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

Thanks! I see some numbers in my account but wasn't sure what they meant. I'll look for that weekly benefit amount.

The determination letter is super important - it tells you exactly how much you'll get per week and how long your benefits will last. Keep an eye out for it!

Oh no, I hope mine doesn't go into adjudication! That sounds scary. What causes that to happen?

Don't worry, it's not always bad. Could be something simple like they need to verify your work history or the reason you left your job. Just means they need more information.

I see a weekly benefit amount listed but no effective dates. Does that mean I'm approved?

Usually yes, if you see a weekly benefit amount that's a good sign. The effective dates might take a day or two to populate.

Haven't gotten anything in the mail yet. Should I be worried it's taking this long?

Not necessarily, Washington ESD is pretty backed up right now. I'd give it another week before calling.

Thank you! I found the claim summary and I do see a weekly amount. Still no determination notice though.

That's normal - the online account updates faster than the mail. If you see the benefit amount, you're likely approved.

Really? That sounds too good to be true. How much does it cost?

It's worth it when you need answers fast. Way cheaper than missing work to sit on hold all day.

I've heard of Claimyr too - my coworker used it when his claim got stuck in adjudication. Said it saved him weeks of waiting.

Interesting, never heard of that before. How much does it cost?

I don't remember the exact cost but it was worth it for me since I was getting nowhere with regular calling. Much better than spending my whole day redialing.

Hmm, seems like we shouldn't have to pay extra just to talk to the unemployment office. But I guess if it works...

I know it's frustrating but they do send determination letters. Check your secure messages online first before waiting for mail.

where are the secure messages? i can never find anything on that website

When you log in, look for 'Correspondence' or 'Messages' on the left side menu.

Good tip about checking in the morning. I've been checking randomly throughout the day.

Yeah that website is terrible to navigate. Why can't they make it simpler?

Oh no, how did you find out there was an issue? I left my job voluntarily but it was because of a medical condition.

They sent me a fact-finding questionnaire. If you left for medical reasons you should be fine, just make sure you have documentation if they ask.

A whole month?! That's terrifying. How did you survive financially during that time?

It was rough, not gonna lie. Had to borrow money from family. But they did approve it eventually and I got all the back pay.

I'll check my spam folder too, just in case it went there.

Good call on checking spam. I almost missed mine because it went to junk mail.

This is super helpful, thank you! I found everything you mentioned.

Great breakdown - I wish someone had explained this to me when I first applied. Would have saved me so much stress.

If you see the benefit amount, you're good. The paperwork always lags behind the online updates.

That's reassuring, thanks. This whole process is so stressful when you're already worried about money.

How do I file weekly claims? Is it on the same website?

Yes, same website. There will be a section for weekly claims once your account is fully set up. You have to do it every week to keep getting benefits.

And don't be late with those weekly claims! They're pretty strict about the deadlines.

Right? I keep checking my account obsessively hoping something will change.

Hang in there, it's worth the wait when it finally comes through. I was so relieved when I got my first payment.

200 times?! That's insane. There has to be a better way.

Actually, that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier might be worth trying if you really need to talk to someone. I used it when I had an adjudication issue and it actually got me through to an agent.

How do you set that up? I don't see that option anywhere.

It's under Account Settings, then Notification Preferences. Super easy to set up.

Wait, can I file weekly claims before I know if I'm approved? I don't want to mess anything up.

You might not be able to file until you're approved. Check your account - if the weekly claim option is there, you should be good to go.

Exactly! Why is it so complicated to just tell us yes or no?

Because it's the government and they love making things as complicated as possible.

At least we have online accounts now. Back in the day you had to wait for everything by mail.

Thanks everyone for all the helpful advice! I feel much better knowing what to look for now.

Good luck! Hope you get approved soon and can stop stressing about it.

That's really unusual. You might want to call and ask them to resend it, or check if your address is correct in the system.

Yeah I should probably do that. Just dreading trying to get through on the phone.

Is that legitimate? Sounds like it could be a scam.

Totally legitimate. They don't ask for any personal info or account details. They just call on your behalf and connect you when someone answers.

I used Claimyr when I couldn't figure out why my payments stopped. Got through in 30 minutes and found out I just needed to update my address. Saved me weeks of frustration.

Good point! I've been filing every week just in case. Better safe than sorry.

Exactly. Even if there's an issue with your claim, you don't want gaps in your filing history.

That's not normal though. You should have received some kind of official documentation about your approval and benefit amount.

I know I should have, but honestly I don't want to rock the boat if the money's coming in.

Good question. Eligible means you meet the basic requirements to file. Approved means your claim has been processed and you can receive benefits. You can be eligible but still have your claim denied for other reasons.

Ah that makes sense. So I want to see that I'm both eligible AND approved. Thanks for clarifying!

What kind of job search requirements? I haven't seen anything about that yet.

Usually you have to apply for a certain number of jobs each week and keep a log. The exact requirements depend on your situation and will be in your determination letter.

That's true. The online account has way more detail now than it used to. Still confusing to navigate though.

Definitely could be more user-friendly, but at least the info is there if you know where to look.

Thank you everyone! This thread has been incredibly helpful. I feel much better about my situation now.

Glad we could help! Unemployment can be stressful enough without having to guess if you're even approved.

That timeline sounds about right for what I'm experiencing. Thanks for sharing your experience!

No problem. Just remember to keep filing those weekly claims no matter what. That's the most important thing.

Or use that Claimyr thing people mentioned. Sounds way easier than playing phone tag with Washington ESD.

True, that's probably the smarter option if you need to talk to someone quickly.

You're welcome! Glad it helped someone else too. This community is great for getting real answers.