How long does it usually take to get unemployment benefits approved in Washington?

What would cause them to need to investigate? I was laid off due to company downsizing, nothing complicated.

Layoffs are usually pretty straightforward. They might just need to verify the details with your employer, which shouldn't take too long.

Have you tried calling right when they open at 8am? That's usually your best bet for getting through.

Yeah I've tried that multiple times. Either busy signal or I get disconnected after waiting on hold for an hour.

I had the same problem until I found Claimyr. It's a service that helps you get through to Washington ESD agents. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me hours of calling.

That's encouraging! Did you have to do anything special or did it just process automatically?

Just filed online and kept filing my weekly claims. No issues with my separation so it went through without adjudication.

Good point, I already set up my WorkSourceWA account. Do I need to do job searches for the weeks before I get approved too?

Yes, you need to do job searches for every week you're claiming benefits, even if the claim is still processing.

Same here, it's frustrating when you're counting on that money to pay bills.

exactly! and trying to call them is impossible. they really need to fix their phone system

I've been filing weekly like they told me to. Should I be worried if it takes longer than 3 weeks?

Not necessarily worried, but you might want to try contacting them if it goes much past 4 weeks with no update.

That's awful. Did she eventually get back pay for all those weeks?

Yeah she got all her back pay once it was approved, but 6 weeks without income was really tough.

Good to know, mine was definitely a layoff so hopefully it won't take too long.

You should be fine then. Just keep filing those weekly claims and doing your job searches.

Lol I'm doing the same thing right now! Obsessively checking my eServices account.

It's so nerve-wracking when you need the money. At least once it's approved the weekly payments come pretty regularly.

Is that legit? Sounds too good to be true.

Yeah it's real, they just handle the calling for you. Check out their site at claimyr.com if you're curious.

Thanks, that helps me set realistic expectations. I'll try to be patient.

Yeah just keep doing what you're supposed to do and it'll come through eventually.

How did you fix that? Did you have to call or could you do it online?

I had to call to get it corrected. Took forever to get through but they fixed it pretty quickly once I talked to someone.

That's reassuring to hear it's been consistent for you. Hopefully mine follows the same timeline.

Just stay on top of your weekly claims and job search requirements and you should be fine.

That's pretty fast! What industry were you in?

I was working retail. Maybe some industries process faster than others?

8 weeks?? That's insane. Did you eventually get all your back pay?

Yeah I got the back pay but by then I was already behind on rent and bills. The whole thing was a nightmare.

This is exactly why I ended up using Claimyr when my claim got stuck. Sometimes you just need to actually talk to someone who can look at your account and tell you what's going on.

Yeah I'm definitely going to keep filing weekly. Thanks for the realistic timeline estimate.

No problem! The waiting is stressful but most people do get approved eventually.

Oh I didn't know about that. So even if I get approved in 2-3 weeks, I won't see money for another week after that?

That's how it used to work, but I think they eliminated the waiting week during COVID and haven't brought it back. Double check the Washington ESD website to be sure.

Correct, there's no waiting week currently in Washington state. You can get paid for your first week if approved.

Good advice, I need to stop obsessing over checking my account every few hours!

Easier said than done when you're stressed about money, but try to focus on things you can control like your job search.

Good luck with your claim! Hopefully we both get approved quickly.

Thanks! I'll update if I hear anything back from Washington ESD.

That seems to be the consensus. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences, it really helps to know what to expect!

No problem! This community is great for getting real information about the unemployment process.