting period where you don't get paid even though you're approved. The critical thing is to speak with an actual claims specialist. He'll need to keep calling the main ESD number (800-318-6022) early in the morning when they open. It can take dozens of attempts to get through due to their call volume issues.

I was in this EXACT situation in July! Approved but nothing happening. I wasted so many mornings trying to call ESD. My neighbor told me about Claimyr.com which got me connected to an actual ESD agent after trying for weeks on my own. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 showing how it works. Turned out I had an identity verification flag that needed clearing but wasn't showing on my account. The agent fixed it in 10 minutes once I actually got through!

Tell him to check his spam folder for emails from ESD!!! I had the EXACT same problem and it turned out they had sent me an email asking for additional documentation but it went to my spam. My claim sat there for weeks because I didn't see it! Also sometimes they mail you stuff instead of using the eServices portal which makes NO SENSE.

ESD claims specialist here. When a claim shows as 'approved' but payments aren't processing, it's typically due to one of these issues: 1. Payment hold flag - Often due to identity verification needs 2. Bank account verification issues 3. Eligibility questions that arose after initial approval 4. System processing delays (less common but does happen) The online chat agents don't have the authority to see or clear these flags. Your son needs to speak with a claims adjudicator or payment specialist. I recommend: 1. Continue filing weekly claims correctly 2. Check all correspondence (mail, email, eServices messages) 3. Call the claims center at 800-318-6022 And to clear up a misconception: the governor's office can't expedite claims - they'll just route it back to the same ESD queue.

An update would be great when your son figures out what the issue was! It helps others with similar problems. In my experience, most payment delays after approval are resolved within 2-3 weeks once you get through to the right person. The challenge is getting through their phone system.

UPDATE: Success! My son FINALLY got through to ESD this morning. Turns out there was an identity verification hold that wasn't showing up anywhere on his account. They needed him to upload his driver's license and social security card to verify his identity, which he did while on the phone. The agent said payments should process within 48 hours and include all backpay. The agent also mentioned this is super common right now due to increased fraud prevention measures. Thanks everyone for the advice! Special thanks to whoever suggested Claimyr - that's what finally got him through after trying for days.