Filing weekly PFMLA claims - different system from ESD unemployment?

PFMLA claims are completely different from unemployment. You don't file weekly claims the same way. You need to go through your Paid Family and Medical Leave account that you access through SecureAccess Washington (SAW). Unlike unemployment where you file weekly claims through eServices, with PFMLA you'll submit your weekly certification through the PFMLA portal. The menus and options are totally different too.

just had to do this for my maternity leave! def not the same as unemployment. u gotta login to saw and then click on ur pfml account and there should be a section for filing weekly claims. its actually easier than unemployment imo

These state systems are SO frustrating! I spent THREE HOURS trying to find where to file my PFMLA weekly claims before realizing it's completely separate from unemployment. Why can't they just have ONE SYSTEM that handles everything?!? It's like they deliberately make it confusing to prevent people from getting benefits they're entitled to!!!

To clarify some information here: PFMLA and unemployment insurance are administered by different divisions within the Employment Security Department, which is why they use different systems. For PFMLA weekly claims: 1. Log into your SAW account at secure.esd.wa.gov 2. Select your PFML account 3. Navigate to "Weekly Claims" 4. Submit your certification for each week Unlike unemployment, PFMLA doesn't require job search activities since you're on medical or family leave. You'll just need to certify that you were on qualified leave during the week. If you need assistance, the PFMLA customer service number is 833-717-2273, but they're often very busy.

I had the exact same problem when trying to reach ESD about my PFMLA questions. Their phone lines are constantly busy and I couldn't get through for days. I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an agent without the endless waiting. They have a video demo that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3. It saved me so much frustration, and the agent was able to walk me through the whole weekly certification process. Might be worth checking out if you can't get through on the regular line.

i think i saw something about this on the esd website somewhere... i think pfmla is technically part of esd but its like a completely seperate program with different rules and everything. my cousin used it last year and said its way less strict than unemployment with the weekly stuff

One more important thing to know about PFMLA weekly claims - if you miss filing for a week, you generally have up to 4 weeks to backdate your claim. This is different from unemployment where you can only backdate in very limited circumstances. Just make sure when you log in to complete all the prior weeks you need to claim. The system should show you all available weeks that you haven't yet certified for.

I went through this exact same confusion a few months ago! The key thing to remember is that PFMLA is handled through a completely separate portal from regular unemployment. Once you log into your SAW account, look for "Paid Family and Medical Leave" (not unemployment services). The weekly certifications are much simpler - they mainly just ask if you were still on leave and if you received any other income. No job search requirements at all! I'd recommend setting a weekly reminder on your phone to file since it's easy to forget when you're recovering from surgery. Hope your recovery goes smoothly!