How to know if I got approved for Washington ESD unemployment benefits

Thanks! I've been checking but don't see anything under correspondence yet. Should I be worried it's taking this long?

Not really, 2 weeks is pretty normal. If it goes past 3-4 weeks then I'd start making calls to check on it.

Exactly! I keep refreshing the page hoping something will change lol

I feel you both. The waiting is the worst part of this whole process.

Interesting, never heard of that before. Did it actually work for you?

Yeah, got through to someone within like 20 minutes instead of spending all day hitting redial. They could see my claim status and explain what was happening.

Hmm sounds too good to be true but if it works...

So there are actually two different approvals I need to get? That explains why it's taking so long.

Correct. The monetary determination calculates your benefits based on past wages. The eligibility determination reviews why you're unemployed and if you qualify under Washington state rules.

Wait I thought it was just one decision? This is confusing

5 weeks?! That's insane. Did you ever find out why it took so long?

They said it was because of high volume but honestly I think they're just understaffed and don't care about people waiting.

Five weeks is definitely longer than usual. Most people get decided within 3 weeks unless there's an issue with their claim.

Right?? The uncertainty is killing me

Mine just says 'under review' - is that the same as pending?

Yes, that's essentially the same thing. It means they're still processing your claim and haven't made a decision yet.

mine says pending too but its been 3 weeks now. when should i start worrying?

Oh wow I didn't know that! I haven't been filing weekly because I thought I had to wait for approval first.

No, definitely keep filing! Even if your claim is pending, you need to maintain your weekly filing to preserve those weeks for payment.

Yeah I made that mistake my first time filing. Lost 2 weeks of benefits because nobody told me to keep filing.

That's exactly why I ended up using Claimyr. The phone system is basically broken during busy periods.

maybe ill try that claimyr thing you mentioned. nothing else is working

Congrats! That gives me hope. Was it in your online account first or did you get the physical letter first?

showed up in my secure access account yesterday evening, got the paper letter today. so online first by about a day

awesome! hopefully mine comes soon too

Good to know. Are there usually conditions attached?

Most people have to do job search activities and report them. The letter will specify how many job contacts you need per week.

I know right? The navigation is terrible

It's under 'View Claim Status' in the main menu after you log into SecureAccess Washington. Not the most intuitive but that's where it is.

So there's ANOTHER wait after approval?? This process never ends

Yeah but that wait is usually just 3-5 business days, not weeks like the initial decision.

They'll send notifications for important updates, but you should check your account regularly anyway. Sometimes documents appear before you get notified.

Thanks, I'll keep checking then

8am is actually one of the busiest times because everyone has the same idea. I had better luck using Claimyr during off-peak hours.

maybe ill try that service you keep mentioning

Hopefully I won't need to worry about that but good to know there's options if something goes wrong

I had to appeal my first denial and ended up winning. Sometimes the initial decision is wrong.

Congrats!! That's amazing news. How long did it end up taking total?

filed 3 weeks and 2 days ago so just over 3 weeks. right in the normal timeframe like people said

awesome! glad it worked out

You're welcome! Keep us posted on how it goes

Good luck! Feel free to ask if you have more questions when you get your determination.