How to claim unemployment benefit through Washington ESD - complete beginner here

You can file your initial claim online through the Washington ESD website at esd.wa.gov. You'll need your Social Security number, driver's license, and employment information for the last 18 months including employer names, addresses, and dates of employment. The process takes about 30-45 minutes to complete.

After you file your initial claim, you'll need to file weekly claims every week to continue receiving benefits. You can't file your first weekly claim until the week after you file your initial claim. Make sure you're actively looking for work because Washington ESD requires 3 job search activities per week.

I went through this same process 6 months ago and it was honestly pretty overwhelming at first. The hardest part was getting through to someone at Washington ESD when I had questions - their phone lines are constantly busy and I'd get disconnected after waiting an hour. I ended up using Claimyr (claimyr.com) which helped me get through to an agent much faster. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows exactly how it works.

don't forget you have to wait a week before you can file your first weekly claim and then another week before you actually get paid so it's like 2-3 weeks total before you see any money

Make sure you file your claim as soon as possible! There's no benefit to waiting and you can't get paid for weeks before you filed your initial claim. I made that mistake and lost two weeks of benefits because I thought I needed to wait until I was completely out of money.

You'll probably get a determination letter in the mail within 1-2 weeks telling you if you're approved and how much your weekly benefit will be. Don't panic if it takes a little longer - sometimes claims go into adjudication if they need to verify something with your employer.

THE SYSTEM IS SO CONFUSING! I filed 3 weeks ago and still haven't gotten my first payment. Every time I call Washington ESD I get a busy signal or they hang up on me after 2 hours on hold. This is ridiculous when people need money to survive!

One thing to watch out for - make sure you answer all the weekly claim questions honestly. They ask if you worked, if you were able and available for work, and if you looked for work. Getting caught lying about any of this stuff can get you disqualified and you might have to pay back benefits.

I remember when I first filed it seemed impossible but it's really not that bad once you get the hang of it. The weekly claims become routine and the job search requirement actually motivated me to be more organized about finding work. Took me 3 months but I found something better than my old job.

Quick tip - set up direct deposit as soon as you can. Getting paper checks in the mail takes forever and they sometimes get lost. The ESD website has an option to set up direct deposit in your account settings.

Also keep in mind that unemployment benefits are taxable income. You can choose to have taxes withheld from your weekly payments or you'll owe money when you file your tax return next year. I learned this the hard way.

been on unemployment 3 times in my life and every time the hardest part is just getting started. once you file that first claim and get into the routine of weekly claims it becomes automatic. hang in there!

Don't forget to keep looking for work even if you're on unemployment. The job search requirement is taken seriously and they do audit people. Plus the sooner you find work, the sooner you're back to a regular paycheck which is usually better than unemployment benefits anyway.

I had a question about my claim status last month and could NOT get through to Washington ESD no matter what I tried. Someone here mentioned Claimyr and honestly it saved my sanity. Got connected to an agent within 30 minutes instead of calling for days with no luck.

Make sure you have a good computer or phone for filing your weekly claims. The website can be glitchy and if you lose your session halfway through you have to start over. I always use my laptop instead of my phone just to be safe.

One more thing - if you get a part-time job while on unemployment, you can usually still get partial benefits. Don't let the fear of losing benefits stop you from taking temporary work. Washington ESD has a calculator that shows how working affects your benefits.

Good luck with everything! Filing for unemployment feels overwhelming at first but you'll get through it. Just take it one step at a time and don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it.