How long does it take to get unemployment benefits approved by Washington ESD?

What would cause it to get flagged for adjudication? I was laid off, not fired, so I thought it would be straightforward.

Even layoffs can trigger adjudication sometimes. They might need to verify the circumstances with your former employer or check if you received any severance pay that could affect your benefits.

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

Yeah 2-3 weeks sounds about right, though mine took closer to 4 weeks because they had to verify my employment history with my last employer.

Good to know about filing weekly claims! I wasn't sure if I should keep doing that while waiting for approval.

Yes definitely keep filing weekly. I made that mistake early on and lost out on benefits for two weeks because I stopped filing.

I was laid off due to company downsizing, so hopefully that's straightforward enough to avoid adjudication.

Even straightforward layoffs can sometimes trigger adjudication if there are any discrepancies in the paperwork. Don't stress too much though, most get resolved.

How does Claimyr work exactly? Is it some kind of automated calling system?

It handles the waiting and gets you through to an actual Washington ESD representative. Way better than sitting on hold for hours and getting nowhere.

That sounds too good to be true but I'm desperate enough to try anything at this point. The regular ESD phone line is useless.

Have you tried using that service claimyr.com? I heard they can actually get you through to talk to someone at Washington ESD. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

Never heard of that but at this point I'm willing to try anything. Thanks for the suggestion.

Claimyr actually worked for me when I was stuck in adjudication hell. Got connected to an agent who explained exactly what was holding up my claim.

That's what I was afraid of. I really can't afford to wait months for this to get resolved.

The system is definitely overwhelmed but most claims do eventually get processed. Just have to be patient unfortunately.

I've been applying to jobs but wasn't keeping detailed records. What kind of documentation do they want?

You need to log each job contact with company name, position applied for, date, and method of contact. Keep this in the WorkSourceWA system or your own records.

The job search requirement is 3 contacts per week but if you're in certain industries or have union standby status, the requirements might be different.

Good point! I've been doing my weekly claims but wasn't sure if I needed to since nothing was approved yet.

Absolutely keep filing those weekly claims. When your initial claim gets approved, you'll get back payments for all the weeks you properly filed for.

Did you get any updates during that time or was it just radio silence until the money showed up?

Pretty much radio silence. The online account just showed 'claim under review' until one day it switched to approved and I got paid a few days later.

5 weeks?! That's insane. Have you tried calling them to find out what's taking so long?

I've tried calling dozens of times. Either busy signal or I get disconnected after hours on hold. The system is completely broken.

This is exactly why I started using Claimyr. Got through to an agent in under 30 minutes and was able to get my adjudication issue resolved the same day.

I know exactly how you feel. The not knowing is almost worse than just getting denied because at least then you'd know where you stand.

Exactly! I just want to know one way or the other so I can plan accordingly.

Oh no, I hope I don't run into banking issues. I double-checked my account info when I filed but you never know.

The debit card option isn't terrible once you get it. Just make sure to read the fees so you know how to avoid them when accessing your money.

That's reassuring. My layoff was pretty straightforward - whole department got eliminated due to company restructuring.

Company restructuring layoffs are usually the easiest to process since there's clear documentation and no fault on the employee's part.

That's exactly why services like Claimyr are helpful - they can connect you with agents who actually know what they're talking about instead of playing phone tag.

Yeah I might have to look into that. This is getting ridiculous.

Let me know how it goes if you try Claimyr. I'm still thinking about using them myself.

I tried to be really thorough when I filled everything out, so hopefully that helps. Thanks for all the advice everyone!

Good approach. The more complete and accurate your initial application, the less likely you are to hit snags during processing.

Good reminder! I'll make sure to keep filing every week even though it feels pointless right now.

It's not pointless at all - those weekly claims establish your benefit weeks and you'll get paid retroactively once approved.

Wait, there's a waiting period on top of the processing time? Ugh, that's another week I wasn't counting on.

Yeah, Washington has a one-week waiting period for new claims. It's just how the system works unfortunately.

The waiting week is built into the process. You file for it but don't get paid for that first week unless you end up with a really long claim.

So true. My sister in Oregon got her benefits approved in 10 days with a much more user-friendly online system.

Washington ESD's website is terrible too. Half the time it doesn't work properly and the other half it's confusing as hell to navigate.

I didn't know WorkSource could help with ESD issues. Is that a phone call or in-person visit?

You can try calling or visiting in person. They're hit or miss but sometimes they can get information that you can't get yourself.

That's great news! Gives me hope that mine will come through soon too.

Congrats! The relief when you finally get that approval is amazing.

Good reminder - I'll make sure to check that more frequently. I've been mostly just looking at the claim status.

Yes, always check the messages section. They don't always send email notifications when they need something from you.

That's really helpful advice. I hadn't thought about looking into local resources while I wait.

211 is a good resource to call for information about local assistance programs. They can connect you with food banks, utility assistance, etc.

Thanks for the encouragement. It really helps to hear from people who've been through this successfully.

Exactly - just keep following the process and most claims do eventually get approved.

What kind of work history issue did you have to resolve? Just curious what might come up.

They needed to verify my earnings from a job I had about 18 months ago. I had to provide additional pay stubs and it took about a week to sort out.

This is where something like Claimyr really comes in handy - when you need to actually talk to someone to check on your claim status.

Exactly. Sometimes you need a real person to tell you what's actually happening with your claim.

That does make sense. My company wasn't huge but they did seem pretty organized about the layoff process.

Large employers often have established procedures that make the verification process smoother for Washington ESD.

That's reassuring to know. I was worried I'd lose weeks of benefits just because the processing is slow.

Yep, as long as you file your weekly claims during the waiting period, you'll get paid for those weeks once approved.

Glad it worked out even though it took so long. Hopefully I won't need to go through an appeal process.

Yeah, appeals definitely add time but don't give up if you think you're eligible. It's worth fighting for.

Thanks everyone for all the helpful responses. This has really helped ease my anxiety about the process.

Glad we could help! Feel free to post updates or ask more questions as your claim progresses.

What kind of information do they check most carefully? I want to make sure I didn't miss anything important.

They verify your work history, wages, and separation reason with your employer. Make sure your dates and reason for separation match what your employer will report.

This is why services like Claimyr exist - because the regular system is so broken that people are willing to pay just to talk to someone.

At this point I'm considering it. Anything to get some actual information about what's happening with my claim.

Will do! Hoping to have good news by next week. Thanks everyone for all the helpful info.

Good luck! The waiting is the hardest part but most claims do get approved eventually.