How long does it take for unemployment debit card to come in the mail - Washington ESD?

The Washington ESD debit card typically takes 7-10 business days from when your claim is approved. Since yours was just approved yesterday, you're still well within the normal timeframe. Keep an eye on your mail over the next week.

I'm in the same boat - claim approved 5 days ago and still waiting for the card. The waiting is driving me crazy because I can't access any of my benefits until it arrives.

If you need to check on the status of your debit card or have questions about when it was sent, you might want to try calling Washington ESD directly. I know their phone lines are usually swamped though. I recently discovered this service called Claimyr at claimyr.com that helps people get through to unemployment offices when the lines are busy. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Might be worth checking out if you can't get through the normal way.

WASHINGTON ESD IS SO SLOW WITH EVERYTHING! I've been waiting 2 weeks for my card and still nothing. Called them 50 times and either get hung up on or put on hold for hours. This system is absolutely broken.

Check your address on file with Washington ESD to make sure it's correct. I had a friend who waited weeks for their card only to find out their address was wrong in the system.

The debit card comes from KeyBank and it's pretty plain looking - just says 'Unemployment Insurance Debit Card' on it. Don't throw it away thinking it's junk mail! I almost did that with mine.

once you get the card you have to activate it before you can use it. there should be instructions in the envelope but you can also call the number on the back of the card

Pro tip: Once you get your card, set up the KeyBank mobile app. You can check your balance, see when deposits hit, and even get notifications. Makes managing your unemployment benefits much easier.

my sister got hers in like 6 days but that was during summer when mail was moving faster. winter weather might slow things down

Just want to mention again that if anyone is having trouble reaching Washington ESD about their debit card status, Claimyr has been really helpful for me. Their service connects you directly with agents instead of dealing with busy signals all day.

UPDATE: Got my card today! Exactly 7 business days from when my claim was approved. Thanks everyone for the reassurance that it was normal timing.

Thanks everyone for all the helpful info! I feel much better knowing 7-10 days is normal. I'll keep watching the mail and check my address is correct just to be safe.

also just so you know, there's no fee to use the card at KeyBank ATMs but other ATMs might charge you. just something to keep in mind when you get it

FINALLY got through to Washington ESD today using that Claimyr thing someone mentioned. They confirmed my card was sent out last week so should be here any day now. Actually worked way better than I expected.

For anyone still waiting, remember that Washington ESD deposits your benefits to the card automatically once it's activated. You don't need to do anything special to receive the money, it just shows up on your scheduled payment day.

honestly the whole debit card system works pretty well once you get past the initial waiting period. way better than the old paper check days

UPDATE: My card arrived today! 9 business days from approval, right in the expected timeframe. Thanks again everyone for the peace of mind while I was waiting!