How to know if you got approved for unemployment - Washington ESD status check

You should get a determination letter in the mail within 1-2 weeks of filing your initial claim. It will clearly state whether you're approved or denied. You can also check your online account - if you see a monetary determination showing your weekly benefit amount, that means you're approved.

If your claim is approved, you'll see several things: 1) A monetary determination showing your weekly benefit amount 2) A determination letter explaining your eligibility 3) The ability to file weekly claims. Until you get that monetary determination, don't file weekly claims - it could cause issues with your account.

I was in the same boat last month - couldn't get through to Washington ESD on the phone to check my status. Finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get connected to an actual agent. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Got my questions answered in like 20 minutes instead of spending hours trying to call.

ugh the waiting is the worst part!! I filed 2 weeks ago and STILL haven't heard anything. How are we supposed to pay rent while waiting for them to make up their minds???

Check your online account dashboard - if you see a section for 'Weekly Claim Filing' that's usually a good sign your initial claim was approved. Also look for any correspondence in your secure messages.

My cousin works at Washington ESD and she told me they're running about 10-14 days behind on processing initial claims right now. So if you filed 10 days ago you're probably close to getting your determination.

Don't panic if it takes longer than expected. I thought my claim was denied because it took so long but turns out they were just backed up. Got my approval letter on day 16.

Make sure you're checking both your physical mail AND your online secure messages. Sometimes they send stuff electronically first.

I remember being so stressed about this same thing! The key indicator is when you log in and see your Weekly Benefit Amount listed somewhere on the main page. That's when you know you're approved and can start filing weekly claims.

If you're really worried about it, you can try calling Washington ESD directly. Fair warning though - expect to be on hold for hours or get disconnected. I used that Claimyr thing someone mentioned earlier and it was honestly worth it just to get peace of mind about my claim status.

Here's what happened with mine: Filed on a Tuesday, got a confirmation email same day, then nothing for 12 days. On day 13 my online account suddenly showed my weekly benefit amount and I got the determination letter 2 days later. So the online account updates before the mail.

One thing to watch out for - if your claim goes into 'adjudication' status that means they need to review something and it will take longer. Hopefully yours stays as just 'pending' and processes normally.

The determination letter is the official word. Everything else is just status updates. When that letter arrives saying you're approved and showing your benefit amount, THEN you know for sure you can start filing weekly claims.

Just wanted to add - when you do get approved, make sure to file your weekly claims on time every week. Missing even one week can cause problems later. Set a reminder on your phone or something.

I was approved but never got the letter in the mail - it got lost somehow. But my online account showed everything clearly so I was able to start filing weekly claims without the physical letter. The online info is what really matters.