How to claim weeks for unemployment - Washington ESD weekly claim process help

Thanks! So I can work part time and still get some unemployment? That's a relief. What if I worked like 20 hours one week?

Yes exactly! If you work 20 hours and earn less than your weekly benefit amount plus $5, you'll still get partial benefits. Just report all hours and gross earnings honestly.

How many job search contacts do I need per week? I've been applying to jobs but wasn't keeping detailed records.

You need at least 3 job search activities per week. Keep a log with employer names, dates, and method of contact. You can use their job search log on the Washington ESD website.

Is that legit? I've been trying to call Washington ESD for 2 weeks about my adjudication and can never get through.

Yeah it's real, they basically wait in the phone queue for you and then connect you when an agent picks up. Saved me hours of calling and getting busy signals.

Oh no! So if I'm going on vacation I need to make sure to file my weekly claim before I leave?

You can file from anywhere as long as you have internet access. Just don't forget! Set a reminder on your phone for Sunday mornings.

Actually you can sometimes get missed weeks restored if you have good cause like a medical emergency. It's not automatic though and you have to provide documentation.

I get the frustration but it's federal law that requires the weekly certification. Every state has to do it this way to prevent fraud.

Still doesn't make it less annoying when you're struggling to pay bills and have to worry about missing some arbitrary deadline each week.

You keep filing until you actually start working. If you get an offer on Wednesday but don't start until the following Monday, you can still claim that full week since you were unemployed the whole time.

And make sure to report your last day of unemployment correctly when you do start working. Don't try to squeeze in extra weeks or they'll hit you with an overpayment demand later.

Good advice! I'll start doing mine on Sunday or Monday mornings.

Sunday mornings are best - system is usually fast and you get it out of the way for the week.

It's 3 for most people but can be higher if you're in certain categories or have been on benefits for a long time. Check your individual requirements in your account.

Ah ok that makes sense. I was stressing about hitting 5 every week when I only needed 3.

You should contact Washington ESD to correct it. Don't just let it slide because they'll eventually catch the error when they cross-reference with employer wage reports.

This happened to me and I used that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier to get through to an agent quickly. They were able to adjust my claim without any penalties since I reported the error myself.

Yes the core questions stay the same. Sometimes they add special questions for different situations but the main ones about job search, work, and availability are always there.

That's helpful to know. Once I get in a routine it should be pretty quick each week.

What kind of inconsistent answers? I want to make sure I don't make that mistake.

Like saying they were available for work one week but then reporting they were out of town the same dates on a later claim. Washington ESD catches stuff like that.

If you're on approved standby status you typically don't need to do job search activities. But check your individual requirements because it can vary based on your situation.

Thanks! I wasn't sure if standby was different from regular unemployment for the weekly requirements.

Agreed! Much better than it was during 2020-2021 when the system was constantly crashing.

Good to hear it's reliable now. I was worried about technical issues based on some old posts I read online.

How long does it usually take for the payment to show up after filing the weekly claim?

For me it's usually 2-3 business days. If you have direct deposit set up it comes pretty quickly.

Great advice! I'll start keeping better records. Better safe than sorry with this stuff.

Yes! I learned this from my cousin who got audited and had to provide 6 months of job search documentation. Luckily she had kept good records.

Same here! Really appreciate everyone taking the time to explain everything. This community is great for figuring out the Washington ESD system.

That's what we're here for! The unemployment system can be confusing but once you understand the weekly routine it gets much easier.