How do I know if my unemployment was denied - Washington ESD claim status confusion

You should receive a determination letter in the mail within 7-10 business days of filing your initial claim. If your account shows 'determination pending' that usually means they're still processing your claim, not that it was denied. Check your SecureAccess Washington account for any documents or messages.

same thing happened to me last month, mine said pending for like 3 weeks before I got approved. the letter came in the mail before anything updated online

If you were actually denied, you'd get a clear denial letter explaining why and your appeal rights. The fact that you're still able to file weekly claims is usually a good sign. Have you tried calling Washington ESD to check on the status?

DETERMINATION PENDING means they haven't made a decision yet!! It's not denied. You would know if you were denied because the letter would say DISQUALIFIED or INELIGIBLE in big letters.

I'm in the exact same boat! Filed 2.5 weeks ago and still showing determination pending. Haven't gotten any mail either. This is so stressful not knowing what's happening.

Check if there are any issues showing under your claim that need to be resolved. Sometimes there are questions about your job separation or work search that can hold things up.

honestly the whole system is a mess. took me 6 weeks to get my first payment last year even though I was eventually approved

You'll definitely get a letter if you're denied. They have to send written notice with appeal instructions. No letter usually means it's still processing.

Make sure you're checking both your online account AND your physical mailbox. Sometimes the online system doesn't update right away but they've already mailed your determination.

I had to wait almost a month for my determination last summer. Turned out they were waiting for my previous employer to respond to their inquiry about my job separation. Once that came through, I was approved within a few days.

If you're really worried, try logging in at different times of day. Sometimes the system shows different information depending on when their updates run.

also make sure you didn't miss any emails from them. check your spam folder too because sometimes their messages end up there

The waiting is the worst part honestly. But determination pending is definitely not the same as denied. You'd know for sure if you were denied.

Keep filing those weekly claims no matter what. Even if there's a delay in your determination, you want to make sure you don't miss any weeks that you're entitled to.

I used Claimyr when I was in a similar situation and it was totally worth it. Got connected to an agent who could see exactly what was happening with my claim and gave me a timeline for when to expect my determination.

Two weeks really isn't that long in Washington ESD time unfortunately. I know it feels like forever when you're waiting for money but try to stay patient.

The determination letter will be very clear about whether you're approved or denied. It's usually 2-3 pages and explains everything in detail including your weekly benefit amount if approved.

Just to summarize for the OP - determination pending means still processing, not denied. Keep filing weekly claims, watch for mail, and if you need immediate answers, consider using a service like Claimyr to get through to Washington ESD faster than trying to call on your own.