How to claim unemployment benefits through Washington ESD - complete walkthrough needed

You need to file your initial claim as soon as possible after becoming unemployed. Go to esd.wa.gov and look for the 'Apply for Benefits' section. You'll need your Social Security number, driver's license, and employment information for the last 18 months including employer names, addresses, dates of employment, and reason for separation. Don't wait - there's a waiting week but you want to get your claim started immediately.

The whole process can be confusing but it's not too bad once you get started. After you file your initial claim, you'll need to file weekly claims every week to get paid. Make sure you're actively looking for work because Washington ESD requires job search activities. Keep a log of your job search efforts - you'll need to report them.

I went through this process last year and honestly, calling Washington ESD was the hardest part. Their phone lines are always busy and it's nearly impossible to get through to talk to someone. I probably spent 40+ hours on hold over several weeks trying to get answers about my claim status. If you run into issues, there's actually a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that can help you get through to ESD agents. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me so much time and frustration.

This is all really helpful. What happens after I submit my initial claim? How long before I hear back from them?

Make sure you're honest about why you were separated from your job. If you were fired for misconduct or quit without good cause, you might be disqualified. But if you were laid off due to lack of work, you should be fine.

Don't forget about the waiting week! Even if your claim is approved, you won't get paid for the first week. It's just how the system works in Washington.

I'm going through the same thing right now. Filed my claim two weeks ago and still waiting to hear back. The uncertainty is killing me. At least we're not alone in this mess.

One thing that helped me was setting up my SecureAccess Washington (SAW) account ahead of time. You'll need it to access your ESD account and file your weekly claims. Better to get it set up now rather than dealing with technical issues later.

The key is to stay on top of your weekly claims. File them every week even if your initial claim is still pending. If you miss filing a weekly claim, you could lose benefits for that week.

I've been on unemployment twice and both times it took forever to get through to anyone at ESD when I had questions. The Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier is actually pretty good - I used it during my second claim when I had a disqualification issue. Much better than spending all day trying to call.

Make sure your contact information is current in your application. They'll send important notices by mail and email, and if they can't reach you, it could delay your claim.

The whole unemployment system is a joke. They make it as difficult as possible to get benefits you've earned. I had to appeal my disqualification and it took 3 months to get a hearing scheduled. Meanwhile, bills don't stop coming.

Don't let the horror stories scare you too much. Most claims that are straightforward get processed without major issues. Just be thorough with your application and honest about everything.

Also worth mentioning - if you have any part-time work while collecting unemployment, make sure you report it on your weekly claims. Working part-time doesn't necessarily disqualify you but you have to report all income.

One last thing - keep copies of everything you submit to ESD. Applications, weekly claims, correspondence, everything. You might need to reference it later if there are any questions or issues.

Good luck with your claim! It's stressful but you'll get through it. Just take it one step at a time and don't hesitate to ask for help when you need it.