How long does it take unemployment to start in Washington - filed 2 weeks ago

Thanks for the info! Should I be doing anything while I wait or just sit tight?

Keep filing your weekly claims even if you haven't been paid yet. You need to maintain your claim status while they process your initial application.

Did you get back pay for those 3 weeks once it got approved?

yeah they paid me for all the weeks I filed, even the ones during the waiting period

Is that service legit? I've never heard of it before.

Yeah it's real - they basically call Washington ESD for you and get you connected to an agent. Saved me tons of time trying to get through the busy phone lines.

How much does it cost though? I'm already strapped for cash waiting for unemployment.

Six weeks?? That's insane! Have you tried calling them?

I've called probably 50 times and either get a busy signal or sit on hold for 2 hours before getting disconnected. The system is broken.

I just checked and it doesn't show any alerts or action items needed. Just says 'claim under review'.

That's actually a good sign - means your paperwork is probably fine and they're just working through their backlog.

Right?? I keep checking my account like 5 times a day hoping something changes.

literally same!! my friends think im obsessed but like I NEED this money lol

Wait, so even after approval there's another delay? This is getting ridiculous.

The waiting week is standard - it's like a one-week deductible. But once payments start, they're usually pretty consistent if you keep filing weekly.

I worked full time for 8 months before getting laid off, so I should definitely qualify.

Yeah that should be plenty. Probably just the normal processing delay then.

Did you have to give them your personal info or SSN?

No, they just need your phone number to call you back when they get an agent on the line. Pretty simple process.

That's probably true but doesn't help OP get their money faster.

Fair point. Just venting because I went through the same frustration.

I get that they need to verify stuff, but some communication would be nice. The website is useless.

Totally agree - their communication is terrible. You basically have to call to get any real information.

Oh no! I've been filing every week like it told me to. Glad I didn't skip any.

Good! That was a expensive lesson for me - had to go through a whole appeal process to get those weeks back.

I'll try that! Did they give you helpful info about your claim status?

yeah they told me exactly what step my claim was at and gave me a better timeline estimate

That makes sense. A lot of restaurants in my area have been laying people off recently.

Yeah, higher volume usually means longer processing times unfortunately.

Did the agent actually have useful information or just tell you to wait?

They were able to tell me exactly what documents they needed and expedited my claim review. Way better than the generic website info.

Thanks for the encouragement! Really need to hear that right now.

Good reminder - I've been applying to jobs but wasn't sure if I needed to log them yet.

Better to start logging now so you're ready when they ask for your job search records.

That's reassuring to know I won't lose those weeks. Thanks everyone for all the advice!

No problem! This community is here to help each other navigate the Washington ESD system.