How long does Washington ESD unemployment take to get approved in 2024?

That's somewhat reassuring. I guess I just need to be patient. The not knowing is the worst part.

yeah the waiting is brutal especially when you need the money NOW

What exactly triggers adjudication? I'm worried mine might end up there.

Usually it's triggered by unclear job separation reasons, wage discrepancies, or if your employer disputes the claim. Also if you have any work history gaps or multiple jobs in the base period.

I got thrown into adjudication because my employer marked me as 'fired' instead of 'laid off' even though it was clearly a layoff situation. Took 7 weeks to sort out.

I found this service called Claimyr that actually got me through to a Washington ESD agent in like 20 minutes. You can check it out at claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Way better than spending hours on hold.

try calling right at 8am when they open, that's when I had the best luck getting through

5 weeks?! That's terrifying. How did you survive financially during that time?

had to borrow money from family and put everything on credit cards. not ideal but what else can you do

Wait, I have to file weekly claims before I'm even approved? That seems backwards.

Yes, you need to file weekly claims for every week you want to be paid, even if your claim is still pending. If you don't file them, you can't get paid for those weeks later.

I made this mistake and lost 3 weeks of benefits because nobody told me about filing weekly claims while waiting

I haven't gotten any determination letters yet. Is that normal for 2 weeks in?

Not unusual. Sometimes the letters come after you see status updates online. Check your SecureAccess Washington account regularly.

Processing times can vary based on the workload at different offices and the complexity of individual cases. It's frustrating but not necessarily unfair.

maybe but when you're struggling to pay rent the 'complexity' excuse doesn't help much

That's interesting insight. I filed in late fall so maybe that's working against me timing-wise.

Holiday season definitely slows things down with government offices having reduced staff and processing backlogs.

How much did that service cost you? I'm desperate enough to try it at this point.

It was worth it for me to finally get answers after weeks of uncertainty. Way cheaper than the stress and lost time from calling myself.

glad you got it sorted out! I might have to try that too if my claim doesn't move soon

Good advice. I've been taking screenshots of my account status but should probably start a written log too.

Exactly. Also save copies of all documents you submit. The system sometimes 'loses' things and you'll need to resubmit.

Have you tried checking if there are any outstanding issues in your account that need attention? Sometimes there are action items that aren't clearly marked.

yeah checked everything and it's all clean. just says pending with no explanation

That gives me hope! Did you get any notification when it was approved or did you just have to keep checking?

I got an email notification and a determination letter in the mail on the same day. Then I could start receiving payments for the weekly claims I'd been filing.

I only had one employer for the past 2 years so hopefully that keeps things simple.

That should definitely help speed things up. Single employer claims are much more straightforward to process.

Same here! I probably check it 5 times a day hoping to see a change.

lol I set up phone alerts to check it every hour. my anxiety was through the roof

I didn't know that was an option! At what point would you consider it 'unreasonably long'?

I'd say after 6-8 weeks with no communication or clear reason for delay. Before that, you're probably still in normal processing time.

How long does that usually take? I'm hoping once I get approved the money comes quickly.

Usually 2-3 business days for direct deposit once everything is finalized. Longer if you're getting a paper check.

That's really helpful insider perspective. Is there anything specific that causes claims to get flagged for longer review?

Main red flags are unclear separation reasons, wage discrepancies, recent address changes, or having unemployment claims in other states. Also if you're applying close to when you started a new job.

thanks for the insider info! wish more people knew this stuff upfront

That's the second recommendation for them. I'm definitely going to check it out if I don't hear something soon.

Yeah, the peace of mind from actually talking to someone who could see what was happening was worth it for me.

Good framework for expectations. I'll give it another week or two before I start getting more aggressive about getting answers.

Exactly. Being patient is good but being too passive can hurt you if there's actually an issue that needs your attention.