ESD login keeps looping - which SAW service do I need to select?
I've spent the last 3 hours trying to get into my unemployment account and I'm about to throw my laptop out the window! Every time I log into SecureAccess Washington (SAW), I get stuck in some weird loop. I enter my username/password, it seems to accept it, but then just sends me back to the login page again or shows me a list of services without ESD. Is there a specific service I'm supposed to add in SAW to get to my unemployment account? I've tried "Employment Security Department" but I don't see that listed. Am I missing something obvious? This is my first time filing for unemployment after my restaurant closed last week, and I'm already lost at step one...
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Taylor To
The ESD service in SAW is actually called "Employment Security Department Unemployment Insurance" not just "Employment Security Department". You need to click on "Add a New Service" from your SAW dashboard, then select "Employment Security Department" from the list of agencies, and finally select "Unemployment Insurance". Make sure you're going through eServices.wa.gov and not some other portal.
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Oliver Cheng
AuthorThank you! I was looking for the wrong service name. I'll try adding the "Unemployment Insurance" option specifically. Fingers crossed this works!
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Ella Cofer
omg been there! the SAW thing is sooooo confusing. i think its diff if ur a new user vs existing. i had to create a whole new SAW acct bcuz my old one wouldnt connect right
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Oliver Cheng
AuthorWere you able to keep your claim info when you made a new account? I'm worried if I create a new one I'll lose everything and have to start over.
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Ella Cofer
ya ur claim stays in the system even if u make new acct. theyll connect it all based on ur SSN and stuff
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Kevin Bell
This is a super common issue with ESD's system. Here's what you need to do step by step: 1. Go to secure.esd.wa.gov/home/ (the direct ESD login page) 2. Click on "Sign in with SAW" 3. Enter your SAW credentials 4. If you're not automatically redirected to ESD, go back to your SAW dashboard 5. Click "Add a New Service" 6. Select "Employment Security Department" from the agencies list 7. Choose "Unemployment Insurance" 8. Complete any identity verification if prompted If you get stuck in a redirect loop, try clearing your browser cookies and cache. Also make sure you're not using any VPN, as ESD systems sometimes block those connections. If all else fails, use a different browser entirely (Firefox works better than Chrome for many people with the ESD site).
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Savannah Glover
I wasted 5 DAYS trying to do this last month!!! The ridiculous thing is their system sends you in circles and you can NEVER get a human on the phone!! I finally got through by using Claimyr (claimyr.com). Their service connected me to an actual ESD agent in about 15 mins after I spent days trying on my own. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 - saved my sanity dealing with this login nightmare.
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Felix Grigori
SAW CAN BE A NIGHTMARE!!! I went through the SAME EXACT THING last month and almost gave up. Here's the secret they don't tell you: make sure the email address in BOTH your SAW account AND your ESD account match EXACTLY. If they're even slightly different (like one has a capital letter and one doesn't), the system will keep looping you. Also, if you previously had an ESD account before they switched to SAW, sometimes your accounts get disconnected.
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Oliver Cheng
AuthorOh wow, I didn't even think about the email matching issue. I might have used a different email years ago when I briefly collected unemployment. I'll double check that too. Thanks!
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Felicity Bud
Has anyone checked if the ESD system is down? They do maintenance on Tuesdays 4-6am, but sometimes it extends longer or they have unexpected outages. You can check system status here: https://esd.wa.gov/unemployment/technical-information
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Max Reyes
Good point! I forgot they sometimes do random maintenance during the week too. Their status page isn't always up-to-date though.
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Oliver Cheng
UPDATE: I got in! It was actually a combination of issues. I had to: 1. Clear my browser cache completely 2. Add the right service ("Unemployment Insurance" under ESD) 3. Turn off my adblocker (who would have thought?) Now I'm finally on the right page to start my claim. Thanks everyone for the help! This was way more complicated than it needed to be.
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Kevin Bell
Glad you got it working! For anyone else reading this in the future - the adblocker issue is a known problem with ESD's verification systems. They use third-party verification services that sometimes get blocked by privacy extensions and adblockers. Also worth noting that once you're fully set up, bookmark the direct ESD login page (secure.esd.wa.gov/home/) to avoid going through the SAW selection process each time.
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Taylor To
Make sure you write down these steps somewhere in case you get logged out in the future! ESD's system has a habit of making you re-verify every few weeks.
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Isabella Ferreira
This is such a helpful thread! I'm bookmarking this for future reference. One thing I'd add for anyone still struggling - if you're using Safari on Mac, try switching to Chrome or Firefox. Safari has some weird compatibility issues with the ESD site that cause similar login loops. Also, make sure your browser is updated to the latest version. I spent hours troubleshooting only to find out my Chrome was like 6 months out of date and that was causing the redirects to fail. The whole SAW integration is honestly a mess, but at least there are workarounds!
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