How long until ESD deposits first unemployment payment? (2025 timeframes)
I just got approved for regular UI benefits after applying 2 weeks ago (laid off from construction job - company downsizing). My ESD account shows 'approved' status with a weekly benefit amount of $825, but I haven't received any money in my bank account yet. I've filed 2 weekly claims so far, both showing as 'processed - paid' on the website. Does anyone know what the typical waiting period is between approval and actually getting the first payment these days? I keep checking my account but nothing's there. Getting a bit anxious since rent is due next week. I set up direct deposit during the application.
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Justin Chang
mine took almost 4 weeks from when i first applied till i got money!! the website said paid for like 10 days b4 anything hit my account. so frustrating when they say its coming but nothing shows up
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Wesley Hallow
•4 weeks?! That's way longer than I was expecting. Did you call them to find out what was going on?
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Grace Thomas
There are typically three parts to the timeline: 1) Application to approval: Usually 1-3 weeks if there are no issues requiring adjudication 2) Approval to payment processing: 1-2 business days after weekly claim is filed 3) Processing to deposit: 2-4 business days for direct deposit (longer for paper checks) If your claim shows 'processed - paid' status, the money should be in your account within 2-4 business days. Remember that weekends and holidays don't count as business days. If it's been more than 4 business days since your status changed to 'paid,' there might be an issue with your direct deposit information.
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Wesley Hallow
•Thanks for breaking it down like that. My claim has shown 'paid' since Tuesday morning, so I guess I should give it until tomorrow before really worrying. I double-checked my direct deposit info and it's all correct.
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Hunter Brighton
Check if your payment shows a debit card option instead of direct deposit. Sometimes even if you selected direct deposit, the system defaults to their prepaid debit card for the first payment. This happened to me - waited two weeks checking my bank account, then realized they sent a ReliaCard in the mail! The ESD website should show which payment method was used under the payment details section.
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Wesley Hallow
•Oh wow, I didn't think to check that! Just looked and you're right - it says "Payment method: ReliaCard" even though I selected direct deposit. How frustrating. Any idea how long the card takes to arrive?
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Hunter Brighton
•The ReliaCard usually takes 7-10 business days to arrive by mail. Once you get it, you can go into your ESD account and make sure direct deposit is properly set up for future payments. Some people just keep using the card, but I switched mine to direct deposit after the first payment.
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Dylan Baskin
I've been thru this nightmare TWICE now! ESD system is a joke. my first payment took 3 weeks, second claim took just 5 days. MAKES NO SENSE!!! They say one thing on the website but reality is something else entirely. And just wait until they randomly decide you need to verify your identity again or something stupid. Even when it says PAID you might not get it for a week!!!!
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Lauren Wood
•this is so true. my roommate got his payment in 4 days, took me almost a month for the same exact situation. makes zero sense
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Dylan Baskin
•EXACTLY!!! The inconsistency is what drives me nuts. My friend and I applied the same day, both approved, he got paid in a week, I waited a month. Same job, same everything!
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Ellie Lopez
When I had this issue last year, I spent DAYS trying to call ESD to find out where my payment was. Finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual ESD agent in about 20 minutes. The agent told me there was a system flag on my account that was holding up payment even though the website showed 'paid' status. They fixed it while I was on the phone and my payment arrived the next day. Their video demo shows how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 - totally worth it for me because I was about to miss my car payment.
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Wesley Hallow
•That's good to know as a backup option. I'll give it until early next week to see if the ReliaCard arrives, but if things don't get sorted I might need to try that. Getting through to ESD seems impossible otherwise.
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Chad Winthrope
Did you check your spam folder? They sometimes send an email when the payment is processed. Also, the first payment is sometimes delayed because of the waiting week (though that depends on if WA is waiving it currently - they change the rules so often I can't keep track).
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Grace Thomas
•Washington currently does have a waiting week requirement (first week you're eligible but don't receive benefits). However, since OP mentioned they've already filed two weekly claims and both show as 'paid,' they should be past the waiting week already.
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Lauren Wood
r u sure u entered the right bank info? my friend put in the wrong account # and it took them 3 weeks to figure it out and fix it
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Wesley Hallow
•Thanks for the thought! But it looks like the issue is they sent it to the ReliaCard instead of direct deposit for some reason. Going to wait for that to arrive now.
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Grace Thomas
Just to update the information here for anyone reading this thread later: As of 2025, the typical timeline from approval to first payment is: - With direct deposit properly set up: 4-7 business days after your first eligible weekly claim shows as 'paid' - With ReliaCard: 7-14 calendar days (to allow for mail delivery of the card) If you're approaching these timeframes without receiving payment, you should contact ESD. And remember that bank holidays can add delays to the processing time.
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Dylan Baskin
•That might be the "official" timeline but we all know ESD doesn't stick to it half the time! I've seen people wait a month even with everything set up correctly. Just saying...
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Grace Thomas
•You're right that there can definitely be variations and exceptions. I was providing the standard expectation, but individual experiences may differ based on various factors like system issues, identity verification holds, or high claim volumes.
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