How long till Washington ESD unemployment pays you after filing?

Do you know if weekends count toward that timeline? I filed on Thursday so I'm trying to figure out exactly when to expect something.

Business days only. So if you filed Thursday, count from Friday as day 1. Also make sure you're filing your weekly claims on time or it will delay everything.

4 weeks?? That's way longer than I was expecting. Did you have any issues with your claim or was that just normal processing time?

Normal processing time unfortunately. They had to verify my employment history which took forever.

Same here - took about a month before my first payment showed up. The waiting is brutal when you have bills to pay.

Never heard of that before. Is it legit or just another scam? I'm always suspicious of services that charge for government stuff.

It's totally legit - they don't ask for any personal info, just help you get through the phone system faster. I was skeptical too but it actually worked.

I used Claimyr too when my claim got stuck in adjudication. Definitely worth it when you can't get through the normal way.

That's awful, I'm so sorry you're dealing with that. Have you tried contacting your state representative? Sometimes they can help push things through.

I hadn't thought of that. Do you know how to find out who my rep is?

You can look it up on the Washington state legislature website. They have a district finder tool.

Wait, what's a waiting week? Nobody told me about that when I filed.

It's basically an unpaid week that everyone has to serve. So if you filed this week, next week would be your waiting week, then the week after that would be your first payable week.

I think they got rid of the waiting week during COVID but I'm not sure if it's still waived or not.

Good to know, thanks. I was wondering about that. How often do you have to file them?

Every week, usually Sunday through Saturday is the claim week and you can file starting Sunday evening I think. Don't quote me on the exact times though.

How do I set that up? Is it in the SecureAccess Washington portal?

Yeah, log into your unemployment account and look for payment preferences or something like that. You'll need your bank routing and account number.

The debit card isn't that bad honestly. I like having my unemployment money separate from my regular checking account.

That gives me hope! Mine should be straightforward too, just a regular layoff situation.

Yeah if you were a W-2 employee and got laid off it should be pretty fast. It's when you're self-employed or have weird work situations that things get complicated.

What kind of issues should I be looking for?

Things like identity verification, work search requirements, or if they need to verify your wages with your employer. It'll show up in your account if there's something pending.

That's exactly why I ended up using Claimyr. I was doing the same thing - calling dozens of times a day and getting nowhere. At least with that service I could actually talk to someone.

I might have to try that if my next claim gets stuck. The regular phone system is basically useless.

That's reassuring to hear. Did you get paid for all the weeks you filed claims for?

yep except for the first week which was my waiting week. everything else came in one payment

What exactly do I need to do for work search? How many jobs do I need to apply to?

I think it's 3 job search activities per week but check the Washington ESD website for current requirements. Keep detailed records of everything.

And make sure you register with WorkSource WA if you haven't already. That's usually a requirement too.

Thanks for the encouragement. It's just scary not knowing when money is coming when you have bills due.

I totally get it. See if you can work out payment plans with your creditors while you wait. Most companies are understanding about temporary unemployment situations.

I think so? I got a confirmation number and it let me file my first weekly claim. What other steps might there be?

Just double check your account to make sure there aren't any pending forms or verifications. Sometimes they add requirements after you file.

I was laid off due to budget cuts so hopefully that helps speed things up.

Yeah that should be straightforward. Just make sure you have documentation from your employer if they ask for it.

I tried that but even at 8am sharp I was caller number 500+ in the queue. It's just impossible to get through normally.

That's why services like Claimyr exist. The regular system is just broken for actually reaching anyone who can help.

Good point, I forgot about taxes. Is there a way to change the withholding amount?

Yeah you can adjust it in your account settings. I'd recommend having them take out at least 10% so you don't get hit with a big tax bill later.

Thanks everyone for all the advice. This has been really helpful. I'll just keep filing weekly and try to be patient.

Good luck! The waiting sucks but the money will come. Just stay on top of your weekly claims and work search requirements.