How soon does Washington ESD unemployment pay after approval?

Oh I didn't realize I had to file weekly claims! I thought approval meant the payments would start automatically. How do I file the weekly claims?

Log into your Washington ESD account and look for 'Submit Weekly Claim' - you'll need to do this every week to get paid for that week.

I think I signed up for direct deposit but how can I verify that? Don't want to wait for a debit card if I don't have to.

Check your payment preferences in your Washington ESD account under account settings. If you see your bank info there you should be good for direct deposit.

I had the same problem last month. Found this service called Claimyr at claimyr.com that actually got me through to a Washington ESD agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Saved me hours of trying to call.

Really? That actually works? I'm desperate at this point, will check it out.

Can confirm Claimyr works - used it when I needed to talk to someone about my adjudication delay. Way better than sitting on hold all day.

Good to know about the timing! I'll make sure to file early in the week going forward.

Wait, so if I file my weekly claim on Saturday I have to wait until the next week for payment? That seems crazy.

That's correct - Washington ESD processes payments in batches early in the week. Filing later means waiting for the next processing cycle.

How do I check for flags? My account just shows approved but maybe there's something I'm missing.

look for any messages or alerts in your account dashboard. also check if theres anything under 'issues' or 'to do' items

That makes sense since they'd have to calculate everything from scratch. Thanks for the heads up about the first payment taking longer.

Same here, first payment took almost a week but then it was regular after that. Just be patient with the first one.

I feel your frustration but 3 weeks seems excessive. Have you tried calling to see if there's an issue with your claim?

TRIED CALLING HUNDREDS OF TIMES! Nobody ever answers or they hang up after hours on hold.

This is exactly why I recommend Claimyr - it's specifically designed to get through Washington ESD's phone system when you can't reach them normally.

Didn't know they had text alerts! I'll set that up right now, thanks.

The text alerts are helpful but sometimes they're delayed. I usually get the text after I already see the deposit in my account lol

That's pretty consistent with what others are saying. Hoping mine comes through that quickly once I file my weekly claim.

I'm not on standby, just regular unemployment. But good to know for others who might be reading this.

Standby is nice when you qualify for it. Way less hassle with job search requirements too.

Good point, I'll call my bank to make sure they don't have any policies that would delay unemployment deposits.

Some banks flag government payments as suspicious if you haven't received them before. Worth checking with them.

For real, the stress of not knowing when money is coming makes everything worse. At least once you get into the routine you know what to expect.

Yeah I'm definitely feeling that stress right now! Hopefully it gets easier once I understand the timing better.

That's smart, I'll start keeping a log. Probably help with budgeting too if I know exactly when to expect payments.

I did the same thing! Made a simple spreadsheet with file date, payment date, and amount. Really helpful for planning.

I'll look for that on their website. Would be nice to have the official schedule instead of just guessing.

The payment schedule is under the 'Payment Information' section if I remember correctly. Very helpful for planning.

That's something I wouldn't have thought of. Good to keep in mind for future holiday weeks.

Yeah bank holidays always throw off the timing. Washington ESD still processes but banks don't transfer until they're open.

Awesome, that gives me a good timeline to expect! Congrats on getting your first payment.

4 days is pretty typical for first payments. Should be faster going forward now that you're in the system.

How can you tell if it went through? Is there a confirmation page or email?

You should get a confirmation number when you submit. Also check your claim history to make sure the week shows up as filed.

I always screenshot the confirmation page just in case there's ever a dispute about whether I filed or not.

Several people have mentioned Claimyr now. Seems like it really works for getting through to Washington ESD when you need to talk to someone.

I was skeptical at first but Claimyr got me connected in under 30 minutes when I'd been trying to call for days. Definitely worth it when you're stuck.

Glad we could help! The uncertainty is always the hardest part but once you get into the routine it becomes much more predictable.

You'll be fine - just remember to file your weekly claims on time and the payments will come like clockwork.

Good to know! I'll bookmark their announcements page in case I ever wonder why a payment is delayed.