How do I know if my Washington ESD unemployment is approved?

You should receive a determination letter in the mail within about 2 weeks of filing your claim. This letter will tell you if your claim was approved or denied. In your online account, the status should change from 'claim submitted' to either 'approved' or you'll see adjudication issues if there are problems. You can also check if you're able to file your first weekly claim - that's usually a good sign your claim is active.

Check your account for any adjudication issues. If there are any red flags or pending issues, your claim will be held up until those are resolved. Common issues include job separation reasons, availability for work, or identity verification.

If you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD to check on your claim status, I found this service called Claimyr that helps you get connected to agents faster. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me hours of calling when I needed to check on my adjudication status.

Look for your monetary determination letter - that's the official document that shows your weekly benefit amount and how many weeks you're eligible for. That's the real proof your claim is approved.

ugh the waiting is the worst part!! I filed 3 weeks ago and still nothing. keep checking my mailbox every day like a crazy person lol

You should also get a debit card in the mail if your claim is approved. That's how they send your benefits in Washington. The card comes from KeyBank and it's how you'll access your unemployment payments.

Make sure you're checking both your physical mail and your online account. Sometimes the online account updates before you get the mail, sometimes it's the other way around. Washington ESD isn't always consistent about which gets updated first.

If your claim gets approved, you'll also need to start doing job search activities. Washington ESD requires you to log your job search contacts, so make sure you're ready for that requirement once your benefits start.

I was in the same boat last month. My claim took exactly 12 days to get approved. One day I just logged in and could suddenly file my weekly claim. The determination letter came 2 days later in the mail.

Another thing to watch for is if you can access the 'File Weekly Claim' option in your account. That usually becomes available once your initial claim is approved and processed.

THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS SO SLOW!!! I've been waiting 3 weeks and still nothing. They need to hire more people to process these claims faster. It's ridiculous that we have to wait this long when we need the money NOW.

If you're really worried about your claim, you can try calling Washington ESD directly. The phone number is on their website. Just be prepared to wait on hold for a while - or use one of those services like Claimyr that others mentioned to get through faster.

Just be patient. 10 days isn't that long in Washington ESD time. Most claims that don't have issues get approved within 2-3 weeks. Since you don't see any problems in your account, you're probably fine.

One more thing - make sure your mailing address is correct in your account. I've seen people not get their determination letters because Washington ESD had the wrong address on file.

Bottom line: if your claim is approved, you'll know because you'll get the determination letter in the mail, you'll be able to file weekly claims online, and you'll get the KeyBank debit card. Until then, just keep checking your account for any issues that need to be resolved.