How to know if your approved for unemployment with Washington ESD?

You should get a determination letter in the mail within 10-14 days usually. Check your online account under 'correspondence' too sometimes they post it there first.

Look for the 'Monetary Determination' section in your Washington ESD account. That will show your weekly benefit amount if you're approved. If it shows $0 or says 'disqualified' then you know there's an issue.

I've been trying to call Washington ESD for days to check my status but can never get through. The phone lines are always busy and I keep getting hung up on. This is so frustrating!

Mine took 3 weeks and I was going crazy waiting. Turns out it was in adjudication because of my separation reason. Once they reviewed it I got approved retroactively.

Check your account every few days, not every day. The system updates on certain schedules and you might miss changes if you're checking too often.

You'll know for sure when you can file your first weekly claim. If the system lets you file weekly claims, you're approved. If not, there's still something pending.

The waiting is the worst part! I remember refreshing my account like every hour when I first applied. You should get some kind of notification within 2 weeks max.

Also make sure you're looking at the right section. Some people confuse the initial claim status with the weekly claim status. Your initial claim needs to be approved before you can file weekly claims.

I got approved but didn't realize it for a week because I was looking in the wrong place. Check under 'Claim Summary' for the clearest view of your status.

Sometimes the mail is delayed too. I got my determination letter 3 days after my account already showed I was approved online.

If you're really worried, you could try calling the Washington ESD customer service line. Though like someone else said, it's nearly impossible to get through during busy times.

The system is so confusing! I thought I was denied at first because I couldn't find the approval anywhere. Turns out I was looking at my old claim from last year.

Make sure you're also checking your email including spam folder. Sometimes Washington ESD sends notifications there too.

Once you're approved you should see a 'File Weekly Claim' button become active in your account. That's the clearest sign you're good to go.

Don't panic if it takes longer than expected. Mine took almost 3 weeks because they had to verify my employment history. Still got all the back pay once approved.

The determination letter will have all the details about your weekly benefit amount and how long your benefits will last. That's the official confirmation.

I had to call because my account wasn't updating properly. Turns out there was a glitch and I was actually approved days earlier. Sometimes you need to talk to a real person to get accurate info.

Update us when you find out! I'm curious how long it ends up taking for you.

The whole process is designed to be confusing I swear. But once you figure out where to look it's not too bad. Good luck!

One more thing - make sure your address is correct in your account. If they send the determination letter to the wrong address that could cause delays in you knowing your status.