How long after you get fired can you apply for unemployment with Washington ESD?

Thank you! I was worried I had to wait or something. Going to file today then.

yeah definitely don't wait, I made that mistake and lost like 2 weeks of benefits

Oh no, I didn't think about that. How long does adjudication usually take?

Can be anywhere from 2-6 weeks depending on their workload. They'll contact both you and your former employer to get details about the termination.

This is exactly what happened to me! My claim got stuck in adjudication for over a month because of a firing situation.

Thanks for the specifics! I have all that information ready.

18 months? I thought it was just the last year of work history they needed

They look at 18 months to determine your base period for calculating benefits. Sometimes they need to use an alternate base period if you haven't worked enough in the standard one.

Interesting, never heard of that. How does it work exactly?

Basically they handle the calling for you and get you connected to an actual ESD agent. Saved me so much frustration trying to get through myself.

sounds too good to be true tbh, whats the catch?

No catch really, just makes the whole process of reaching ESD way easier than doing it yourself.

I feel your pain, the phone system is ridiculous

This is exactly why I mentioned Claimyr earlier - it's specifically designed to solve this problem of not being able to get through to ESD.

Maybe I'll look into that, this is driving me crazy

Not necessarily. Washington ESD looks at whether it was willful misconduct connected to work. Sometimes attendance issues can be due to circumstances beyond your control.

That gives me some hope. My attendance issues were partly due to transportation problems and a sick family member.

You should definitely mention those circumstances when you file your claim and if they contact you during adjudication.

Good point, I hadn't thought about the job search requirements yet.

Yeah, you need to make at least 3 job search contacts per week and keep records of all your activities.

And don't forget to file your weekly claims every week even while adjudication is pending!

5 weeks seems like forever when you need money now, but good to know it gets backdated.

The backdating is important - that's why filing immediately matters even if there might be delays.

Smart advice, thank you!

Also print out or save the confirmation page after you submit your application

Yes! And write down your claim number - you'll need it for everything.

That's encouraging to hear! Did she have to do anything special during the adjudication process?

Just responded promptly when ESD contacted her and provided detailed explanations about the attendance issues. She also had some documentation from doctors about family medical issues that helped her case.

Documentation is key - medical records, emails about transportation issues, anything that shows the attendance problems weren't just laziness or not caring about the job.

Several people have mentioned that service now, might be worth keeping in mind if I run into phone issues.

The phone situation with ESD is honestly ridiculous. Anything that helps get through to them is worth it.

Exactly. When you're dealing with adjudication and need to provide clarification, being able to actually talk to someone at ESD makes all the difference.

Thanks everyone for all the advice! Going to file my claim right now and see what happens.

Good luck! Hope it works out for you.

Keep us posted on how it goes!