How to know if I was approved for unemployment Washington ESD claim status

Check your online account on the Washington ESD website. Once you log in, look for the 'Claim Status' section. If it says 'Valid' or 'Payable' that means you're approved. If it says 'Pending' or 'Adjudication in Progress' then they're still reviewing your claim.

They'll also send you a determination letter in the mail once they make a decision. But honestly the online account updates faster than the mail usually.

I had the same problem trying to get through to Washington ESD on the phone. Spent hours calling and either got busy signals or got disconnected. Finally found this service called Claimyr that calls for you and connects you to an agent. Saved me so much time and frustration. You can check it out at claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

When you log into your Washington ESD account, also check the 'Correspondence' section. They post important notices there before they mail them out. Look for anything titled 'Determination' or 'Eligibility Notice' - those will tell you if you're approved or denied.

ugh the washington esd website is so confusing. took me forever to figure out where everything was. why cant they make it more user friendly??

Also make sure you understand the difference between being approved for unemployment and actually getting paid. Even if you're approved, you might have a waiting week or other issues that delay payment. The key statuses to look for are: Valid/Payable = approved, Pending = under review, Disqualified = denied.

Don't forget you can also check your payment history once you start getting benefits. That's another way to confirm everything is working properly.

I remember being so stressed about this same thing when I first filed. The uncertainty is the worst part! But once you get that first approval it's such a relief.

Pro tip: take screenshots of your claim status and any important notices. I had an issue once where something disappeared from my account and having screenshots helped when I had to call Washington ESD.

If you're really worried about your claim status and can't get through by phone, you might want to try that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier. I used them last month when I had an adjudication issue and needed to talk to someone at Washington ESD urgently. Worked way better than trying to call myself.

Also check if you have any 'fact finding' questionnaires or other tasks that need to be completed. Sometimes your claim stays pending because there's something you need to do.

The mail can be really slow too so don't rely on that. I got my determination letter like 2 weeks after I could already see the approval online.

Make sure you're continuing to file your weekly claims! Even if your initial claim is still pending, you need to keep certifying or you might lose benefits for those weeks.

I was in the same boat a few months ago. The waiting is terrible but most layoff claims get approved pretty quickly once they process them. Just keep checking your account every day or two.

If you do get denied for some reason, don't panic! You can appeal the decision. But since you were laid off you should be fine.

One more thing - make sure your direct deposit info is set up correctly if you want to get paid faster. Otherwise they'll send you a debit card which takes longer.

Just to add to what others said about Claimyr - I was skeptical at first but it really does work. When I had questions about my claim status that I couldn't figure out online, they got me connected to someone at Washington ESD who could explain everything. Worth it for the peace of mind.

The good news is that since you were laid off, you should definitely qualify for benefits. Most of the time when claims get denied it's for things like quitting without good cause or getting fired for misconduct.

Keep us updated on what happens! I always like to hear when people get their approvals.

You got this! The hardest part is just the waiting and uncertainty. Once you get approved it's smooth sailing from there.