How do you sign up for unemployment benefits with Washington ESD?

Thank you! Do I need to wait a certain amount of time after being laid off or should I file right away?

File as soon as possible! Your benefit year starts the week you file, not when you lost your job. There's a one-week waiting period anyway, so don't delay.

This is good advice. I made the mistake of not having my employer's exact legal name and had to restart the application.

Good point about the legal name. I'll make sure to check my W-2 or pay stub for the exact company name.

How much does something like that cost? Seems like it might be expensive.

I was worried about cost too, but it's actually pretty reasonable considering how much time it saves. Way better than spending entire days redialing.

Weekly claims? What exactly do I need to do each week?

You'll file a weekly claim every Sunday for the previous week. It asks about any work you did, job contacts you made, and if you were able and available to work. Takes about 5 minutes once you get used to it.

3 job contacts per week? That seems like a lot. What counts as a job contact?

Applying for jobs, attending job fairs, networking events, informational interviews - there's a list on the ESD website. You need to keep records of everything including dates and contact info.

The job search thing is such a pain. I get that they want people actively looking but 3 contacts every single week adds up fast.

I think I already have a SAW account from when I registered to vote. Can I use the same one?

Yes, absolutely! Same account works for all Washington state services. Just make sure you remember your login info.

The website crashes constantly on Sundays. Super frustrating when you're trying to file your claim.

Good to know about the timing. I'll try to file early in the week once I get everything set up.

Thanks for the heads up! I would have definitely put my net pay by mistake.

Yeah, I made that mistake too. Had to call and get it corrected which was a nightmare.

I'm hoping I won't need to call anyone, but it's good to know there are options if I do get stuck.

Trust me, you'll probably need to call them at some point. Something always comes up during the process.

How long does adjudication usually take? I'm worried about how I'll pay bills if it takes too long.

It varies a lot. Could be a few days or could be several weeks depending on what they're reviewing. If it drags on, that's when you might want to call and check on the status.

Mine was in adjudication for 3 weeks before they approved it. No explanation for the delay, just had to wait it out.

That makes sense. I was worried about filing if I wasn't sure I'd qualify, but you're right that it's better to try.

Exactly. I almost didn't file because I thought I'd been at my job too short, but it turned out I qualified based on my previous employment.

Good advice. I was wondering how detailed I should be about the circumstances of my layoff.

Keep it simple. They'll contact your employer anyway to verify the details.

Thanks! I'll make sure to save all the paperwork they send me.

Also set up a folder for all your unemployment documents. You'll be surprised how much paperwork accumulates.

I'll definitely keep that in mind if I need to contact them. Hopefully the online application goes smoothly.

Even if the application goes fine, you might need to call later for other issues. It's good to know about options like that.

Definitely going with direct deposit then. I need the money as soon as possible.

Smart choice. The debit card thing is a pain and there are fees involved too.

Thank you everyone for all the helpful advice! I feel much more confident about tackling this now.

We've all been there. Don't hesitate to ask if you run into problems - this community is pretty helpful with unemployment questions.