How long does filing for unemployment take with Washington ESD?

Thanks! What documents do I need from my employer? Do they have to give me anything specific when I'm laid off?

Your employer should provide you with a separation notice, but if they don't, you can still file. Washington ESD will contact them directly to verify your claim information.

What exactly is adjudication? I keep seeing this term but don't understand what it means.

Adjudication is when Washington ESD has to investigate your claim because there's a question about your eligibility. Could be about why you left your job, availability for work, etc. It's basically a review process.

I've been in adjudication for 5 weeks now and still no decision. It's incredibly frustrating trying to get through to anyone at Washington ESD to check on the status.

How did you finally get through to them? I'm already worried about not being able to reach anyone if I have problems.

I actually found this service called Claimyr that helped me get through to a Washington ESD agent. You put in your info at claimyr.com and they call you back when they get an agent on the line. Saved me hours of redialing. There's even a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works.

Four weeks?! That's going to be really tight for my budget. Is there anything I can do to speed it up?

Unfortunately no, you just have to wait for Washington ESD to process everything. Make sure you file your weekly claims even while waiting for approval though, or you'll lose those weeks.

Is the online system reliable? I've heard horror stories about applications getting lost.

It's pretty stable now. Just make sure to save screenshots of your confirmation pages and any reference numbers they give you.

What counts as a job search activity? I'm assuming applying for jobs, but what else?

Applying for jobs, networking events, job fairs, informational interviews, creating or updating your resume, taking training courses. You have to keep detailed records in your job search log.

And register with WorkSourceWA! That's required within 4 weeks of filing your claim or you'll lose benefits.

Same situation here! It's like they don't want people to actually get help. The system is broken.

Have you tried using Claimyr? I was in the same boat - couldn't get through to Washington ESD for weeks. Claimyr got me connected to an agent in less than 30 minutes. Worth checking out at claimyr.com if you're stuck.

Never heard of that service. How does it work exactly? Is it legit?

Yeah it's legitimate. You give them your callback number and they keep calling Washington ESD until they get through, then conference you in with the agent. Beats sitting on hold for hours or getting hung up on.

Good to know! Any other timing tips for the best chance of getting through quickly?

Avoid filing on the last day of the week when everyone's rushing to meet deadlines. Mid-week mornings are usually better for system performance.

What happens if you make a mistake? Can you correct it later?

You can make corrections but it usually requires calling Washington ESD or going through their correspondence system, which adds time to your claim processing.

What was the biggest mistake you made the first time that I should avoid?

Not registering with WorkSourceWA right away and not keeping detailed job search logs from day one. Washington ESD can ask for this information at any time and if you don't have it, you're in trouble.

Eight weeks?! That's insane. How did you survive financially that long?

Had to borrow money from family and use credit cards. It was really stressful. At least once you're approved, you get retroactive payments for all the weeks you filed.

How do the weekly claims work? Do I file them even before I'm approved?

Yes! You must file weekly claims for every week you want to receive benefits, even while your initial claim is being processed. If you don't file for a week, you lose that week's benefits permanently.

This is super important! I missed filing for 2 weeks thinking I had to wait for approval first. Lost those weeks forever and Washington ESD wouldn't let me make them up.

Exactly! I almost gave up trying to reach Washington ESD after weeks of busy signals. Finally used one of those callback services someone mentioned earlier and got my issues resolved.

Which callback service did you use? I want to have a backup plan ready.

Claimyr - they handle the calling process so you don't have to sit on hold. Really helped when I needed to get through quickly to resolve a payment issue.