ESD website login loop problem - can't access account despite correct credentials

yup its not just u, same thing has been happening to me since tuesday. tried calling but gave up after being on hold for 45 mins

I experienced something similar last month. It might be due to scheduled maintenance or system updates. Try these steps: 1. Clear ALL cookies specifically for the ESD website (not just cache) 2. Make sure you're going directly to secure.esd.wa.gov and not through a bookmark or search result 3. Try using incognito/private browsing mode 4. Disable any browser extensions/add-ons temporarily 5. Check if your internet security software is blocking the site For me, it was actually my VPN causing the issue. Once I turned that off, I could log in normally.

ESD ALWAYS does this!! Every single time I need to accesse my benifits the stupid website brakes down. Its like they WANT us to miss filings so they dont have to pay us!! My cousin works in IT and he says government websites are the worst built garbage and they never test anything properly. So fustrating!!!!!

When this happened to me last time, I finally got through to an ESD agent using Claimyr.com - it was the only way I could get someone on the phone without waiting for hours. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3. The agent told me that sometimes these login issues happen when there's a flag on your account that needs to be cleared or if there's an identity verification step pending. They fixed it while I was on the phone. Worth trying if you're up against a deadline.

im dealing with this right now too! what worked for me was waiting until really late at night (like 2am) and trying then. seems like the site gets overloaded during regular hours. also make sure your typing your password exactly right - i kept forgetting my password has a capital letter and it would bounce me back without telling me why

Update for everyone: I just checked the ESD Twitter account (@ESDwaWorks) and they've acknowledged the login issues. They posted about 3 hours ago that they're experiencing technical difficulties with the SecureAccess Washington authentication system and are working to resolve it. They recommend trying again later today or tomorrow morning when the fix should be implemented.

guys i just got in!!! try now, seems like they fixed whatever was broken

This is such a relief to see everyone getting back in! I've been lurking on this thread all day dealing with the same login loop nightmare. Just want to add a quick tip for anyone still having issues - if you're still getting bounced back to the login screen, try logging out of ALL your other Washington state accounts first (like your L&I account, DMV online services, etc.) before attempting to log into ESD. Sometimes there's a conflict with the SecureAccess system when you have multiple state accounts active in the same browser session. Also, make sure you're not using any password managers or auto-fill - type everything manually. Hope this helps someone!

Just wanted to jump in here as someone who's been dealing with Washington ESD issues for months - this login loop problem seems to happen every few weeks, usually coinciding with their system maintenance windows. What's frustrating is they rarely announce these issues prominently on their main page. For anyone still struggling, I've found that using the mobile site (m.esd.wa.gov) sometimes works when the main desktop site doesn't, though the interface is pretty clunky. Also, if you're really stuck and have a deadline approaching, you can call the claims center early morning (like 7:30 AM) when call volume is lower - I've had better luck getting through then. The key is persistence with these government systems unfortunately. Glad to see people are getting back in though!

Just wanted to share what worked for me after dealing with this exact same login loop for 3 days straight! I was getting so stressed because I thought I was going to miss my filing deadline. What finally fixed it was completely signing out of my Google account in the browser first, then going to the ESD site in a private/incognito window. Apparently there was some kind of conflict with my saved Google passwords trying to auto-fill even though I had disabled auto-fill. Once I did that and manually typed everything in, it worked perfectly. Also want to echo what others said about the mobile site - I bookmarked m.esd.wa.gov as a backup just in case this happens again. It's ridiculous that we have to jump through all these hoops just to access our benefits, but at least there are workarounds. Hope this helps anyone still struggling!

I'm so glad I found this thread! I've been dealing with the exact same login loop issue since Wednesday and was starting to think my account was somehow compromised. Reading through everyone's experiences and solutions has been incredibly helpful. I tried the incognito browser method that @Dyllan Nantx suggested and it worked like a charm! I also cleared all my ESD cookies specifically (not just general cache clearing) which seemed to make a difference. For anyone still having trouble, I noticed that the system seems more stable in the early morning hours - I was able to get in around 6:30 AM without any issues. It's really frustrating that ESD's communication about these technical problems is so poor, but I'm grateful for this community sharing real solutions. Successfully filed my weekly claim this morning. Thanks everyone for the tips and moral support during this stressful situation!

Adding my experience to this thread as someone who just went through this exact same login loop nightmare! I was stuck for almost 48 hours and tried literally everything - different browsers, clearing cache, password resets, you name it. What finally worked for me was a combination of several suggestions from this thread: I completely logged out of all my Google/Microsoft accounts, used incognito mode, went directly to secure.esd.wa.gov (not through bookmarks), and tried it at around 6 AM when server load is lower. Got right in on the first try! I also want to mention that I called ESD yesterday and the agent confirmed this is a known issue with their SecureAccess Washington integration that affects random users during system updates. She said it usually resolves within 24-48 hours but recommended trying the mobile site (m.esd.wa.gov) as a backup. Really wish they would post these technical issues more prominently on their homepage instead of leaving us all panicking about missing deadlines. This community thread has been a lifesaver - thanks to everyone for sharing your solutions!

I just want to say THANK YOU to everyone in this thread! I've been silently following along while dealing with the exact same login loop issue for the past two days. I was honestly starting to panic because my claim is due today and I thought something was seriously wrong with my account. Reading through everyone's experiences made me realize this is a widespread ESD system problem, not something I caused. I tried the combination approach that several people mentioned - logged out of all my other accounts, used incognito mode, went directly to secure.esd.wa.gov, and attempted it early this morning around 6:30 AM. Success! Filed my weekly claim without any issues. What really gets me is how ESD doesn't communicate these technical problems clearly on their main page. If it wasn't for this community sharing solutions and moral support, I would have been completely lost. It's ridiculous that we have to become tech detectives just to access our unemployment benefits, but I'm so grateful for everyone here helping each other out during these frustrating situations!

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now and feeling so relieved to find this thread! I've been stuck in the login loop since yesterday morning and was starting to think my account got hacked or something. I tried all the usual troubleshooting - different browsers, clearing cache, even had my tech-savvy friend try to help - but nothing worked. Reading through everyone's solutions, I'm going to try the combination approach: log out of all other accounts, use incognito mode, and attempt it early morning when the servers are less busy. It's honestly ridiculous that ESD's system is this unreliable when people depend on it for their basic needs. Thank you to everyone sharing their workarounds - this community support means everything when ESD's official communication is practically nonexistent!

This thread has been a lifesaver! I've been stuck in the same login loop since Monday and was getting desperate. After reading everyone's solutions, I tried the combination approach this morning around 7 AM - logged out of all my accounts, used incognito mode, went directly to secure.esd.wa.gov, and manually typed everything. It worked on the second try! What really helped was reading that this is a known SecureAccess Washington issue, not something wrong with individual accounts. The lack of clear communication from ESD about these recurring problems is incredibly frustrating when people are stressed about missing claim deadlines. Thank you to everyone for sharing your troubleshooting steps and experiences - this community support is invaluable when dealing with ESD's unreliable system!

Just wanted to add my experience to help anyone still dealing with this! I was stuck in the login loop for almost 3 days and tried everything - different browsers, clearing cache, password resets, you name it. What finally worked was a tip I haven't seen mentioned yet: completely restart your computer before trying to log in. I know it sounds too simple, but after doing a full restart, logging out of all other accounts, using incognito mode, and trying at around 6:30 AM, I got right in on the first attempt. I think there might have been some cached authentication tokens or something that only a full restart cleared out. Also want to echo what others have said about ESD's terrible communication - a simple status page showing known issues would save everyone so much stress. This community has been amazing for sharing real solutions when ESD fails us!

I'm currently going through this exact same login loop issue and this thread has been such a lifesaver! I've been stuck since yesterday and was starting to panic about missing my claim deadline. Reading through everyone's experiences has been so reassuring - knowing it's a widespread ESD system problem and not something wrong with my individual account. I'm planning to try the comprehensive approach that several people have mentioned: full computer restart, log out of all accounts, incognito mode, direct navigation to secure.esd.wa.gov, manual typing (no autofill), and attempting it early morning around 6:30 AM. It's absolutely ridiculous that we have to become IT troubleshooting experts just to access our unemployment benefits, but I'm so grateful for this community sharing real solutions when ESD's official communication is practically nonexistent. Will update if I have success with this method!