How many days do I have to file my Washington ESD unemployment claim?

Thanks! So there's no penalty for waiting a few days? I wanted to make sure I had all my paperwork together first.

No penalty, but you can't get benefits for weeks you don't file. So if you wait a month to apply, you lose that month of potential benefits.

That's exactly why it's important to file right away. Even if you think you might get called back, you can always stop claiming if you do get rehired.

Good to know! I definitely don't want to lose out on benefits I could have gotten.

I had the same problem trying to reach them! I ended up using this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual agent. They have a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ. Made the whole process so much easier than sitting on hold all day.

Really? How does that work exactly? I'm desperate to talk to someone about my claim.

Basically they handle the calling process for you so you don't have to sit on hold. Way better than wasting entire days trying to get through the busy phone lines.

I tried but got confused on some of the questions about my employment history. Do I need exact dates for every job?

You need your employment info for the last 18 months, including employer names, addresses, and approximate dates. Don't worry about being exact to the day - close estimates are fine.

So if I file today, I can get benefits for this week even though I was only unemployed for part of it?

Yes, as long as you worked less than full-time and earned less than your weekly benefit amount. Washington ESD has partial unemployment benefits too.

This is really helpful info. I wish they made this clearer on their website.

Good tip! I have those. What about pay stubs - do I need those too?

Not for the initial filing, but keep them handy. Sometimes Washington ESD will request wage verification during the adjudication process.

yeah the site crashes all the time especially monday mornings when everyone tries to file their weekly claims

Try filing late at night or early morning when there's less traffic on the system. I usually do my weekly claims around 6 AM and never have problems.

That's great! How long did it take to reach someone through Claimyr?

Much faster than trying to call myself. They handled all the waiting and got me connected to an agent who could actually answer my questions about my specific situation.

That makes sense. I'm going to file today then. Better safe than sorry.

Exactly! I waited because I wasn't sure if getting fired vs laid off made a difference. Turns out I was eligible either way, but I lost 2 weeks of benefits by waiting.

The waiting week is the first week of your claim after you file. So if you file on a Wednesday, that week becomes your waiting week and you won't get paid for it, but you can start getting benefits the following week if you continue to file weekly claims.

Okay that helps clarify it. So filing sooner means getting through the waiting week sooner.

Good to know! I was wondering about that too since I won't get my final check until next Friday.

Severance pay might affect your benefits timing though, so make sure to report any severance when you file your weekly claims.

Two weeks seems pretty fast! I was expecting it to take longer.

It depends on whether your claim needs adjudication. If it's straightforward with no issues, payments can start pretty quickly after the waiting week.

How much does something like that cost? I'm already stressed about money.

It's worth checking out their site to see what works for your situation. For me, getting actual answers about my claim was more valuable than sitting on hold for hours with no results.

Adjudication delays are unfortunately common, especially if there are questions about why you left your job or if there are wage discrepancies to resolve.

Yeah, apparently my former employer disputed something on my claim. Just have to wait it out I guess.

Exactly right! And don't forget to file your weekly claims every week even while you're waiting for the initial claim to be processed.

Good luck! I'm about to file mine too after reading all this advice.

Is that something I do at the same time as filing for unemployment or separately?

You can do it separately, but I'd recommend doing it soon after filing your unemployment claim. You'll need to track job search activities for your weekly claims.

That's really helpful to understand. Thank you everyone for taking the time to explain this!

This thread has been super informative. Wish I had found this info when I first got laid off last year!

Good luck with your claim! Remember to keep filing those weekly claims once you get started.

Will do! Thanks for all the help.