Is calling in weekly claims really faster than filing online? + questions about 7-day job search reporting
Hey everyone, just got approved for UI benefits last week (finally!) after waiting in adjudication for nearly a month. I'm confused about something I heard from my neighbor who's been on unemployment since January. She swears that calling in her weekly claims makes the payments process faster than doing them online through eServices. Is this actually true?? I've always been filing online because it seemed more convenient. Also, I'm confused about the timing for reporting job searches. Do I really have to wait a full 7 days after my claim week ends before I can report my job search activities? Or can I call them in right away? The ESD website instructions aren't super clear and I'm worried about messing something up and delaying my payments even more. Just trying to make sure I get my funds as quickly as possible since rent is due soon. Thanks for any help!
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Paolo Ricci
I've been on unemployment 3 times in the last 4 years and never noticed ANY difference in payment speed between calling in my weekly claim vs doing it online. The eServices portal is way more conveinent IMO. As for job searches, you report those AS PART OF your weekly claim - either online or by phone. You don't have to wait 7 days after anything. You just need to have completed your 3 job search activities during the week you're claiming for.
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GalaxyGuardian
•Oh thank god, that makes so much more sense! I was getting so confused about the job search reporting timing. So I can just include all 3 job search activities when I file my weekly claim? That's such a relief. Do you think my neighbor was just confused about the payment timing, or was there maybe a difference in the past?
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Amina Toure
ur neighbor is wrong lol. online is the SAME speed as calling. ESD pays on the same schedule either way. both methods put ur claim in the same processing queue.
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Oliver Zimmermann
•Exactly! The payment processing happens AFTER your claim is submitted, doesn't matter HOW it's submitted. I've done both methods and payments always come the same day of the week regardless.
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Natasha Volkova
I've found that the actual speed of payment has more to do with your bank than with ESD's system. Direct deposit usually hits my account 2 days after the claim is processed, but some banks take longer. As for the job search reporting - the 3 activities need to be completed during your claim week (Sunday-Saturday), and then you report them when you file that week's claim (which you can do starting Sunday). There's no 7-day waiting period for reporting job searches. The only "waiting week" is your very first week of eligibility, which is unpaid in Washington state. After that, as long as you're eligible and file on time, payments should be regular.
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Javier Torres
•Adding to this excellent explanation - job search activities must be DIFFERENT types according to ESD rules. You can't just do 3 of the same activity (like 3 applications). Check out WorkSource's list of acceptable activities. Some people get disqualified because all their activities were identical.
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Emma Davis
I've been so frustrated trying to reach ESD agents to get clear answers on questions exactly like yours. After getting hung up on 9 times in one day, I found this service called Claimyr that got me through to an ESD agent in under 25 minutes. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 and their website is claimyr.com. The agent I spoke with confirmed that online and phone claims are processed identically - there's no speed difference. They also explained the job search timing clearly which gave me peace of mind.
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GalaxyGuardian
•Thanks for the tip! I might need that if I run into issues. Did they explain what my neighbor might have been talking about with the calling in being faster? I'm wondering if there used to be a difference in the past or something.
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CosmicCaptain
i think ur neighbor might be from the olden days when mail was the only other option besides phone lol!! back in 2010 when i first got UI you either called OR mailed in a paper form and THEN phne was way faster than waiting for snail mail!!! but now online is just as fast as phone no difference at all
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Malik Johnson
•This is the correct answer! Years ago (pre-2015), there were three options: mail, phone, or the then-new online system. Phone was definitely faster than mail, but not faster than online. People who've been through the UI system multiple times over many years sometimes confuse the old rules with current ones. The ESD system has been fully modernized now, and all electronic submissions (phone or online) are processed identically.
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Oliver Zimmermann
The 7-day thing might be about when you can FILE your claim, not report job searches. You can file your weekly claim starting on Sunday for the previous week (Sunday-Saturday). So there's kind of a built-in delay of 1-7 days between when your claim week ends and when you can file for it, depending on what day your week ended. Maybe that's what confused you?
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GalaxyGuardian
•That must be it! I think I was mixing up the claim filing window with job search reporting. So I can file starting Sunday for the previous week, and I include my 3 job search activities from that previous week as part of the filing. That makes SO much more sense now.
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Amina Toure
one more thing!! make sure u remember ur filing day!! ESD wants u to file on same day each week or it can mess things up!! set a reminder on ur phone!!
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Oliver Zimmermann
•That's not actually true. You can file any day during the week after your claim week ends. Sunday through Saturday the following week. You don't have to file on the same day each time. As long as you file within that window, you're fine.
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Amina Toure
•oh really?? my bad! the WorkSource lady told me that ages ago must be outdated info. thx for correcting me!
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Natasha Volkova
To summarize what everyone's said: 1. Online and phone filing are processed at the same speed 2. Job search activities (3 per week) are reported as part of your weekly claim 3. You can file your weekly claim starting Sunday for the previous week 4. You have until the following Saturday to file (but filing early is better) 5. There's no separate 7-day waiting period for job search reporting Hope this helps clarify everything! The ESD system can be confusing at first, but once you get the rhythm down, it's fairly straightforward.
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GalaxyGuardian
•Thank you so much for this clear summary! This is exactly what I needed. I'm going to stick with filing online since it seems easier for record-keeping. I'll file this Sunday for my first full claim week and make sure I've completed all 3 job search activities by then. You've all been so helpful!
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Oliver Schmidt
Hey GalaxyGuardian! Welcome to the UI club (unfortunately lol). I've been filing online for about 8 months now and can confirm what everyone else is saying - there's absolutely no difference in payment speed between online and phone. The only "faster" thing about calling might be that you get confirmation immediately that your claim went through, but with online you get that confirmation screen too. One tip that saved me a lot of stress: keep screenshots of your confirmation screens when you file online. If there's ever a question about whether you filed on time, you'll have proof. Also, make sure you understand what counts as acceptable job search activities - I learned the hard way that some things I thought counted actually don't according to ESD rules. Good luck with your first payment! Once you get into the routine, it becomes pretty straightforward.
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