How long does it take to get the first unemployment check from Washington ESD?

It usually takes about 2-3 weeks from when you file your initial claim to get your first payment, assuming there are no issues with your claim. You have to wait one week (waiting week) and then file weekly claims for the weeks you want to claim benefits.

Mine took exactly 3 weeks. Filed on a Monday, got my first payment 3 weeks later. Make sure you're filing your weekly claims every week even during the waiting period - that's important.

If you're having trouble reaching Washington ESD to check on your claim status, I found this service called Claimyr that helps you get through their phone lines. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Really helped me when I was stuck in the system.

The timing can vary a lot depending on if your claim needs adjudication. If Washington ESD needs to verify your employment history or there are any red flags, it could take weeks longer.

ugh I'm going on 5 weeks and still haven't gotten anything... my claim just says pending and I can't get through to anyone at Washington ESD to find out what's wrong

Just want to add - make sure you have direct deposit set up in your account. Paper checks take even longer to arrive.

Also remember that your first payment will be for the week after your waiting week. So if you filed this week, you'll have a waiting week, then the first week you can claim benefits, then you'll get paid for that week the following week.

I think I waited about 4 weeks for my first payment but that was because I had to do the whole ID verification thing. Such a pain.

Make sure you keep filing your weekly claims even if you don't see any payments yet. I made the mistake of stopping when I didn't get paid right away and it screwed up my whole claim.

If you need to speed things up and actually talk to someone at Washington ESD, that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier is legit. I was skeptical at first but it really does help you get through to agents.

Just be patient - I know it's stressful when you need the money but most claims do get processed eventually. The system is just slow.

One more thing - make sure you're doing your job search activities from day one. Even though you won't get paid right away, Washington ESD expects you to be looking for work immediately.

My claim went through in exactly 2 weeks and 3 days. Filed on a Wednesday, got my first payment the following Wednesday. But I had a pretty straightforward layoff situation.

Update - I finally got through to Washington ESD using that Claimyr thing and found out my claim was stuck because of a stupid paperwork issue. They fixed it while I was on the phone and I should get my payments next week. Wish I had known about this service weeks ago!

just want to say that the first payment is always the hardest because you don't know what to expect. After that it's usually pretty regular if you keep filing your weekly claims on time

Pro tip: set up account alerts in your Washington ESD account so you get notified when payments are processed. Helps with the anxiety of not knowing what's happening.

The waiting period is rough but hang in there. I remember checking my bank account every day waiting for that first payment. It will come!

Final thought - if you run into any issues or your claim takes longer than expected, don't wait weeks like some people do. Get help sooner rather than later. Whether that's through Claimyr or finding another way to reach Washington ESD, the longer you wait the harder it gets to fix problems.

Hope everything works out for you! The unemployment system is frustrating but most people do eventually get their benefits. Just stay on top of your weekly claims and be persistent if you run into problems.

You're welcome! Come back and update us when you get your first payment - it's always nice to hear success stories.