How long is waiting week for unemployment - Washington ESD timing question

The waiting week starts with your first compensable week, not when you initially file. So if you filed last week, your first weekly claim would be your waiting week. After that, it usually takes about 2-3 business days for direct deposit once your claim is processed.

Just went through this myself. The waiting week is exactly 7 days from your first weekly claim submission. But here's the thing - if there are any issues with your claim, it can take weeks longer. I had to verify my identity and that delayed everything by almost a month.

wait so the waiting week means I don't get paid for that week at all?? that seems really unfair when people are already struggling financially

The waiting week is a federal requirement that most states have. Washington ESD follows the standard one-week waiting period. What's important is making sure you file your weekly claims on time every week, even during the waiting week, or you could lose benefits for that week entirely.

From my experience, the actual waiting week timing depends on when your claim is approved too. If there's any adjudication or verification needed, your waiting week doesn't start until all that's resolved.

One thing to remember is that the waiting week applies to your benefit year, not just when you first file. So if you work for a while then become unemployed again within the same benefit year, you don't have to serve another waiting week.

Just be prepared for delays beyond the waiting week. Even after everything is approved, it can take additional time for payments to start flowing. I'd plan for at least 2-3 weeks from your first weekly claim before seeing money.

I'm in week 3 of waiting and still haven't gotten anything. My claim shows approved but no payments yet. Getting really worried about bills piling up.

The waiting week is just the beginning. Make sure you're also meeting all the job search requirements during that time. Washington ESD requires you to be actively looking for work even during the waiting week.

Been through this process twice now. The waiting week is always exactly 7 days from your first eligible week. But what really matters is making sure all your paperwork is correct from the start - any mistakes will delay everything way beyond just the waiting week.

honestly the whole unemployment system is so confusing. they should just pay people from week one instead of making everyone wait when they're already in financial trouble

Make sure you understand the difference between your waiting week and any processing delays. The waiting week is standard, but if Washington ESD is backed up with claims, that's additional time on top of the waiting week.

Pro tip: set up direct deposit immediately when you file. It's much faster than waiting for a debit card to arrive in the mail. My first payment came 3 days after the waiting week ended because I had direct deposit ready.

I had a weird situation where my waiting week got reset because of an issue with my employer's response. Ended up having to serve the waiting week twice, which Washington ESD later said was an error on their part.

Remember that the waiting week applies even if you're on standby status. I work in seasonal construction and thought standby was different, but I still had to serve the waiting week when I first filed.

The key thing is just to be patient and keep filing your weekly claims even during the waiting week. I know it's stressful when you need money, but the system does work eventually.

Just want to add that if you have any questions about your specific situation during the waiting week, don't hesitate to contact Washington ESD. It's better to ask questions early than to have problems later.