How long after being let go can I file for unemployment in Washington state?
I was laid off from my job yesterday and I'm wondering when I should file for unemployment benefits. Is there a waiting period or should I apply right away? I've never filed for UI before and don't want to mess anything up. Also, do I need to wait for any paperwork from my employer first?
57 comments
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Paolo Marino
You should file immediately! There's no waiting period to apply and Washington ESD actually recommends filing as soon as possible after your last day of work. Benefits are paid from the date you file, not from when you were let go, so any delay costs you money.
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StardustSeeker
•Thanks! I'll get on that today then. Do I need my final paycheck stub or anything specific?
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Paolo Marino
•You'll need your Social Security number, employment history for the last 18 months, and reason for separation. Your final pay stub helps but isn't required to start the application.
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Amina Bah
File TODAY if you haven't already. I made the mistake of waiting a week thinking I needed my final paperwork and lost a week of benefits that I couldn't get back.
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StardustSeeker
•Oh no! Good to know, filing right now.
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Oliver Becker
•Same thing happened to me. Cost me like $400 that week.
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Natasha Petrova
The key thing is that your benefit year starts the Sunday of the week you file your initial claim. So if you file on a Wednesday, your benefit year started the previous Sunday. That's why filing ASAP is so important - you can't backdate benefits to before you filed.
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Javier Hernandez
•Wait, so if I was let go on a Friday but don't file until the following Tuesday, I lose those few days?
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Natasha Petrova
•No, you'd lose the whole previous week. If you file Tuesday, your benefit year starts that Sunday, so you can't claim the week you were actually unemployed.
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Javier Hernandez
•That's crazy! Filing right now then.
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Emma Davis
I've been trying to call Washington ESD for two days straight to ask this same question but keep getting busy signals or hung up on. The phone system is absolutely terrible. Has anyone found a way to actually get through to talk to someone?
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LunarLegend
•I had the same problem last month but found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an agent in like 15 minutes. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me hours of frustration.
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Emma Davis
•Thanks! I'll check that out. I'm so tired of listening to busy signals all day.
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Malik Jackson
•Claimyr actually works? I saw it mentioned somewhere else but wasn't sure if it was legit.
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LunarLegend
•Yeah it's real. They basically keep calling for you until they get through. Way better than sitting on hold for hours.
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StardustSeeker
Update: Just filed online and it was actually pretty straightforward. The website walked me through everything step by step. Thanks everyone for the advice!
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Paolo Marino
•Great! Now make sure you file your weekly claims every week even if your initial claim is still being processed.
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StardustSeeker
•Will do. When should I expect to hear back about whether I'm approved?
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Oliver Becker
the system is so confusing though like why cant they just make it simple?? i filed but now its saying something about adjudication and i have no idea what that means
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Natasha Petrova
•Adjudication just means they're reviewing your claim to make sure you qualify. It's normal, especially if there are any questions about why you were separated from your job.
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Oliver Becker
•oh ok that makes me feel better. how long does that usually take?
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Natasha Petrova
•Can be anywhere from a few days to several weeks depending on the complexity. Keep filing your weekly claims during this time.
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Javier Hernandez
For anyone else reading this - DO NOT WAIT. I was laid off on a Monday and didn't file until the following Monday thinking I had a grace period. Lost an entire week of benefits that I'll never get back. File the day you lose your job or the day after at the latest.
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Amina Bah
•This should be pinned at the top of every unemployment forum. So many people make this mistake.
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StardustSeeker
•Yeah I almost waited too but glad I asked here first.
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Malik Jackson
Question about filing immediately - what if my employer contests the claim? Should I wait to see if they're going to fight it?
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Paolo Marino
•No, file anyway. If they contest it, Washington ESD will investigate and make a determination. You don't lose anything by filing early, but you definitely lose money by waiting.
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Malik Jackson
•That makes sense. I was worried about filing if there might be an issue but you're right.
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Isabella Oliveira
•I had an employer contest mine and it just meant the process took longer. Still got my benefits eventually and was glad I filed right away.
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Ravi Patel
The Washington ESD website actually has a pretty clear timeline on this. You can file immediately after your last day of work, and benefits start from the Sunday of the week you file. There's no advantage to waiting and every reason to file ASAP.
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StardustSeeker
•Good to know the website has clear info. I should have checked there first.
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Freya Andersen
•The website is actually pretty good once you figure out where everything is.
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Omar Zaki
I waited 3 days after being let go because I was in shock and trying to figure out what to do next. Biggest mistake ever - lost almost $800 that week because I couldn't backdate. File immediately, deal with everything else later.
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StardustSeeker
•Wow, $800 is a lot to lose. Thanks for sharing that.
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CosmicCrusader
•That's heartbreaking. The system really should allow some kind of grace period for people who are dealing with the shock of losing their job.
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Omar Zaki
•I agree but it is what it is. Just don't want others to make the same mistake.
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Chloe Robinson
Pro tip: if you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD by phone, try Claimyr. I used it when my claim got stuck in adjudication and needed to talk to someone. Got through in under 20 minutes when I'd been trying to call for days.
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Emma Davis
•You're the second person to mention this. Definitely going to try it.
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Diego Flores
•Is there a cost for using Claimyr?
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Chloe Robinson
•There is but it was totally worth it to actually talk to a human instead of getting busy signals all day.
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Anastasia Kozlov
Just want to echo what everyone else is saying - file immediately! I've helped several friends through this process and the ones who waited always regretted it. Washington ESD doesn't mess around with backdating claims.
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StardustSeeker
•Message received loud and clear! Already filed.
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Sean Flanagan
•You're a good friend for helping people navigate this stuff.
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Zara Mirza
The unemployment system in this state is so broken. Why make it so complicated? Why not just let people backdate a few days if they file within a week?
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NebulaNinja
•I hear you but complaining won't change the rules. Better to just work within the system as it exists.
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Zara Mirza
•True, just frustrating when people lose money because they didn't know the arbitrary rules.
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Paolo Marino
•The rules exist to prevent fraud and ensure benefits go to people who are actively unemployed. It's not perfect but there are reasons for it.
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Luca Russo
For what it's worth, I was able to file online at like 11 PM on a Sunday night after getting laid off Friday. The system is available 24/7 so there's really no excuse not to file right away.
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StardustSeeker
•Good point about it being available 24/7. Makes it even easier.
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Nia Wilson
•Yeah the online system is actually pretty convenient once you get used to it.
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Mateo Sanchez
I tried calling Washington ESD about this same question last week and after 3 hours of busy signals I just gave up and filed online. Wish I'd known about Claimyr then - would have saved me a lot of headache.
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LunarLegend
•Yeah Claimyr is a game changer for actually reaching someone. Check out the demo video I mentioned earlier if you need to call again.
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Mateo Sanchez
•Will definitely bookmark that for next time. Thanks!
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Aisha Mahmood
Bottom line for the original poster and anyone else reading: File immediately after job loss. Don't wait for paperwork, don't wait to think about it, don't wait for anything. Every day you wait is money lost forever.
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StardustSeeker
•Perfect summary. Wish I'd known this was such a time-sensitive thing.
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Ethan Clark
•Should be required reading for anyone who might need unemployment someday.
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Daniel Rivera
As someone who went through this exact situation last year, I cannot stress enough - FILE IMMEDIATELY. I was laid off on a Wednesday and filed that same evening online. The whole process took maybe 30 minutes, and I'm so glad I didn't wait. The Washington ESD website is actually pretty user-friendly and walks you through everything step by step. You don't need any special paperwork from your employer to get started - just your basic info, work history, and reason for separation. The key thing to remember is that your benefit week starts the Sunday of the week you file, so every day you delay is literally money out of your pocket that you can never recover. Don't overthink it, just do it today!
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