How long until you can get unemployment approved in Washington ESD?

Thanks! I've been doing the weekly claims religiously. Just nerve-wracking not knowing when the first payment will come through.

yeah keep filing those weeklies no matter what, learned that the hard way

That's reassuring. It was a clear layoff due to company downsizing, so hopefully no complications.

Mine took 5 weeks because they had to verify my wages from a previous employer. It was torture waiting but eventually came through with back pay.

How much does that cost though? I'm already broke waiting for unemployment.

It's way cheaper than missing work to sit on hold all day. Plus the peace of mind knowing your claim is processing correctly is priceless.

Interesting, I've never heard of that service before. Might be useful for people who can't get through the normal way.

Oh no, that's exactly what I'm afraid of. Did you try calling them?

Called hundreds of times. Either busy signal or 2+ hour hold times. When I finally get through they just read me the same info I can see online.

7 weeks sounds like your claim is in adjudication. That usually means they're investigating something specific about your separation or eligibility.

18 days doesn't sound too terrible. Was that with no complications?

yeah pretty straightforward, just had to wait for them to process everything. the back pay was nice though

Good to know the difference. Mine just says pending so hopefully it stays that way.

What if it goes to adjudication? How long does that take?

Adjudication can take anywhere from 2-8 weeks depending on the complexity. They have to contact employers, review documentation, sometimes schedule phone interviews.

Thanks for the tip about payment days. I'll try to be patient and not check obsessively.

I do the same thing! Check the portal like 5 times a day even though I know it won't change that fast.

Good point. I've been applying to jobs but haven't been tracking it formally. Better start that log now.

How many jobs do you have to apply to per week?

It varies but typically 3 job search activities per week. Can be applications, interviews, networking events, etc.

That's the second time someone mentioned that service. Might be worth looking into if I get really stuck.

I'm skeptical of any service that charges money for something that should be free.

I get the skepticism, but sometimes you need to pay a little to save your sanity. My friend was about to have a breakdown from the stress of not knowing.

I won't give up! Need these benefits too much to let bureaucracy stop me.

exactly! they count on people getting frustrated and dropping out

Yes, you get back pay for all the weeks you filed claims while waiting for approval, as long as you were eligible those weeks.

That's a relief! At least the waiting won't cost me those weeks of benefits.

I was super careful filling everything out. Double-checked all my employment dates and reasons for separation.

Boeing layoffs are usually pretty clean since they're such a big employer. ESD probably processes those faster.

Good tip! I'll try calling first thing tomorrow morning.

I tried that but still couldn't get through. The phone system is just overwhelmed.

That's why I ended up using Claimyr. The regular phone lines are just too frustrating to deal with.

Thanks for the encouragement. Really needed to hear that today.

We're all in this together. Unemployment is tough enough without the added stress of waiting.

Already got direct deposit set up, thankfully. Don't want any extra delays when the approval finally comes through.

Smart move. I forgot to set that up initially and had to wait for paper checks for the first month.

Will do! Hoping to have good news to share soon. This thread has been really helpful for managing my expectations.

Yes please update! I just applied yesterday so I'm in the same waiting game.

You're right. I need to channel this nervous energy into productive job searching instead of worry.

Exactly! Use this time to really focus on finding something better than what you had before.

Good to know I have escalation options if needed. Hopefully it won't come to that, but it's reassuring to know.

State reps can actually be really helpful with ESD issues. They have direct contacts there.

Thanks everyone for all the advice and support. Feeling much more confident about the process now!

This is what I love about this community. People actually helping each other out instead of just complaining.