How often do I get unemployment checks from Washington ESD?
I just got approved for unemployment benefits after being laid off last month. This is my first time dealing with Washington ESD and I'm confused about the payment schedule. How often do unemployment checks come? Is it weekly, biweekly, or monthly? And when should I expect my first payment after filing my weekly claim?
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Daniel Price
Washington ESD pays unemployment benefits weekly, but you have to file your weekly claim every week to get paid. The actual payment comes a few days after you file your weekly claim, assuming there are no issues with your claim.
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Caleb Stone
•Thanks! So I need to file something every single week? I thought it was automatic once approved.
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Daniel Price
•Nope, you have to actively file your weekly claim every week and answer questions about your job search activities and any work you did that week.
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Olivia Evans
The weekly claims are due by midnight on Saturday for the previous week. So if you don't file by Saturday night, you'll miss that week's payment. I learned this the hard way when I forgot to file one week.
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Caleb Stone
•Oh wow, so if I miss the Saturday deadline I just lose that week's money completely?
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Olivia Evans
•You might be able to file a late claim but it's complicated and not guaranteed. Better to just set a reminder on your phone.
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Sophia Bennett
Here's what I've learned from my experience: You file your weekly claim online through the Washington ESD website (usually takes 5-10 minutes), and if everything checks out, they process the payment within 2-3 business days. The money goes directly to your bank account if you set up direct deposit, or they mail a check if you didn't.
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Caleb Stone
•How do I set up direct deposit? I definitely don't want to wait for checks in the mail.
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Sophia Bennett
•You can set it up in your eServices account on the Washington ESD website. Just need your bank routing number and account number.
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Aiden Chen
Been trying to get through to Washington ESD for weeks about my payment schedule because my claim shows 'adjudication in progress' and I haven't gotten any payments yet. Their phone lines are always busy and I keep getting disconnected. Anyone know how to actually reach a human there?
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Zoey Bianchi
•I had the same problem! I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you get through to ESD agents. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that explains how it works. It actually got me connected to someone within a few hours instead of calling for days.
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Aiden Chen
•Really? That sounds too good to be true. How much does it cost?
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Zoey Bianchi
•I was skeptical too but it actually worked. They focus on getting you connected rather than giving you the runaround. Worth checking out their demo video to see if it makes sense for your situation.
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Christopher Morgan
UGH the whole system is so confusing!! I've been filing weekly claims for 3 weeks now and still haven't gotten a single payment. My account just says 'payment processing' but no actual money. How am I supposed to pay rent if I don't know when these payments are coming???
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Daniel Price
•If it's been 3 weeks with no payment, there's probably an issue with your claim that needs to be resolved. Check if there are any 'to-do' items in your eServices account.
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Christopher Morgan
•I checked and there's nothing showing that I need to do. This is so frustrating!
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Aurora St.Pierre
For what it's worth, when everything is working normally, the timing goes like this: File your weekly claim (usually opens Sunday morning for the previous week) → Payment processed within 2-3 business days → Money hits your account. So if you file Sunday, you usually get paid by Wednesday or Thursday.
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Caleb Stone
•That's really helpful, thank you! So I should expect to get paid roughly twice a month then?
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Aurora St.Pierre
•No, you get paid every week as long as you file every week. So 4 payments per month, not 2.
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Grace Johnson
just started filing last week and got my first payment already! took exactly 3 days from when i filed my weekly claim. pretty smooth process once you get the hang of it
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Caleb Stone
•That's encouraging! Did you have to do anything special or just file the weekly claim online?
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Grace Johnson
•nope just answered all the questions honestly about job search and any work i did. took maybe 10 minutes total
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Jayden Reed
Make sure you're doing your job search activities! Washington ESD requires you to make at least 3 job search contacts per week and keep a log. If you don't do this, they can deny your weekly claim even if you file it on time.
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Caleb Stone
•Wait, I have to prove I'm looking for work every single week? What counts as a job search contact?
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Jayden Reed
•Applying for jobs, contacting employers directly, attending job fairs, networking events, etc. You have to log these activities in WorkSourceWA.com and report them on your weekly claim.
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Nora Brooks
Been getting my weekly payments for 2 months now. The key is being consistent - file every week, do your job searches, and answer all questions truthfully. If there are any issues with your claim, they'll put a hold on payments until it's resolved.
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Caleb Stone
•What kind of issues can cause a hold? I want to make sure I don't mess anything up.
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Nora Brooks
•Common ones are not reporting work income, not meeting job search requirements, or if there's a question about why you left your last job. Just be honest and thorough in your weekly claims.
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Eli Wang
One thing to watch out for - if you work any hours during a week, even just a few hours, you have to report it on your weekly claim. This will reduce your unemployment payment for that week but won't necessarily eliminate it completely.
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Caleb Stone
•Good to know! So I can still work part-time and get some unemployment benefits?
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Eli Wang
•Yes, but there's a formula they use to calculate how much your benefit gets reduced. Generally if you work more than your weekly benefit amount, you won't get any unemployment for that week.
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Cassandra Moon
I've been tracking my payments and they're pretty consistent. File Sunday evening, get paid Wednesday morning via direct deposit. The only time there was a delay was when I had to verify my identity, which took an extra week to resolve.
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Caleb Stone
•How did you verify your identity? Did you have to send documents?
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Cassandra Moon
•Yeah, had to upload a photo of my driver's license and social security card through the eServices portal. Took about a week for them to review and approve it.
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Zane Hernandez
The Washington ESD customer service is absolutely terrible. I've been trying to get answers about my payment schedule for weeks. Finally used that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier and actually got through to a real person who explained my situation. Game changer!
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Caleb Stone
•Was it worth it? I'm getting frustrated trying to call them myself.
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Zane Hernandez
•Totally worth it for me. Saved me hours of calling and getting nowhere. The agent was able to tell me exactly why my payments were delayed and what I needed to do to fix it.
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Genevieve Cavalier
Pro tip: sign up for text alerts on your phone about your unemployment claim status. Washington ESD will send you notifications when your weekly claim is processed or if there are any issues. Helps you stay on top of things.
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Caleb Stone
•How do I sign up for text alerts? I don't see that option in my account.
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Genevieve Cavalier
•Look under 'Communication Preferences' in your eServices account. You can choose to get texts, emails, or both.
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Ethan Scott
Been unemployed for 4 months now and the weekly routine is: File claim Sunday, get paid Wednesday, repeat. The hardest part is keeping up with the job search requirements and making sure you document everything properly.
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Caleb Stone
•Do they ever audit your job search activities? Like do they check if you actually applied to the jobs you listed?
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Ethan Scott
•They can, especially if there's a question about your eligibility. That's why it's important to keep detailed records of every job search activity you do.
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Lola Perez
Just a heads up - if you're getting close to your maximum benefit amount, Washington ESD will send you a notice. You don't just suddenly stop getting payments, they give you a warning when you have a few weeks left.
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Caleb Stone
•How do I know what my maximum benefit amount is? Is that shown somewhere in my account?
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Lola Perez
•Yes, it's in your Monetary Determination letter that you got when your claim was approved. Also shows in your eServices account under claim details.
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Nathaniel Stewart
The payment schedule is pretty reliable once you get used to it. What threw me off at first was that your first payment might take longer because they have to verify everything. After that, it's like clockwork if you file on time every week.
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Caleb Stone
•That makes sense. I'm still waiting for my first payment so I was getting worried something was wrong.
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Nathaniel Stewart
•First payment can take 1-2 weeks after you file your first weekly claim. After that, it should be much faster.
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Riya Sharma
My friend tried to help me understand the payment schedule but honestly I'm still confused about when exactly to file and when to expect money. The Washington ESD website isn't very clear about the timing.
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Daniel Price
•The basic schedule is: Weekly claim opens Sunday for the previous week, file by Saturday night, get paid 2-3 days later. Repeat every week.
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Riya Sharma
•OK so if I file this Sunday, I should get paid by Wednesday? And then I file again next Sunday?
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Daniel Price
•Exactly! As long as there are no issues with your claim, that's the pattern.
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Santiago Diaz
After dealing with this for several months, my advice is: treat filing your weekly claim like a job. Set a reminder, do it the same day every week, and keep good records. The payments are consistent if you stay on top of the requirements.
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Caleb Stone
•Thanks for all the helpful info everyone! I feel much more confident about the process now.
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Santiago Diaz
•You're welcome! It seems overwhelming at first but becomes routine pretty quickly. Good luck with your job search!
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Millie Long
One last thing - if you ever have trouble reaching Washington ESD by phone and need to talk to someone about your payments, I found Claimyr really helpful. They have a system that gets you through to actual ESD agents instead of sitting on hold forever. Check out their demo video to see if it might work for your situation.
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Caleb Stone
•I'll definitely keep that in mind if I run into any issues. Hopefully everything goes smoothly now that I understand the schedule better.
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Millie Long
•Hope so too! The weekly filing becomes second nature after a few weeks. Just remember to stay consistent with it.
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