How long does it take Washington ESD unemployment to approve you after filing?

I was laid off due to company downsizing so hopefully it should be straightforward. Thanks for the timeline!

yeah mine took forever because they had to verify my employment history, even though I had all the paperwork ready

So about a month total from filing to getting paid? That's not too bad I guess, just nerve-wracking waiting.

Mine was similar timeline. The key is making sure you keep filing your weekly claims even while it's pending!

Interesting, I didn't know there were services like that. Have you used it personally?

Yeah I used it about 6 months ago when my claim got stuck in adjudication. Way better than trying to call on your own and getting busy signals all day.

How much does something like that cost though? I'm already broke waiting for unemployment...

That's reassuring, thank you. I was starting to think something was wrong with my application.

My employer was slow responding to Washington ESD which delayed my claim by like 3 extra weeks. So frustrating.

Good point, I've been checking every few days but I'll start checking daily now.

Yes! And check your messages in the system, not just email. They don't always send email notifications for every request.

5 weeks?? That would put me in serious financial trouble. Hopefully mine doesn't take that long.

If there are any complications with the reason you left work, it goes into adjudication which takes much longer. Layoffs are usually much faster to process.

Yes, I've been doing that! It feels weird filing when nothing's approved yet but I read that somewhere too.

This is super important. I know someone who missed filing for 2 weeks thinking they'd wait until approved and they lost those payments forever.

I hear you. The stress of waiting when you need the money is awful.

I understand the frustration but Washington ESD does have to verify everything properly. Fraud prevention unfortunately slows things down for everyone.

That's encouraging! Thanks for sharing what you learned from actually talking to someone there.

Yeah Claimyr is great for getting real information instead of just guessing based on what you see online.

16 days isn't too bad at all. Gives me hope mine will be soon!

That's pretty typical for a clean layoff situation. Sounds like yours should be similar timeline.

Oh right, I forgot about the waiting week. So even after approval there's still another delay.

Yes, the waiting week is standard for most people unless you have certain special circumstances.

That does help actually. I keep worrying they'll find some reason to deny me even though I know I qualify.

The anxiety is real when you're waiting! But yeah, layoffs are pretty straightforward for Washington ESD to approve.

Good call, I set that up when I first filed. Definitely don't want to wait for mail on top of everything else.

Yeah it helps to know others are going through the same thing! Hope yours gets approved soon too.

Hang in there both of you. The waiting is hard but it sounds like you're both in the normal timeframe.

Definitely been applying to jobs daily. Do I need to keep track of everything I apply to?

Yes, keep a detailed log of every job you apply for, including the date, company name, and position. You need 3 job search activities per week.

Yeah the phone lines seem impossible. Multiple people here have mentioned Claimyr, might be worth looking into.

It really does work. I was skeptical at first but when you need answers it's worth it.

6 weeks would be really tough financially but good to know it can happen. I'll try to prepare for that possibility.

This is why the system is broken. People shouldn't have to wait over a month to get help when they lose their job through no fault of their own.

That's good to know about the backdating. At least the waiting doesn't cost me actual benefits.

Exactly, you'll get paid for all the weeks you filed claims once approved, minus just that first waiting week.

Will do! Thanks everyone for all the helpful info and reassurance. Really appreciate this community.

Yes please update! And good luck, sounds like you should hear something soon based on your timeline.