How long does Washington ESD unemployment take to process initial claim?

Washington ESD usually takes 2-3 weeks for initial processing if there are no issues with your claim. The 'pending determination' status means they're reviewing your eligibility and work history. Make sure you keep filing your weekly claims even while it's pending or you could lose benefits for those weeks.

took me about 3 weeks when i filed last year but that was during busy season. if you got laid off from manufacturing they might need to verify with your employer which can add time

If you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD to check on your claim status, I discovered this service called Claimyr that helped me reach an actual agent. They have a system that gets you through the phone lines automatically - saved me hours of calling. Check out claimyr.com and there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

The timing really depends on your specific situation. Simple layoffs with clear work history usually process faster. If you were fired, quit, or have any complicated employment situations, Washington ESD might need to do adjudication which can take 4-6 weeks or longer. They have to investigate and sometimes contact your employer.

I'm on week 5 waiting for my claim to be approved. Called Washington ESD probably 50 times and only got through twice. Both times they just said 'still processing' and couldn't give me a timeline. It's ridiculous.

Keep in mind that even after your claim is approved, there's usually a one-week waiting period before you receive your first payment. So if processing takes 3 weeks plus the waiting period, you're looking at about 4 weeks total from when you first filed.

The waiting is the worst part. I was so anxious I checked my account like 10 times a day. Try to stay busy with job searching - Washington ESD requires you to look for work anyway and it helps pass the time.

WASHINGTON ESD IS A JOKE. I waited 7 weeks for my claim and when it finally got approved they said I owed them money from a previous claim I never even filed. Their system is completely broken.

For what it's worth, I filed 3 weeks ago and just got approved yesterday. Manufacturing layoff too. Got my first payment this morning. So it can happen relatively quickly if everything checks out.

The unpredictability is what gets me. Some people wait 2 weeks, others wait 2 months. There's no rhyme or reason to it. Washington ESD needs to be more transparent about their process.

My sister used that Claimyr service when her claim got stuck and actually got through to someone who could explain the delay. Turned out Washington ESD needed additional documentation she didn't know about. Got it sorted within a week after that.

Just be patient but proactive. File your weekly claims, keep job searching, and if it goes past 4 weeks definitely try to get through to someone at Washington ESD to check on status. The squeaky wheel gets the grease.

One thing nobody mentioned - make sure your direct deposit info is correct in your Washington ESD account. I had a typo in my account number and it delayed my first payment by another week even after approval.

The whole system needs an overhaul. Other states process claims way faster than Washington. But unfortunately we're stuck with what we have.

For future reference, you can check your claim status online through SecureAccess Washington. It doesn't always have detailed info but sometimes shows if documents are needed or if there are issues.

I know someone who tried Claimyr when they couldn't get through to Washington ESD for weeks. They were skeptical at first but it actually worked. Got connected to an agent who could see exactly what was holding up their claim.