ESD suddenly asking for ID verification after months of claims - normal?
So I've been collecting unemployment since October 2024 (about 3-4 months now) with zero issues. Yesterday I logged in to file my weekly claim and got this weird notification saying my payments are on hold until I verify my identity?? They're asking for pictures of my driver's license AND social security card (or two other forms of ID). I uploaded everything they asked for, but I'm really confused why they're suddenly requiring this now after paying me for months without problems. Is this normal? Has anyone else experienced this random identity verification check? Just seems weird they'd wait months before asking for this. Should I be worried about potential fraud on my account or something?
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Sofia Hernandez
This is actually becoming more common with ESD. They're doing random identity verification checks throughout the benefit year, not just at the beginning. It's part of their fraud prevention measures that started after all the pandemic scams. As long as you've uploaded clear photos of your documents through their secure portal, your payments should resume within 72 hours (usually faster in my experience). Don't worry too much - it's not because they suspect YOU of fraud, it's just random security checks they're implementing system-wide.
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Dylan Campbell
•Oh that's a relief! I was worried someone might have tried to hack my account or something. Do you know if I need to keep filing my weekly claims while waiting for the verification to go through? I don't want to miss a week.
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Dmitry Kuznetsov
yep happened to me too last month!! i was getting paid for like 5 months then suddenly BAM they want all this ID stuff. took them 4 days to verify mine but i got backpaid for the missed week. dont stress about it
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Ava Thompson
•Just to clarify for anyone reading this - you absolutely DO need to keep filing your weekly claims even while waiting for identity verification to be completed. If you miss filing a week, you typically can't go back and claim it later, regardless of the reason. The system will backpay for weeks properly filed during the verification hold.
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Miguel Ramos
THEY'RE PULLING THIS GARBAGE ON EVERYONE NOW!!! I got the same thing in December after getting benefits since August with NO PROBLEMS. Then they made me wait TWO WEEKS after uploading my documents before they started paying me again. Called the stupid 800 number like 50 times and no one ever picked up. The whole system is designed to make people give up on getting the benefits they deserve.
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Zainab Ibrahim
•If you're having trouble reaching ESD directly, I'd recommend trying Claimyr. I was in the same situation last month - stuck in identity verification with no way to talk to anyone. I used Claimyr.com and they got me connected to an actual ESD agent in about 25 minutes when I'd been trying for days on my own. They have a video demo of how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3. The agent I spoke with was able to expedite my ID verification once I explained I'd already uploaded everything.
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StarSailor
this hapeened to my neighbor too, he said its cuz theyre dealing with so many fake claims. he thought it was a scam email at first and almost ignored it lol. good thing u did it right away or they woulda stopped ur payments completely!
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Connor O'Brien
•Important to note - ALWAYS make sure you're on the official ESD website before uploading ANY personal documents!! There are phishing scams targeting unemployment claimants. The real verification request will show up in your ESD SecureAccess Washington account dashboard, not just in an email.
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Dylan Campbell
Update: My identity was verified! Took about 36 hours but everything's back to normal now. Thanks everyone for the reassurance. I was panicking for nothing I guess. Still wish they'd given some kind of heads up that this could happen randomly though.
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Yara Sabbagh
•glad it worked out! mine took a whole week but i have a weird situation cuz i changed my name last year and my social card still has my old name. had to upload my marriage certificate too. ugh the hoops we jump thru...
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Sofia Hernandez
This is good info for everyone to know - ESD can request identity verification at ANY point during your claim year, not just at the beginning. Pro tip: keep digital copies of your ID documents in a secure location so you can quickly upload them if asked. This helps avoid payment delays. Also, make sure your phone number is up-to-date in your ESD account because sometimes they'll text verification codes if they need additional verification.
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Dmitry Kuznetsov
•i wish theyd just use that id.me thing that the irs uses. did that once and it was way easier than all this uploading stuff
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Romeo Barrett
Just wanted to add that if anyone gets flagged for ID verification, don't panic if your documents get rejected the first time. Sometimes the photos aren't clear enough or there's glare on your ID. I had to resubmit my driver's license twice because the first photo was too blurry. Make sure you're in good lighting and the entire document is visible in the frame. Also, if you have an out-of-state ID but live in Washington now, that's totally fine - they just want to verify you're a real person, not necessarily that you're a Washington resident.
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