How do I log into my Washington ESD unemployment account - keep getting errors

You need to use SecureAccess Washington (SAW) to get into your unemployment account. Go to secure.esd.wa.gov and click on the SAW login button. Don't try to log in directly through eServices - that's the old system.

You need to use SecureAccess Washington (SAW) to log into your Washington ESD account. Go directly to secureaccess.wa.gov and use the same username and password you created when you first filed your claim. Don't try to log in through the main ESD website - it'll just confuse you with different portals.

Make sure you're using the right credentials too. Your SAW username might be different from what you think it is - it could be your email address or a username you created when you first set up the account.

I had the same problem last month and it was driving me crazy! Turns out I was getting locked out because I kept trying wrong passwords. After three failed attempts they lock your account for like 30 minutes. If you're having trouble getting through to reset your password, I found this service called Claimyr that helps you actually reach someone at Washington ESD. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me hours of trying to call.

Make sure you're clearing your browser cache first. I had the same problem and it turned out my browser was saving old login info that was causing conflicts. Clear everything and try again with SAW.

Clear your browser cache and cookies before trying to log in again. Sometimes old login data gets stuck and causes problems with SAW.

The Washington ESD login process can be confusing because they've changed systems multiple times. Here's the current process: 1) Go to esd.wa.gov 2) Click 'File Weekly Claim' or 'Manage Claim' 3) This takes you to SAW login 4) Use your SAW credentials (not old eServices login) 5) Once logged into SAW, you'll see your unemployment dashboard. If you're still having issues, it might be an account lockout or password expiration.

I had major login issues for weeks and couldn't get through to anyone at Washington ESD to help. Ended up using this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me connected to a real person who walked me through the login process. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Honestly saved me hours of frustration trying to figure it out myself.

The Washington ESD login system is honestly a mess. You need to use SAW but sometimes the system goes down or has maintenance. If you keep getting errors, try logging in at different times of day. Early morning or late evening usually works better when there's less traffic on the servers.

UGH the Washington ESD website is THE WORST. I swear they make it confusing on purpose. Why can't they just have ONE login system that actually works?

If your account is locked you might need to call them to unlock it. I had this happen and had to wait on hold for 3 hours just to get it reset.

Wait are you trying to log in to check your claim status or to file weekly claims? Because if your claim is still in adjudication you might not be able to file weekly claims yet. Make sure you know what stage your claim is in first.

ugh the washington esd website is THE WORST. i've been fighting with it for months. sometimes i can log in fine and other times it just errors out for no reason. government websites are trash

Are you trying to log in to file your weekly claim or just check your account status? Sometimes the site gets overloaded on Sundays when everyone's trying to file their weekly claims.

Make sure you're not using Internet Explorer or an really old browser. SAW doesn't work well with older browsers.

Quick tip - if you're using Chrome, try switching to Firefox or Edge. I had persistent login issues with Chrome that went away when I switched browsers. Something about how Chrome handles the SAW authentication.

I had to create a whole new SAW account when I filed my claim this year because my old one from 2020 wasn't working anymore. Sometimes it's easier to just start fresh if you haven't used it in a while.

Make sure you're going to the right URL. The secure Washington ESD site is secure.esd.wa.gov but you actually want to go through SAW. Don't get confused by all the different .wa.gov sites - they're not all the same thing.

Quick tip - bookmark the actual SAW login page once you find it. That way you don't have to navigate through the main ESD site every time.

I had to reset my password three times before I could get into my account. Each time I reset it, I had to wait like 30 minutes before the new password would work. Super annoying but that might be what you need to do if you're having persistent login issues.

Are you getting any specific error messages or just generic login failures? That might help troubleshoot what's going wrong. Sometimes the error messages give clues about whether it's a password issue, account lock, or system problem.

I actually ended up using that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier when I couldn't get into my account for over a week. The Washington ESD agent they connected me to not only helped me log in but also explained why my weekly claims weren't showing up. Turns out there was an issue with my account that I never would have figured out on my own.

Don't forget to bookmark the correct login page once you get it working! I kept going to the wrong page for weeks because I couldn't remember which portal was the right one. Save yourself the headache and bookmark secureaccess.wa.gov.

If you're still having trouble after trying all these suggestions, it might be worth checking if your claim actually went through properly. Sometimes the initial filing doesn't complete correctly and you need to start over. That would explain why you can't access your account.

Update us when you get it figured out! I'm curious which solution works for you. Login issues are so common with Washington ESD that it would be helpful to know what actually fixes it.

I work in IT and see this kind of thing all the time. Government websites are notorious for having multiple login systems that don't talk to each other properly. The SAW system is actually pretty decent once you figure out how to use it correctly.

If all else fails and you really can't get in, you can still file your weekly claim over the phone. The automated system is available 24/7. But definitely try to get your online access working since it's much more convenient.

Just wanted to update everyone - I was able to get logged in! Turns out I needed to reset my password AND clear my browser cache. Thanks everyone for the help, especially the step-by-step instructions.

For anyone else reading this later - Washington ESD also has a live chat feature during business hours that can help with login issues. Sometimes faster than calling.

One more thing to watch out for - if you have any special characters in your password, sometimes SAW has trouble with those. Stick to letters and numbers if you're having persistent issues.