How long does Washington ESD unemployment application take to process?
I submitted my unemployment application through the Washington ESD website last Tuesday and I'm still waiting to hear anything back. My friend said hers was approved in like 2 days but mine is just sitting there with no updates. I lost my job at a restaurant downtown and really need to know when I can expect some income. Does anyone know how long the Washington ESD application process usually takes? I'm getting pretty stressed about my rent payment coming up.
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Liam Duke
It really depends on your situation. Simple cases where Washington ESD doesn't need to verify anything can be processed in 3-5 business days. But if there's any issue with your work history or reason for separation, it can take 2-3 weeks or even longer if it goes into adjudication.
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Dana Doyle
•What would cause it to go into adjudication? I was laid off due to slow business, nothing complicated.
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Liam Duke
•That should be straightforward then. Sometimes Washington ESD just needs to verify your wages with your employer, which can add a few days.
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Manny Lark
mine took forever because i couldn't get through to anyone at washington esd to answer their questions about my last day of work. kept calling and calling but the phone system would just hang up on me after being on hold
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Rita Jacobs
•I had the same problem! I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me through to a real Washington ESD agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Saved me hours of trying to call.
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Dana Doyle
•Ugh that's exactly what I'm worried about. Do they usually call you back quickly once your application is submitted?
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Khalid Howes
THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS BROKEN! I've been waiting 6 weeks for my claim to be approved and Washington ESD keeps giving me the runaround. They say they're reviewing my case but won't tell me what they're reviewing or how long it will take. Meanwhile I'm behind on everything!
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Ben Cooper
•Six weeks sounds like your claim is definitely in adjudication. Have you checked your SecureAccess Washington account to see if there are any pending issues or documents you need to submit?
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Naila Gordon
•same boat here, going on 4 weeks with no updates
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Ben Cooper
For restaurant workers, Washington ESD sometimes needs extra verification because of tip reporting and irregular hours. Make sure all your wage information matches what your employer reported. If there's a discrepancy, that could delay processing while they investigate.
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Dana Doyle
•Oh I never thought about the tip thing. I did report my tips on my taxes though. Would that help?
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Ben Cooper
•Yes, having consistent tip reporting definitely helps. Washington ESD will cross-reference your reported wages with your employer's records.
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Cynthia Love
Most people I know got approved within a week for straightforward layoffs. The key is making sure you file your weekly claims even while waiting for the initial approval. Don't skip those or you'll lose benefits for those weeks.
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Dana Doyle
•Wait, I can file weekly claims before my application is approved? I thought I had to wait.
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Cynthia Love
•Nope! You should be filing weekly claims starting with your first week of unemployment. Washington ESD will pay those retroactively once approved.
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Darren Brooks
•This is super important! I made this mistake and lost 2 weeks of benefits because I didn't know to keep filing.
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Rosie Harper
I work in HR and deal with unemployment claims regularly. Washington ESD is generally pretty efficient for straightforward layoffs. Restaurant industry can sometimes take longer because of the wage verification I mentioned earlier, but your case sounds simple enough that you should hear back within 7-10 business days max.
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Dana Doyle
•That's reassuring, thank you. It's only been 5 business days so I guess I should be patient.
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Elliott luviBorBatman
•As someone who processes these from the employer side, I can confirm that simple layoff cases move pretty quickly through Washington ESD's system.
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Demi Hall
btw make sure you're doing your job search activities even before approval. washington esd requires 3 job contacts per week and you need to log them in WorkSourceWA
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Dana Doyle
•Job search activities already? I thought that started after I got approved.
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Demi Hall
•nope starts right away with your first week of filing. better to start now than get dinged later
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Mateusius Townsend
My sister just went through this process last month. Her application was approved in 4 days but she had to wait another week for the debit card to arrive in the mail. Just something to keep in mind for timing.
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Dana Doyle
•Oh right, I forgot about the debit card. So even after approval there's still a delay for actual money.
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Kara Yoshida
•You can set up direct deposit instead of waiting for the card. Much faster.
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Philip Cowan
Just want to add - if you need to speak with someone at Washington ESD about your application status, I've had good luck with that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier. Used it twice when I couldn't get through on my own and both times got connected to agents who could actually help me.
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Dana Doyle
•I might try that if I don't hear anything by early next week. Getting anxious about this whole process.
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Caesar Grant
•I was skeptical about using a service like that but honestly Washington ESD's phone system is so overloaded that it's worth it if you actually need to talk to someone.
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Lena Schultz
One more thing - check your email and your physical mailbox. Sometimes Washington ESD sends important notices by regular mail that can delay your claim if you don't respond quickly.
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Dana Doyle
•Good point, I'll keep checking both. Haven't gotten anything yet but I'll watch for it.
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Gemma Andrews
For what it's worth, I filed mine on a Monday and was approved by Friday of the same week. But that was during a slow period, not sure how busy they are right now.
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Dana Doyle
•That gives me hope! Fingers crossed mine moves that quickly.
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Pedro Sawyer
•Mine was approved in 3 days last year. Simple layoff, all paperwork in order.
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