How long until I get unemployment benefits from Washington ESD?

Thanks! I've been doing my weekly claims. Should I be worried that it's been a week and my status still says 'under review'?

One week is still normal. If it goes past 3 weeks without any communication, then you might want to start making some calls.

I worked for the same company for 2 years so hopefully that's straightforward. Did they contact you when they needed verification?

nope, i had to keep checking my account and calling to find out what was happening. the communication could be better

That's interesting - I've been trying to call but keep getting busy signals. How does that service work exactly?

They basically handle the calling for you and get you connected to a live person. Super helpful when you need to check on claim status or resolve issues.

never heard of that but honestly anything is better than the endless phone tree at Washington ESD

I was laid off due to company downsizing, so hopefully that's pretty straightforward. What exactly triggers adjudication?

Layoffs are usually the smoothest. Adjudication typically happens with job separations involving misconduct, voluntary quits, or when there are discrepancies in reported wages or work history.

My claim went to adjudication just because my employer reported different separation dates than what I put on my application. It was a nightmare to resolve.

Good point - I need to make sure I'm documenting my job search activities properly. Do I need to submit those with my weekly claims?

You don't submit them with your weekly claims, but you need to keep detailed records in case Washington ESD audits your job search. They can ask for proof at any time.

Yes! I set up direct deposit when I filed. How long after approval does the money actually hit your account?

usually 1-2 business days after they process your weekly claim. much faster than the old paper check system

Wait, I don't get paid for the first week at all? That seems unfair when you're already struggling financially.

Correct - the waiting week is unpaid. It's been that way for years. You can think of it as a one-week deductible for unemployment benefits.

Some states got rid of the waiting week during COVID but Washington kept it. Pretty frustrating when you need every dollar.

That's the second mention of Claimyr - sounds like it might be worth trying if I don't hear anything soon.

I was skeptical at first but honestly it saved me so much time and frustration. The Washington ESD phone system is just impossible to navigate sometimes.

That's good advice. I'll give it another week and then start making some calls if I don't see movement.

Smart approach. Most of the time everything works out fine, but it's better to be proactive than to find out weeks later that there was an issue.

That's encouraging! Hopefully mine follows a similar timeline. Did you have any issues with the job search requirements?

nope, as long as you're actually looking for work and keeping good records it's pretty straightforward. just don't slack on the 3 contacts per week

Yikes, good thing I've been filing them. I wasn't sure if I needed to but figured it was better to be safe.

Absolutely the right call. Missing weekly claims can create gaps in your benefits that are hard to fix later.

That's awful! I'm really hoping to avoid that kind of delay. Did you ever get backpay for those weeks?

Eventually yes, but it took forever and I had to call multiple times. The stress of not knowing when money is coming is almost worse than being unemployed.

That's unfortunately not uncommon. The system can be really frustrating when you're depending on it financially.

Good catch! I just double-checked and everything looks current. Thanks for the reminder.

No problem! It's one of those small things that can cause big headaches if you're not careful.

Thanks for the encouragement. It's definitely stressful not knowing when income will start coming in.

Totally understand. The financial stress makes everything harder. Hang in there - it does get sorted out eventually.

At this point I'm definitely considering it. The peace of mind of knowing what's going on might be worth it.

That's exactly how I felt. Sometimes the unknown is worse than bad news because at least with bad news you know what you're dealing with.

This has been really helpful everyone. I'll be patient for another week or two and then take action if needed. Thanks for all the advice!

You're welcome! Hope everything works out smoothly for you. Keep us posted on how it goes.

Good luck! The waiting is definitely the hardest part but you're doing everything right.