How long does Washington ESD unemployment approval take - filed 2 weeks ago
I submitted my initial unemployment claim with Washington ESD two weeks ago and I'm still waiting to hear anything back. My online account just shows 'claim under review' but doesn't give any timeline. I know they're probably backed up but I'm starting to stress about bills coming due. For those who've been through this recently, how long did it take from filing to getting your first payment? Is 2 weeks normal or should I be worried something's wrong with my application?
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Klaus Schmidt
Two weeks is pretty typical for initial processing. Washington ESD usually takes 2-4 weeks for straightforward claims, but if there are any complications or they need additional verification, it can stretch to 6-8 weeks. Check your account daily for any pending issues that might need your attention.
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Esmeralda Gómez
•Thanks, that's reassuring. I haven't seen any pending issues pop up yet so hopefully it's just regular processing time.
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Aisha Patel
•Mine took exactly 3 weeks and then I got backpay for all the weeks I'd been waiting. Just keep filing your weekly claims even while you're waiting!
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LilMama23
ugh the waiting is the worst part! I went through this last year and it was like 5 weeks before I heard anything. kept thinking I did something wrong on the application
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Esmeralda Gómez
•Exactly! That's what I'm worried about - did I mess up some part of the form and now it's just sitting there rejected?
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LilMama23
•nah if there was a problem they would have contacted you by now. the system is just slow
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Dmitri Volkov
If you're getting anxious about the timeline, you can try calling Washington ESD directly to check on your claim status. I know their phone lines are crazy busy, but I actually found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you get through to agents faster. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me hours of dialing busy signals.
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Gabrielle Dubois
•Never heard of that before - does it actually work or is it just another scam?
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Dmitri Volkov
•It's legit, I was skeptical too but it got me through to a real Washington ESD agent in like 20 minutes instead of spending all day calling.
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Esmeralda Gómez
•Might have to check that out if I don't hear anything by next week. The uncertainty is killing me.
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Tyrone Johnson
What type of claim did you file? Regular UI usually processes faster than if you're dealing with any complications like self-employment income or if you were fired vs laid off.
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Esmeralda Gómez
•Just regular unemployment after a layoff. Pretty straightforward situation, no complications that I can think of.
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Tyrone Johnson
•That should be smooth sailing then. Layoff claims are the easiest for them to process since there's no fault determination needed.
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Ingrid Larsson
THE SYSTEM IS BROKEN! I've been waiting 7 WEEKS and still nothing! They don't care about us regular people trying to survive while they take their sweet time pushing papers around.
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Klaus Schmidt
•7 weeks definitely sounds like there might be an adjudication issue. Have you checked for any pending determinations in your account?
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Ingrid Larsson
•Of course I checked! There's nothing there! The whole system is just incompetent.
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Carlos Mendoza
•Dude that sucks but don't scare the OP. 7 weeks is definitely not normal for a basic claim.
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Aisha Patel
Are you making sure to file your weekly claims even though you haven't been approved yet? That's super important - you have to keep certifying every week or you'll lose those weeks of benefits.
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Esmeralda Gómez
•Yes, I've been filing them religiously every Sunday. Wasn't sure if I was supposed to but figured better safe than sorry.
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Aisha Patel
•Good! A lot of people miss that and then wonder why their backpay is short. You're doing everything right.
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Zainab Mahmoud
Check if Washington ESD sent you any mail. Sometimes they mail requests for additional info instead of putting it online and people miss it.
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Esmeralda Gómez
•I've been checking my mailbox obsessively but nothing yet. Should I be worried if they do send something?
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Zainab Mahmoud
•Nah usually it's just routine stuff like confirming your last employer or asking for wage stubs. Easy to handle.
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Gabrielle Dubois
My sister just went through this and hers took 3 weeks exactly. She said one day the money just showed up in her account without any notification.
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Esmeralda Gómez
•That's what I'm hoping for! Just wake up one day and see the direct deposit hit.
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Ava Williams
•Same thing happened to me - no email or anything, just suddenly had 4 weeks of backpay in my account
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Raj Gupta
honestly 2 weeks isn't that long in government time lol. I remember when I applied for food stamps it took like 6 weeks just to get an appointment
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Esmeralda Gómez
•I guess I'm just not used to government pace. In the private sector if something takes 2 weeks it feels like forever.
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Lena Müller
•Welcome to dealing with state agencies! Everything moves at the speed of molasses.
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TechNinja
I actually had good luck using that Claimyr thing someone mentioned earlier. Called them when I was stuck in adjudication hell for a month and the agent was able to tell me exactly what was holding up my claim. Turned out they needed one more document that never showed up in my online account.
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Esmeralda Gómez
•That's exactly what I'm worried about - something missing that I don't even know about. Maybe I should try calling.
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TechNinja
•Yeah it's worth it for peace of mind. The agent could see way more detail than what shows up online.
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Keisha Thompson
Keep in mind they're still dealing with higher than normal volume from all the layoffs in tech and other industries. That's probably adding to the processing delays.
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Paolo Bianchi
•Good point, I forgot about all the Amazon and Meta layoffs hitting Washington. That probably flooded their system.
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Esmeralda Gómez
•That makes sense. I guess I need to be more patient, just hard when you're watching your bank account drain.
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Yara Assad
Question - did you get any kind of confirmation when you submitted your claim? Like a confirmation number or email?
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Esmeralda Gómez
•Yeah I got a confirmation number and it shows up in my SecureAccess Washington account. So I know they received it at least.
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Olivia Clark
•That's a good sign. If it's in the system properly then it's just a matter of waiting for them to process it.
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Javier Morales
I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Filed 10 days ago and nothing but 'under review' status. At least I know I'm not alone in this waiting game.
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Esmeralda Gómez
•Glad it's not just me! This uncertainty is so stressful.
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Javier Morales
•Tell me about it. I keep refreshing my account like 20 times a day hoping something changed.
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Natasha Petrov
•Lol same! My finger probably wore out the refresh button by now.
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Connor O'Brien
One thing to remember is that once it's approved, you'll get backpay for all the weeks you were waiting. So you're not losing money, just having to wait longer for it.
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Esmeralda Gómez
•That's true, I keep forgetting about the backpay aspect. Still nerve-wracking though when bills are due now.
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Amina Diallo
•Yeah the timing never works out right. Bills don't wait for government processing times unfortunately.
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GamerGirl99
If you end up needing to call Washington ESD and can't get through, I had success with Claimyr too. Way better than sitting on hold for hours. Just saying it's an option if you get desperate for answers.
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Hiroshi Nakamura
•How much does something like that cost though? I'm already tight on money waiting for unemployment.
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GamerGirl99
•They have different options but honestly it was worth it for the peace of mind. Check out their site for details.
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Isabella Costa
Just wanted to add that Washington ESD has been pretty good about processing times lately compared to during the pandemic. 2-4 weeks is normal now versus the 8-12 weeks people were waiting in 2020-2021.
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Esmeralda Gómez
•That's reassuring to hear. I can handle 2-4 weeks, I was just worried it would be months like I heard about during COVID.
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Malik Jenkins
•Oh god those pandemic wait times were insane. My cousin waited 4 months for his first payment. Current times are definitely better.
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Freya Andersen
hang in there! the waiting sucks but it usually works out. keep filing those weekly claims and try not to stress too much about the timeline
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Esmeralda Gómez
•Thanks for the encouragement! This thread has definitely helped calm my nerves a bit.
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Eduardo Silva
•That's what this community is for! We've all been through the unemployment waiting game.
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Leila Haddad
For what it's worth, I think you're right on track timeline-wise. Most people I know who filed recently got their first payment between weeks 2-4. You should hear something soon.
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Esmeralda Gómez
•That's exactly what I needed to hear. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - makes me feel a lot better about where I'm at in the process.
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Emma Johnson
•Good luck! Hope you get good news soon. Keep us posted on how it goes.
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