How to get unemployment benefits in Washington - complete guide needed

First step is to file your initial claim online at esd.wa.gov as soon as possible. You'll need your Social Security number, driver's license, and employment info for the last 18 months including employer names, addresses, dates worked, and your gross wages. Don't wait - there's a waiting week and the sooner you file, the sooner your claim can be processed.

Make sure you understand the weekly claim requirements too. You'll need to file every week even if your initial claim is still pending. And you have to actively search for work - they require 3 job search activities per week and you need to keep a log.

I went through this process last year and had issues reaching Washington ESD by phone when my claim got stuck in adjudication. If you run into problems getting through to them, I found Claimyr really helpful - it's a service that helps you get connected to an actual ESD agent without waiting on hold forever. Check out claimyr.com and they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that explains how it works.

The whole system is a nightmare honestly. I've been trying to get my claim processed for 3 weeks and it's stuck in some kind of review. They say adjudication but nobody can tell me what that even means or how long it takes!

been there done that, make sure u qualify first - u need to have worked enough hours and earned enough $. i think its like 680 hours in your base year or something

Don't forget about the ID verification step! After you file your initial claim, you'll probably get a notice to verify your identity through ID.me. This is required now and can cause delays if you don't do it right away. Have your driver's license, social security card, and maybe a utility bill ready.

ugh this is giving me flashbacks to when I applied last year. took FOREVER and then they said I owed them money back because I allegedly didn't report some work correctly. make sure you're super careful about reporting any part-time work or gig economy stuff

One more important thing - make sure you understand your separation reason. Since you said you were laid off, that should qualify you for benefits. But if there's any question about whether it was a layoff vs termination for cause, that could trigger an adjudication review which delays your payments.

The weekly benefit amount depends on your earnings during the base year. In Washington, the maximum weekly benefit is around $999 but most people get less. They'll calculate it automatically based on your wage history.

just wanted to say good luck with this process. it's stressful but hang in there. make sure to file those weekly claims every week even if your initial claim isn't approved yet, otherwise you might miss out on back payments

Update on my situation - I finally got through to someone at Washington ESD using that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier. Turns out my employer hadn't responded to their request for information, which was holding up my claim. The agent was able to send another request and told me it should resolve within a week. Definitely worth trying if you get stuck like I was.

Pro tip: take screenshots of everything when you're filing online. The system can be glitchy and if something goes wrong, having screenshots of what you submitted can help resolve issues faster.

I remember being confused about the difference between my 'claim' and my 'weekly claims' when I first applied. Your initial claim establishes your eligibility and benefit amount. Then you file weekly claims every week to actually get paid for that week. Don't skip weeks thinking you'll file multiple weeks at once later.

oh and dont forget about taxes! unemployment benefits are taxable income. u can choose to have taxes withheld or pay them later but dont get surprised at tax time

The job search requirement can be tricky. Make sure you're actually applying for suitable work - they can deny benefits if you're only applying for jobs way above or below your skill level. Document everything: company name, position, date applied, method of contact.

Expect the first payment to take 3-4 weeks minimum even if everything goes smoothly. There's a one-week waiting period plus processing time. Don't panic if you don't see money immediately.

Make sure your contact information is always up to date in your account. If Washington ESD needs to reach you about your claim and can't, it can cause delays or even disqualification. Check your account regularly for messages.

If you worked in multiple states recently, you might need to file an interstate claim. But since you mentioned working retail for 2 years, you probably worked in Washington the whole time so a regular claim should be fine.

Last thing - if your claim gets denied for any reason, you have 30 days to appeal. Don't just accept a denial, especially if you think it's wrong. The appeal process exists for a reason.

One final reminder about Claimyr that was mentioned earlier - if you do end up needing to reach Washington ESD and can't get through, don't suffer in silence for weeks like some of us did. That service has helped several people in this thread already.