How can you get unemployment benefits in Washington state - need help with the process

First step is to file your initial claim on the Washington ESD website. You'll need your Social Security number, employment history for the past 18 months, and your bank account info for direct deposit. The process takes about 30-45 minutes online.

Make sure you have all your previous employer information ready - names, addresses, dates of employment, and reason for separation. Washington ESD will verify everything with your employers so be accurate.

Just went through this process myself last month. The hardest part was actually getting through to someone at Washington ESD when I had questions. Their phone lines are constantly busy and I must have called 50 times before getting through. If you need to talk to someone, I found this service called Claimyr that helps you get connected to ESD agents. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows exactly how it works.

you also have to do job searches every week once you start getting benefits. 3 job searches per week minimum and you have to keep a log of where you applied.

Don't forget about the waiting week! In Washington you don't get paid for your first week of unemployment. It's basically a penalty week that everyone has to serve.

THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS A NIGHTMARE. I've been waiting 3 weeks for my claim to get out of adjudication and no one can tell me what's wrong. They just keep saying 'we'll get back to you' but never do.

Make sure you're actually eligible before applying. You need to have worked enough hours in your base period and earned enough wages. Washington ESD has specific requirements about your work history.

File your weekly claims every week even if your initial claim is still pending! This is super important - if you miss filing weekly claims you could lose benefits for those weeks.

been on unemployment twice and its really not that complicated once you get started. just follow the steps on the website and answer all the questions honestly

One thing to watch out for - if you get any severance pay or vacation payout, that might affect when your benefits start. Washington ESD considers that 'wages' even though you're not working.

Quick tip - set up direct deposit when you apply. Paper checks take forever and sometimes get lost in the mail. Direct deposit is much faster and more reliable.

Make sure you understand the difference between being 'able and available' for work versus being on standby. If you're on temporary layoff expecting to be called back, that's standby status and has different rules.

Don't be surprised if your claim goes into adjudication. It's pretty common, especially if you had multiple jobs or were terminated. Just be patient and keep filing your weekly claims.

ANOTHER THING - they'll ask if you want taxes taken out of your benefits. I recommend saying yes unless you want a big tax bill next year. Unemployment benefits are taxable income.

I used that Claimyr service too when I couldn't get through to ESD about my disqualification. Worked great - got connected to an agent in like 15 minutes instead of calling all day. Definitely recommend it if you get stuck.

Start looking for work right away even before your benefits kick in. The job search requirements are no joke and they do check up on you. Keep a detailed log of everything you do.

Register with WorkSource Washington too. It's free and they have good resources for job searching. Plus using their services counts toward your job search requirements.

One last thing - keep copies of everything! Your initial application, weekly claim confirmations, job search logs, any correspondence from ESD. You never know when you might need to reference something.

Another service mention - if you do run into problems and need to talk to ESD, definitely check out that Claimyr thing. I was skeptical at first but it really works. Saved me hours of frustration trying to get through their phone system.