How long does it take to get your Washington ESD unemployment card after approval?
My Washington ESD claim finally got approved last Tuesday after being stuck in adjudication for almost a month. I can see my payments are processed in the system but I still haven't received my unemployment debit card in the mail. It's been 6 days now and I'm starting to worry. How long does it usually take to get the card once your claim is approved? I need to pay rent next week and I'm getting anxious about not being able to access my benefits.
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Rebecca Johnston
Usually takes 7-10 business days from when Washington ESD processes your first payment. The card comes from KeyBank, not directly from ESD. Check your mail carefully - sometimes it looks like junk mail.
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KingKongZilla
•Thanks! I'll keep checking. Do you know if there's a way to track when it was sent out?
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Rebecca Johnston
•Not really a tracking system, but you can call KeyBank directly at the number on the Washington ESD website to check if your card has been issued.
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Nathan Dell
Mine took almost 2 weeks last year. The waiting is the worst part especially when you need the money ASAP.
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KingKongZilla
•Two weeks?? That seems like forever when you're broke. Did you call to complain or just wait it out?
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Nathan Dell
•I called Washington ESD like 50 times but they kept saying it was KeyBank's responsibility. Eventually it just showed up.
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Maya Jackson
If you're having trouble reaching Washington ESD about card issues, I recently discovered this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you get through to actual agents. They have a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ. Saved me hours of calling and getting hung up on.
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KingKongZilla
•Interesting, never heard of that. Is it legit? I'm desperate enough to try anything at this point.
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Maya Jackson
•Yeah it's legit, they basically handle the calling and waiting for you. Really helpful when you can't get through the normal way.
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Tristan Carpenter
•How much does something like that cost though? If I'm already waiting for unemployment money I probably can't afford extra services.
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Amaya Watson
The KeyBank unemployment card system is honestly terrible. Mine got delayed because they sent it to an old address even though I updated everything with Washington ESD. Make sure your address is correct in BOTH systems.
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KingKongZilla
•Wait, there are two different address systems? I only updated it with Washington ESD when I filed my claim.
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Amaya Watson
•Yeah, KeyBank has their own system for the debit cards. It's confusing but they sometimes don't sync properly with ESD's address info.
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Grant Vikers
this happened to me too!! took forever and when i called keybank they said washington esd never sent them my info properly. had to get esd to resend everything. what a mess
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KingKongZilla
•Oh no, how did you get ESD to resend your info? That sounds like a nightmare to coordinate.
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Grant Vikers
•had to file a complaint through their website contact form. took like 3 tries before someone actually looked into it
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Rebecca Johnston
For anyone still waiting, you can also set up direct deposit instead of waiting for the card. Go into your SecureAccess Washington account and look for banking information under payment methods. Much faster than waiting for a card to arrive.
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KingKongZilla
•Really?? I had no idea that was an option. Can I switch to direct deposit even if they already processed a card?
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Rebecca Johnston
•Yes, you can switch anytime. Just add your bank account info and future payments will go directly to your account instead of the card.
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Giovanni Martello
•Wish I knew this weeks ago! Been waiting for my card like an idiot when I could have just done direct deposit.
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Nathan Dell
The worst part is they don't tell you any of this upfront. Like why isn't direct deposit the DEFAULT option instead of making everyone wait for cards?
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Savannah Weiner
•Probably because they make money off the card fees or something. Always follow the money with these government contracts.
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Rebecca Johnston
•Actually the KeyBank card doesn't have fees for basic transactions, but I agree direct deposit should be offered more prominently.
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KingKongZilla
UPDATE: I just logged into my SAW account and set up direct deposit like someone suggested above. Hopefully my next payment goes straight to my bank instead of waiting for this card. Thanks everyone!
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Rebecca Johnston
•Smart move! Your next weekly claim payment should go directly to your bank account now.
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Nathan Dell
•Good thinking. At least you won't have to deal with card delays for future payments.
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Levi Parker
I never even got my first card. Had to request a replacement through KeyBank after 3 weeks of waiting. Customer service said the original got 'lost in the mail' - sure it did.
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KingKongZilla
•How long did the replacement take? Starting to think I should just request a new one now.
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Levi Parker
•Replacement took about the same time, 7-10 days. But at least I knew they actually sent it that time.
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Libby Hassan
Pro tip: if you're really desperate for the money and know your payment is processed, you can sometimes get a cash advance at certain ATMs with just the temporary card number. Call KeyBank to ask about emergency access options.
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KingKongZilla
•Wait, they give you a temporary card number before the physical card arrives?
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Libby Hassan
•Not automatically, but if you call and explain you need emergency access they can sometimes provide options. Worth asking about.
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Maya Jackson
Just want to mention again that Claimyr really helped me when I had issues getting through to Washington ESD about my card delay. Sometimes you need to talk to an actual person and their regular phone lines are impossible.
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Hunter Hampton
•I'm curious about this service too. Is it just for getting through phone lines or do they help with other stuff?
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Maya Jackson
•Mainly for getting through to ESD agents when you can't reach them normally. Really useful for card issues, claim problems, adjudication questions - anything where you need to actually talk to someone.
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Sofia Peña
The whole system is designed to make it as hard as possible to get your benefits. Between adjudication delays, card delays, impossible phone lines - it's like they want you to give up.
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Nathan Dell
•Seriously! And meanwhile bills don't stop coming just because Washington ESD takes forever with everything.
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Savannah Weiner
•It's intentional. They save money on every person who gives up trying to get benefits they're entitled to.
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Aaron Boston
For what it's worth, once you actually GET the card it works fine. I've been using mine for months now with no issues. The initial wait just sucks.
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KingKongZilla
•Good to know! I was worried there might be ongoing problems with the card itself.
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Aaron Boston
•Nope, works like any other debit card once you have it. You can use it anywhere or get cash from ATMs.
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Sophia Carter
Check with your local WorkSource office too. Sometimes they have emergency assistance programs if you're facing eviction or utility shutoffs while waiting for benefits.
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KingKongZilla
•That's a great suggestion. I didn't know WorkSource had emergency assistance beyond job search help.
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Sophia Carter
•They don't advertise it much but many locations have connections to local assistance programs for people in your exact situation.
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Chloe Zhang
same thing happened to my brother last month. took 12 days but it finally came. hang in there!
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KingKongZilla
•Thanks for the encouragement! It's good to hear it does eventually arrive.
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Brandon Parker
Make sure you activate the card as soon as you get it. Mine sat in my mailbox for 2 days before I realized what it was (looked like junk mail) and then took another day to activate online.
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KingKongZilla
•Good point about it looking like junk mail. I'll be extra careful checking everything that comes in.
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Rebecca Johnston
•Yes, the envelope is pretty generic looking. Usually has KeyBank on it but no obvious unemployment branding.
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Adriana Cohn
The irony is that once you get the card, you'll probably prefer direct deposit anyway. The card is fine but having money go straight to your real bank account is just easier.
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KingKongZilla
•Yeah I already switched to direct deposit for future payments. Hopefully won't have to deal with card delays again.
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Adriana Cohn
•Smart choice. I wish someone had told me about direct deposit from the beginning instead of dealing with card drama.
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Jace Caspullo
If anyone's still having issues reaching Washington ESD about card problems, I had success using that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier. Got through to an agent in like 20 minutes instead of calling all day.
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KingKongZilla
•That's the third person mentioning it so it must actually work. Might be worth trying if my direct deposit doesn't go through properly.
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Jace Caspullo
•Yeah it definitely works. The video demo on their site shows exactly how the process works if you want to check it out first.
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Melody Miles
Bottom line: 7-10 business days is normal, direct deposit is faster for future payments, and don't panic if it takes up to 2 weeks. The card will eventually arrive.
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KingKongZilla
•Perfect summary! Thanks everyone for all the helpful advice. Feel much better about the situation now.
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