How fast does Washington ESD unemployment get approved - timeline?

Generally takes 2-3 weeks for Washington ESD to process a straightforward claim. If there are no issues flagging your claim for adjudication, you should hear back within that timeframe. Make sure you're filing your weekly claims even while waiting for the initial determination.

Mine took exactly 18 days last month. No issues, just the standard processing time. The waiting is definitely stressful when you're counting on that money.

If you need to actually talk to someone at Washington ESD about your claim status, good luck getting through on the phone. I tried calling for weeks. Found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me connected to an agent. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Saved me hours of calling.

DEPENDS ON A LOT OF FACTORS! Some people get approved in 10 days, others wait 6+ weeks. If your former employer decides to challenge the claim or if there's ANY discrepancy in your work history, it goes into adjudication and that's when things slow way down.

The 2-3 week timeframe is accurate for most claims without complications. Washington ESD has improved their processing times significantly since the pandemic backlog was cleared. Key things that can delay approval: employer protests, wage verification issues, or questions about your separation reason. If you quit rather than being laid off, that could add time for adjudication.

just got approved yesterday after 16 days. not too bad considering all the horror stories you hear about unemployment taking forever

I'm on week 4 of waiting and getting really anxious. My claim still shows 'under review' with no other details. Should I be doing anything proactive at this point or just keep waiting? I've been filing my weekly claims religiously.

The frustrating part is there's no real way to track progress or get updates unless you can reach an actual person. The online system just shows basic status info that doesn't tell you much.

PRO TIP: Keep detailed records of when you filed, what documentation you submitted, and any communication from Washington ESD. If something goes wrong or gets delayed, having all that info organized will help when you need to speak with someone.

One thing to remember is that even after approval, there can be a few additional days for payment processing. Don't panic if you don't see money in your account immediately after getting the approval notification.

My sister's claim took 5 weeks because her previous employer initially said she quit, but she was actually terminated. Had to go through the whole appeal process which was a nightmare. Make sure your employer has the story straight from the beginning.

For what it's worth, most people I know who filed recently got approved within the 2-3 week window. The system seems to be running much smoother now than it was during covid.

UPDATE: Finally got through to someone using that Claimyr service mentioned earlier. Turns out my claim was flagged for wage verification which is why it was taking so long. Agent said it should be resolved within a few days now that they know I'm waiting.

To summarize for the OP: typical timeline is 2-3 weeks for straightforward claims, potentially longer if there are complications. Keep filing weekly claims during the wait, monitor your eServices account for any requests, and don't hesitate to try contacting Washington ESD if you're approaching the 4-week mark without any communication.

one more thing - make sure your bank info is correct in the system before you get approved. friend of mine had to wait an extra week because his direct deposit info was wrong

Thanks for asking this question OP. I'm probably going to be filing soon myself and this thread gave me a much better idea of what to expect.

FINAL THOUGHT: The waiting sucks but Washington ESD is generally pretty good about processing claims efficiently now. Just be prepared mentally for the 2-3 week wait and you'll be fine.

Hope your claim goes smoothly OP! And for anyone else reading this who needs to actually reach Washington ESD by phone, I can't recommend Claimyr enough. Worth checking out their demo video if you're facing long wait times.