How to know if your Washington ESD unemployment claim was approved - checking status

You'll get an official determination letter either by mail or through your online account. Usually takes 10-14 business days from when you filed. In your SAW account, look for the 'Correspondence' section - that's where electronic notices show up. The determination will explicitly say 'approved' or 'denied' and explain your weekly benefit amount if approved.

ugh the waiting is the worst part!! I was in the same boat last month and couldn't get through on the phone either. It's so frustrating when you need answers and they make it impossible to talk to anyone.

Check your claim summary page too. Once approved, you'll see your weekly benefit amount listed there along with your effective dates. Before approval it usually just shows $0 or says 'pending determination.' Also make sure you're not stuck in adjudication - that's when they need additional info from you or your employer.

Make sure you're logging into the right place. Some people get confused between the general esd.wa.gov website and the actual claims portal. Your claim status and correspondence will be in your SecureAccess Washington account, not just on the general website.

The system is SO slow right now. I filed 3 weeks ago and just got my determination yesterday. Don't panic if it takes longer than expected - they're still dealing with high volume from all the layoffs happening.

One thing to watch for - if your claim goes into adjudication, you might see a notice asking for additional documents or information. Don't ignore those! You usually have 10 days to respond or your claim could be denied.

If you're really anxious about it, you can also check if your employer has responded to the separation notice. Sometimes delays happen because the employer hasn't sent back their paperwork yet. There's a section in your account that shows employer response status.

I've been through this process twice now and both times I got nervous when it took longer than expected. The determination letter is really the only way to know for sure. Everything else in the system is just status updates that don't give you the full picture.

Just went through this last month and the Claimyr thing someone mentioned actually worked for me too. I was getting nowhere calling on my own but they got me through to someone who could check my claim status. Turns out I had been approved but the letter got delayed in the mail. Worth trying if you're really stuck.

Pro tip: if you do get approved, you'll also receive information about your job search requirements. In Washington you need to do 3 job search activities per week once you start filing weekly claims. Make sure you understand those requirements so you don't accidentally mess up your benefits later.

Don't stress too much about the timing. I know it's nerve-wracking when you're waiting for benefits to start, but Washington ESD is generally pretty good about processing claims within their stated timeframes. The 10-14 business day estimate is usually accurate unless there are complications.

Make sure you're also checking your email regularly. Sometimes they send notifications there too, especially if there are issues with your claim that need attention.

Once you get approved and start filing weekly claims, the process becomes much more routine. It's really just this initial approval period that's stressful because you don't know what's happening behind the scenes.

The fact that your status shows 'processing' instead of 'under review' or 'adjudication' is actually a good sign. It means they're just working through the normal approval process and don't have any red flags that need investigation.

I'll echo what others have said about that Claimyr service - I used it a few months ago when I had questions about my claim and it really did work. Got connected to an actual Washington ESD agent within a few hours instead of spending days trying to call. Sometimes it's worth it just for the peace of mind.