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Sophia Bennett

How to know if Washington ESD unemployment claim is approved - still waiting

I submitted my unemployment application about 10 days ago and I'm getting anxious about whether it's been approved or not. I can log into my account on the Washington ESD website but it just shows my claim is 'under review' with no other details. I've been filing my weekly claims like I'm supposed to but I haven't received any payments yet. How do I actually know if my claim has been approved? Should I have gotten some kind of notification by now? I'm worried something went wrong.

Usually you'll get a determination letter either by mail or through your online account. Check your eServices account under 'Messages' - that's where they typically post important updates about your claim status.

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I've been checking messages every day but nothing new. Should I be worried that it's taking this long?

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10 days isn't unusual, especially if they need to verify your employment history. It can take 2-3 weeks sometimes.

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mine took forever too, like 3 weeks before i heard anything. then one day there was just a letter in my account saying approved

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Did you get back pay for all the weeks you were waiting?

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yeah they paid me for all the weeks i had filed claims for, so make sure you keep doing your weekly claims

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If you really need to check your status, I had luck using Claimyr to get through to someone at Washington ESD. The phone lines are always busy but this service (claimyr.com) actually got me connected to an agent who could tell me exactly what was happening with my claim. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

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Never heard of that before. Is it legit? I'm getting desperate to talk to someone.

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Yeah it's real, I was skeptical too but it actually worked. Way better than sitting on hold for hours just to get disconnected.

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I used something similar when I couldn't get through. Sometimes you just need to hear from a real person about what's happening.

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The approval process involves several steps. First, Washington ESD verifies your identity and employment history with your previous employer. Then they determine if you meet the eligibility requirements including the reason for separation from your job. You should receive a monetary determination showing your weekly benefit amount, followed by a determination on your eligibility. Both will be available in your eServices account under documents.

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I see a monetary determination in my account but no eligibility determination yet. Does that mean I'm partway approved?

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Yes, the monetary determination means they've verified your wages and calculated your benefit amount. The eligibility determination is the final step that actually approves your claim.

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Same situation here! Got my monetary determination last week but still waiting on eligibility.

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Check if there are any 'actions required' in your account. Sometimes they need additional information from you before they can approve the claim.

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I don't see any actions required but I'll double check. Thanks for the reminder.

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Also check the 'correspondence' section, not just messages. Sometimes they put stuff in different places.

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The Washington ESD system is SO SLOW. I waited 4 weeks just to find out they needed one more piece of paperwork from me. Meanwhile I'm behind on rent and bills. This whole system is broken.

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That's exactly what I'm worried about. Did they tell you what paperwork was missing?

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They wanted some stupid form from my employer about my separation. Took another week after I submitted it.

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ugh that sucks, why cant they just tell you upfront what they need

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Pro tip: Once you're approved, you'll see your payment status change from 'Not Paid' to 'Paid' for each week you've filed. That's usually the first sign that money is coming.

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Mine still shows 'Not Paid' for all my weekly claims. Guess I'm still waiting.

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Yeah, that confirms you're still in the approval process. Keep filing though, you don't want to miss any weeks.

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idk about anyone else but when my claim got approved i got an email notification too, not just the letter in my account

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I haven't gotten any emails from them yet. Did the email come right away or later?

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think it was the same day as the letter showed up online

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I tried calling Washington ESD for weeks and never got through. Finally used one of those callback services - I think it was Claimyr or something similar. Got connected to someone who explained exactly where my claim was in the process. Saved me so much stress not knowing what was happening.

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How much did that cost you? I'm wondering if it's worth it.

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Honestly didn't care about the cost at that point, I just needed answers. But it wasn't expensive and way cheaper than the stress I was dealing with.

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Don't panic yet. My sister works for a different state agency and she says unemployment offices are still backed up from all the changes they made to their systems. 10 days is actually pretty normal right now.

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That's reassuring to hear. I was starting to think I did something wrong on my application.

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normal doesnt mean its right though, people need money to live

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Oh I totally agree it's frustrating. Just saying it's not unusual so probably nothing wrong with your claim.

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Another thing to watch for is if your claim goes into 'adjudication' status. This means they need to investigate something about your separation from work or eligibility. If that happens, it can add several more weeks to the process.

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How would I know if it's in adjudication? Would it say that somewhere in my account?

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Yes, it would show up in your claim status. You might also get a fact-finding questionnaire to fill out if they need more information.

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Mine went into adjudication and I didn't even know what that meant at first. Took 6 weeks total.

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ugh the waiting is the worst part. I remember refreshing my account like every hour when I was waiting for approval

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That's exactly what I'm doing! Glad I'm not the only one.

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lol same, i was obsessed with checking it

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Just to follow up on my earlier comment about Claimyr - I ended up using them again when I had an issue with my weekly claim getting stuck. Really helpful to actually talk to someone at Washington ESD instead of just guessing what's happening.

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I might have to try that. Been trying to call for days with no luck.

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Yeah the regular phone lines are basically useless. This at least gets you to a real person who can see your account.

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Make sure you're checking the right place for updates. I was looking in the wrong section of my account for weeks before I found my approval letter.

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Where exactly should I be looking? I've been checking messages and correspondence.

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Try looking under 'Letters and Notices' if you haven't already. Sometimes stuff gets filed in weird places.

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The whole system is such a mess. I know people who got approved in a week and others who waited 2 months for the exact same type of claim. There's no consistency.

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That's so frustrating. I wish they would just give better updates on timing.

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RIGHT?? like just tell people what to expect instead of leaving everyone in the dark

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The timing varies based on the complexity of each case and their current workload. I know it's frustrating but each claim is different.

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Once you do get approved, the first payment usually comes pretty quick. Mine was approved on a Wednesday and I had money in my account by Friday.

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That's good to know! I've been wondering how long the payment takes once approved.

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mine took a little longer but still got it within a few days of approval

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Keep doing your weekly claims no matter what. I missed one week while waiting for approval and it was a huge pain to get that week paid later.

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Good reminder, I'll make sure to keep filing even while waiting.

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Absolutely correct. You must file your weekly claims to be eligible for payment, even during the approval process.

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My advice is try not to stress too much. I know that's easier said than done when you need the money, but 10 days really isn't that long in unemployment time. I've seen people get approved at the 3 week mark and get paid for everything they were owed.

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Thanks, that helps put it in perspective. I'll try to be more patient.

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easier said than done when bills are due though

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Oh totally, I get it. The financial stress makes the waiting so much worse.

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One more thing - if you do end up needing to talk to someone at Washington ESD, I'd recommend trying that Claimyr service I mentioned earlier. Way less stressful than the regular phone system.

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I'm definitely going to look into that if I don't hear something soon. Thanks for the suggestion.

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I used something similar and it was worth it just for the peace of mind of knowing what was happening with my claim.

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Just wanted to add that sometimes no news is good news. If there were major issues with your claim, they would probably contact you pretty quickly for more information.

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That's actually really reassuring. I hadn't thought about it that way.

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That's generally true. Claims that require additional verification or have eligibility questions usually generate requests for information fairly quickly.

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