First-time unemployment after RIF - how long until first ESD payment?

If everything goes smoothly (big IF with ESD), you should receive your first payment 2-3 weeks after filing. Here's the typical timeline: 1. File your initial application 2. Wait for your application to be processed (3-5 business days) 3. File your first weekly claim (the Sunday after you apply) 4. Receive payment 2-3 days after your weekly claim is processed But honestly, since this is your first time filing and you're coming from a RIF situation, make absolutely sure you have documentation of your layoff. A termination letter stating the RIF reason is gold. Without clear documentation, they might put you in adjudication to verify the reason for separation, which can delay things for weeks.

it depends lol. took me 8 weeks to get my first payment cuz they put me in adjudication for no reason. my coworker got his in like 10 days. total crapshoot imo

My position was eliminated in January and I'm STILL fighting with ESD over my claim!!! First they said I was eligible, then they said I wasn't, then they put me in adjudication for 5 weeks, then approved me, then said I was overpaid! It's a complete NIGHTMARE dealing with them. And you can NEVER get someone on the phone!!!!

I was in your exact situation last year (RIF after 5 years at my company). Here's what helped me get paid quickly: 1. Upload your termination letter showing RIF immediately with your initial application 2. Answer the separation reason questions EXACTLY according to your termination letter 3. Be 100% accurate about your last day of work 4. File your weekly claims consistently even if your initial application is still processing 5. Set up direct deposit instead of the debit card I got my first payment 12 days after applying. One thing to know - your first payment might only be for one week because of the waiting week (first week isn't paid). The system has improved a lot in the last year, so don't let the horror stories from 2020-2022 freak you out too much.

After struggling for THREE MONTHS to reach someone at ESD about my delayed payment (also from a RIF), I finally tried Claimyr and got through to a real person in 27 minutes! They fixed my issue on the spot. Check out their demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 and website claimyr.com. Seriously, if your claim gets stuck and you can't get through on the phones, it's worth it. Wish I'd known about it sooner instead of waiting for months without income.

dont forget you need to do your 3 job search activities every week!!!! i messed that up and they almost denied my whole claim. even in the first week when ur waiting for approval you still gotta do them and document everything.

To answer your original question about uploading documentation - yes, upload your termination letter immediately with your initial application. Don't wait for them to ask for it. Being proactive with documentation is the #1 way to avoid delays. Also, make sure you understand the difference between "lack of work" and "laid off" in the application. For a RIF situation, you want to select "lack of work" as your separation reason, NOT laid off (which ESD often interprets differently than we do in normal conversation). And in case your claim does get delayed, prepare yourself now by gathering: - Last 18 months of employment history with exact dates - Contact info for previous employers - Termination letter and any other separation documentation - Your last paystub Having all this ready will help if you need to speak with an agent.

my brother works at esd (not supposed to say that but whatever) and he says clean applications with clear documentation are getting processed pretty quickly right now. its when people have multiple employers or unclear separation reasons that things get messy. if you have a simple work history and clear RIF documentation you should be fine. they're actually caught up on processing for once!

One last thing - make sure you sign up for your SAW (SecureAccess Washington) account before you start your application. Then link your ESD account to it. This seems small but it trips up a lot of people and leads to delays. And once you file, check your ESD account every day for messages or alerts. They sometimes add questionnaires or requests for information, and if you miss responding to those, your claim can be delayed or denied. Good luck! The system can be frustrating, but with proper documentation and attention to detail, you should get through it without major issues.