How long does it take to get paid unemployment in Washington - first timer questions

Yeah I've been doing them every Sunday like it says. Just nerve wracking waiting for that first check!

the waiting is the worst part honestly, but once it starts coming its pretty reliable

Thanks! I checked and don't see any issues listed. Hopefully it comes through this week then.

Mine took exactly 3 weeks from filing to first payment. Had to call Washington ESD twice because I was freaking out but they said it was normal processing time.

I had the same problem until someone told me about Claimyr. It's a service that calls Washington ESD for you and gets you connected to an actual agent. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me hours of calling.

Interesting, never heard of that. Does it actually work? I'm desperate at this point.

Yeah it worked for me. Got through to an agent in about 20 minutes when I couldn't get through on my own for days. They explained my payment delay was due to a verification issue I didn't even know about.

6 weeks is definitely not normal. There's probably an issue with your claim that needs to be resolved. Have you been able to speak with anyone at Washington ESD?

NO BECAUSE THEY NEVER ANSWER THE PHONE!!! I've called hundreds of times.

If you're at 6 weeks, there's likely an adjudication issue or identity verification hold. You really need to speak with an agent to find out what's causing the delay.

That's reassuring, thanks. I'm hoping this week is the week!

Yeah, I filed last month and got my first payment in about 2.5 weeks. Much faster than I expected.

Good point! I've been religious about doing them every Sunday. Set a reminder on my phone.

Smart! I missed one week early on and it pushed my payment back another week while they sorted it out.

Oh good reminder! I've been applying to jobs but haven't been logging them properly. Need to get on that.

Yes, you need to complete 3 job search activities per week and log them in WorkSourceWA. Not doing this can disqualify you from benefits.

Exactly! I learned that the hard way. Had to appeal a disqualification because I wasn't documenting properly.

That's exactly how I'm feeling right now! The waiting is awful when you're worried about bills.

Same boat here. Filed 10 days ago and checking my account obsessively lol

How much does something like that cost? Sounds useful but I'm already tight on money.

It's worth it if you really need to reach them. Much cheaper than missing work to spend all day calling. Plus if there's an issue delaying your benefits, getting it resolved faster saves you more money in the long run.

You convinced me - going to try it. Can't keep wasting entire days on hold.

That's awesome! Gives me hope that mine will hit soon too.

Congrats! That's about the timeline I had too. The relief when that first one hits is amazing.

Good to know! I'll stop checking my account obsessively on Mondays then.

Yeah, learned this the hard way. Spent a whole Monday panicking that my payment didn't come, then it showed up Tuesday morning.

Standby status payments usually process the same way as regular UI. The main difference is you don't have to do job search activities while on standby, but you still file weekly claims.

Thanks! That's what I thought but wanted to confirm. Still waiting on my first payment too.

Good to know it's normal! I'm trying to be patient but it's hard when money's tight.

The waiting game is brutal. I remember checking my bank account like 10 times a day.

Just double checked - all my banking info looks correct. Thanks for the reminder though!

Yeah that's a good catch. Also make sure your name matches exactly what's on your bank account.

Awesome! Glad it came through for you. Now you can relax a bit.

Great news! That's right in the normal timeframe. Make sure to keep filing your weekly claims on time to keep the payments coming.

So jealous! Still waiting on mine but this gives me hope.