How often does Washington ESD unemployment pay - weekly or biweekly schedule?
I just got approved for unemployment benefits and I'm trying to figure out when I'll actually receive payments. I know I have to file weekly claims every week, but how often does Washington ESD actually send out the money? Is it weekly, biweekly, or what? I need to plan my budget around this and can't find a clear answer on their website. Also do they pay for both weeks at once or separate payments?
401 comments


Eleanor Foster
Washington ESD pays unemployment benefits weekly, but you typically receive payments every other week (biweekly). You file your weekly claim each week, but they usually batch the payments together. So if you file claims for week 1 and week 2, you'll get both payments around the same time after you file your second weekly claim.
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Nathan Kim
•Thanks! So I file every week but get paid every two weeks? That makes sense. Do you know what day of the week they usually send payments?
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Eleanor Foster
•It varies but usually Tuesday or Wednesday after you file your second weekly claim. The exact timing depends on when you file and processing time.
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Sofia Perez
Washington ESD pays unemployment benefits weekly, but you have to file your weekly claim first. Payments usually process on Tuesday if you file your claim on Sunday or Monday. The money typically shows up in your account within 1-2 business days after processing.
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Dylan Cooper
•Thanks! So I need to file every single week? What happens if I miss a week?
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Sofia Perez
•Yes, you must file every week to get paid. If you miss a week, you can still file it later but there might be a delay in payment. Don't skip weeks or you'll lose benefits.
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StarStrider
Washington ESD pays unemployment benefits weekly, not biweekly. You file your weekly claim every Sunday and if everything processes correctly, you should see payment in your account by Tuesday or Wednesday of that same week.
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Ethan Clark
•Thanks! So I need to file every single week? Even if nothing changes with my job search?
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StarStrider
•Yes, you must file every week to receive payment. You'll need to report any work you did and wages earned, plus confirm you're able and available for work.
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Dmitry Smirnov
i get mine every tuesday like clockwork. been on unemployment for 3 months now and its always the same schedule
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Dylan Cooper
•That's reassuring to hear it's consistent. Do you file your weekly claim on Sunday?
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Dmitry Smirnov
•yeah i do it sunday night usually. sometimes monday morning if i forget
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Isabella Silva
Washington ESD pays weekly if you file your weekly claims on time. Payments usually process Tuesday-Wednesday after you file your Sunday claim. The waiting week is unpaid unless you receive at least 3 weeks of benefits total.
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Dallas Villalobos
Washington ESD pays weekly but you have to file your weekly claim every week to get paid. The payments usually hit your account 1-2 business days after you file if everything is approved. You'll get paid for the week you just completed, not the upcoming week.
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Melina Haruko
•So if I file on Sunday I should see payment by Tuesday or Wednesday? And I have to keep doing this every single week?
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Dallas Villalobos
•Exactly. Miss a week and you don't get paid for that week. The system doesn't automatically pay you - you have to actively file each weekly claim.
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Yuki Sato
The payment schedule is weekly but don't expect it to be super consistent timing-wise. Sometimes mine hits Tuesday, sometimes Wednesday. Once it was Thursday but that was during a holiday week.
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Carmen Ruiz
•Same here, usually Tuesday or Wednesday for me. I think it depends on your bank too.
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Ethan Clark
•Good to know it can vary a bit. I was worried if it didn't show up exactly on Tuesday something was wrong.
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QuantumQuest
Washington ESD pays weekly if you file your weekly claim on time. Payments usually process on Tuesday or Wednesday after you submit your claim. Your first payment might take an extra few days to set up direct deposit.
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Zoe Dimitriou
•Thanks! So I need to file every week to get paid weekly? What happens if I miss a week?
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QuantumQuest
•Yes, you must file your weekly claim every week. If you miss a week, you won't get paid for that week unless you can show good cause for the delay.
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Reina Salazar
yeah its weekly but sometimes there are delays, especially if you report any work hours or if there's a holiday. i've been on unemployment for 3 months now and most weeks i get paid tuesday but sometimes its wednesday or thursday
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Melina Haruko
•Good to know about the delays. Do you know if reporting part-time work affects the payment timing?
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Reina Salazar
•yeah it can slow things down because they have to calculate your partial payment. if you work and earn over a certain amount they might reduce your benefits too
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Lucas Turner
been on unemployment for 3 months now and can confirm its biweekly payments. file every week but money comes every 2 weeks usually. just make sure you file on time or you could delay your payment
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Nathan Kim
•Good to know about filing on time. What happens if I'm late filing a weekly claim?
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Lucas Turner
•you can still file late claims but it might delay everything. better to just file every week on schedule
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Genevieve Cavalier
Washington ESD pays weekly, but only after you file your weekly claim. Most people get paid on Tuesday or Wednesday if they filed their claim by Sunday night. You have to file every single week to keep getting benefits.
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Zane Hernandez
•Thank you! So if I file my weekly claim on Sunday, I should see the payment by Wednesday?
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Genevieve Cavalier
•Usually yes, as long as there are no issues with your claim. Direct deposit is faster than debit card.
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Malik Robinson
Thank you! So if I file this Sunday I should see money by Wednesday? That would be such a relief.
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Saanvi Krishnaswami
The payment schedule is weekly in Washington state, but getting through to verify claim details or resolve issues can be nearly impossible with their phone system. I spent weeks trying to reach someone about a payment delay. If you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD by phone, I discovered Claimyr (claimyr.com) which actually got me connected to an agent. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Made the whole process much less stressful.
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Demi Lagos
•How much does that service cost? I've been trying to call Washington ESD for two weeks about a payment issue.
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Saanvi Krishnaswami
•They focus on getting you connected rather than the cost details. Check out their site - it's worth it if you need to actually talk to someone at Washington ESD instead of waiting on hold forever.
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Mason Lopez
•I used Claimyr too when my weekly claims got stuck. Much better than the frustration of calling manually and getting disconnected every time.
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ElectricDreamer
Be aware that your first payment might be delayed if your claim is still being processed or if there are any issues with your application. Washington ESD has been pretty good about processing claims quickly lately, but adjudication can still cause delays.
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Dylan Cooper
•My claim shows as active, no adjudication issues. Should I expect my first payment this week if I file my weekly claim today?
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ElectricDreamer
•If your claim is fully processed and you file today, you should see payment by Wednesday or Thursday this week.
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Isabella Silva
Yes, as long as your claim doesn't have any issues. Make sure you're doing your job search activities too - they can audit that anytime.
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Vera Visnjic
Just want to add that you need to keep filing even if you don't find work. The weekly claim is how you certify that you're still unemployed and looking for work. If you skip weeks you can't go back and file for those missed weeks later.
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Melina Haruko
•What happens if I forget to file one week? Is there any way to make it up?
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Vera Visnjic
•Nope, if you miss filing your weekly claim you lose that week's benefits. There's no makeup option. That's why it's important to set a reminder every Sunday.
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Andre Lefebvre
If you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD to ask questions like this, I discovered Claimyr recently. It's a service that helps you actually reach an ESD agent by phone. They have a website at claimyr.com and there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Made it so much easier when I needed to verify my payment schedule.
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Zoe Alexopoulos
•Interesting, never heard of that. Does it actually work or is it just another scam?
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Andre Lefebvre
•It's legit. I was skeptical too but it actually connected me to an ESD rep after like 10 minutes instead of spending hours getting busy signals.
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Ethan Clark
•That might be useful if I run into issues. The phone lines are definitely impossible to get through on.
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Jake Sinclair
The Washington ESD system is so confusing! I thought unemployment was monthly like some other benefits. Had to learn the hard way that its weekly filing for weekly payments. At least once you get into the routine it becomes automatic.
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Melina Haruko
•Yeah I was confused about this too. Coming from other states where it might be different schedules.
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Dallas Villalobos
•Washington has always been weekly filing for weekly payments. It's actually better than monthly because you get money more frequently.
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Brielle Johnson
MAKE SURE you file before the deadline! I think its Saturday night but double check. I missed the deadline once by like 30 minutes and lost that whole weeks payment. The system is very strict about timing.
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Melina Haruko
•What time on Saturday does it cut off? I want to make sure I don't miss it.
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Brielle Johnson
•I think its 11:59 PM on Saturday but I always file on Sunday mornings to be safe. Check your account for the exact deadline.
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Kai Rivera
The payment schedule can be confusing at first. You're required to file weekly claims every week, but Washington ESD processes payments on a biweekly cycle. Most people receive their unemployment payments every two weeks, covering both weeks you filed for. If you need to speak with someone at Washington ESD about payment timing or have issues with delayed payments, I've found Claimyr really helpful for getting through to agents. They have a service at claimyr.com that helps you reach Washington ESD representatives without waiting on hold for hours.
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Nathan Kim
•Thanks for the info! I might check out that Claimyr thing if I run into issues. Right now I just want to make sure I understand the basic schedule.
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Anna Stewart
•Never heard of Claimyr before but anything that helps with getting through to Washington ESD sounds useful. Their phone system is terrible.
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Ravi Choudhury
been filing for 2 months now and its always tuesday or wednesday for me, sometimes thursday if theres a holiday. never missed a payment yet
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Jamal Anderson
Weekly payments are standard in Washington. You file your claim by 11:59 PM each Sunday for the previous week. Payment processing typically takes 1-2 business days if there are no issues with your claim. Make sure you're completing your job search activities because that can delay payment if you don't meet the requirements.
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Ethan Clark
•What exactly are the job search requirements? I keep seeing different numbers mentioned.
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Jamal Anderson
•You need to make at least 3 job search contacts per week and keep a log of your activities. This includes applying for jobs, contacting employers, attending job fairs, etc.
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Mei Wong
•Make sure you keep detailed records! They can audit your job search log at any time.
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Zoe Alexopoulos
ugh the weekly filing is so annoying, why can't they just auto-pay like some other states do?? seems like unnecessary bureaucracy
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StarStrider
•It's to ensure you're still eligible each week. Your situation could change - you might find work, become unavailable, etc.
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Zoe Alexopoulos
•I guess that makes sense but it's still a pain to remember every Sunday
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Honorah King
Been on unemployment twice in the past few years. Payment schedule is definitely weekly but the amount can vary if you work part time. They calculate it based on what you earn vs your weekly benefit amount. First time I was confused why my payment was different each week until I realized it was because of the part time hours I was reporting.
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Melina Haruko
•How do they calculate partial payments? I might pick up some gig work while looking for full time.
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Honorah King
•They have a formula but basically if you earn less than your weekly benefit amount you'll still get some unemployment. If you earn more than your weekly benefit you might not get anything that week.
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Oliver Brown
weekly payments are standard but watch out for bank processing times too. My credit union takes an extra day sometimes so even though Washington ESD sends the payment on Tuesday I might not see it until Wednesday or Thursday
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Melina Haruko
•Good point about bank processing. I have a major bank so hopefully it's faster.
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Jamal Anderson
weekly payments but only if you do your weekly claim on sunday. i learned this the hard way when i forgot one week and lost that weeks benefits completely
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Mei Zhang
•Wait, I thought the weekly claim could be filed any day of the week? I've been doing mine on Mondays.
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Liam McGuire
•You can file your weekly claim Sunday through Saturday for the previous week. The deadline is Saturday at 11:59 PM for the week ending that Saturday.
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Ethan Scott
The payment schedule is weekly but you won't get paid for the first week (waiting week). After that it's every week as long as you file your claims on time.
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Lola Perez
•Wait what's a waiting week? Nobody told me about that when I applied
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Ethan Scott
•It's the first week of your claim - you file for it but don't get paid. It's been like that for years in Washington.
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Ava Johnson
I had trouble getting through to Washington ESD when I had questions about my payment schedule. Their phone lines are always busy. I ended up using this service called Claimyr that helped me get through to an actual agent. You can check it out at claimyr.com - they have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.
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Miguel Diaz
•Never heard of that service. Is it legit or some kind of scam?
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Ava Johnson
•It's legit - they just help you get through the busy phone lines. I was skeptical too but it actually worked when I needed to talk to someone about my payment delays.
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Zainab Ahmed
•Interesting, might try this if I have issues. Thanks for sharing!
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Malik Robinson
That's good to hear! Did you have any problems with the job search requirements?
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Nathaniel Stewart
I've been struggling to even get through to Washington ESD to check my claim status. Been calling for days and keep getting disconnected. Found this service called Claimyr at claimyr.com that actually gets you connected to an agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Finally was able to talk to someone about my payment schedule.
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Riya Sharma
•How much does that cost? Seems sketchy to pay someone to make a phone call for you
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Nathaniel Stewart
•It's worth it when you can't get through any other way. The Washington ESD phone system is impossible most days.
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Santiago Diaz
•I used Claimyr too when my payments stopped randomly. Got connected in like 20 minutes instead of calling all day.
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Yuki Sato
Pro tip: set a recurring calendar reminder for Sunday mornings to file your weekly claim. I learned this the hard way after missing a week and having to deal with the backlog.
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Ethan Clark
•What happens if you miss filing for a week?
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Yuki Sato
•You can still file for that week but it creates extra paperwork and delays. Sometimes they make you explain why you missed the deadline.
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Carmen Ruiz
•Yeah I missed one week and had to fill out this whole form explaining the circumstances. Not fun.
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Mei Wong
Make sure your direct deposit info is correct in your SAW account. I had an old bank account on file and it took forever to get that sorted out when my payments started bouncing back.
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Ethan Clark
•How do you update banking information? Is it in the SecureAccess Washington portal?
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Mei Wong
•Yes, log into SAW and look for the payment options or direct deposit section. You can update it there but it might take a week or two to take effect.
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Layla Sanders
Wait I'm confused about this whole weekly vs biweekly thing. I thought unemployment was supposed to be weekly payments? Why do they make you file every week if they only pay every two weeks? Seems like they're just making more work for everyone.
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Eleanor Foster
•The weekly filing is to track your job search activities and work status for each week. Even though payments are biweekly, they need to verify your eligibility for each individual week.
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Layla Sanders
•I guess that makes sense from their perspective but it's still annoying to have to log in every single week.
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Connor Byrne
The payment amount stays the same each week as long as you don't have any earnings to report. If you work part-time, your benefit amount will be reduced based on how much you earn.
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Dylan Cooper
•Good to know. I'm not working at all right now so it should be the full amount each week.
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Connor Byrne
•Exactly. Just make sure to keep looking for work and document your job search activities for your weekly claims.
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Dallas Villalobos
One more important thing - your first payment might be delayed because they sometimes hold the first week as a waiting period. Don't panic if your very first payment takes longer than the usual 1-2 business days. After that it should be regular weekly payments as long as you keep filing your weekly claims on time.
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Melina Haruko
•Oh no, does that mean I won't get paid for my first week at all?
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Dallas Villalobos
•No you should still get paid for it, it might just take a few extra days for the first payment to process through their system.
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Amara Eze
I had so much trouble getting through to Washington ESD to ask about payment timing when my first check was late. Spent hours on hold and kept getting disconnected. Finally found this service called Claimyr that actually got me through to a real person at claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Game changer for actually reaching someone.
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Zoe Dimitriou
•How much does that cost? I'm already struggling financially and can't afford extra fees.
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Amara Eze
•It's worth it when you need answers fast. Much better than wasting entire days trying to get through on your own.
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Ravi Choudhury
nah just keep track of where you apply and log it in their system. pretty straightforward
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Millie Long
Payments come weekly but ONLY if you meet all the requirements. You have to be actively looking for work, file your weekly claim on time, and report any work or income. Miss any of that and your payment gets delayed or stopped.
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KaiEsmeralda
•What counts as actively looking for work? Do I really have to apply to 3 jobs every week?
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Millie Long
•Yes, 3 job contacts per week minimum. You have to log them in WorkSourceWA and be ready to prove it if they audit you.
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CosmosCaptain
I've been trying to call Washington ESD for weeks about my payment schedule because mine seems delayed. The phone system is impossible - I get disconnected after waiting 2 hours every single time. Has anyone found a way to actually talk to someone there?
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Yara Abboud
MAKE SURE YOU FILE BY SUNDAY NIGHT! I learned this the hard way when I filed late and my payment got delayed by a whole week. Washington ESD is pretty strict about their deadlines.
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Dylan Cooper
•What time on Sunday is the cutoff? Is it midnight?
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Yara Abboud
•I think it's technically Monday morning but I always do it Sunday to be safe. Don't risk it!
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