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Ella rollingthunder87

Is unemployment paid weekly by Washington ESD - confused about payment schedule

I just got approved for unemployment benefits after waiting 6 weeks for adjudication to complete. Now I'm trying to figure out when I'll actually receive payments. Is unemployment paid weekly by Washington ESD? I've been filing my weekly claims every Sunday but I'm not sure if that means I get paid every week or if it's bi-weekly like my old job. My neighbor said she gets paid every other Tuesday but that doesn't make sense if we file weekly claims. Can someone explain how the payment schedule actually works?

Yes, Washington ESD pays unemployment benefits weekly, but there's usually a one week waiting period for your first payment. So if you filed your weekly claim on Sunday, you should see the payment in your account by Wednesday typically.

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Thanks! So I file every week and get paid every week once it starts flowing?

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Exactly. As long as you keep filing your weekly claims on time and meet the job search requirements, payments come weekly.

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I think it depends on when you file though. I file mine on Sundays and usually get paid by Tuesday or Wednesday. But if you miss your filing window you have to wait until the next week.

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What happens if you file late? Do you lose that week's payment completely?

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You can file late but there might be delays. I missed one week and had to call Washington ESD to sort it out.

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Speaking of calling Washington ESD - if anyone needs to reach them about payment issues, I found this service called Claimyr that actually gets you through to a human agent. I was on hold for hours before I found it. Check out claimyr.com and they have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

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How much does that cost? I'm already broke waiting for my unemployment payments to start.

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It's way cheaper than losing hours of your day on hold. I got through in 15 minutes when I needed to ask about a payment delay.

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Good to know there's an option. Hopefully I won't need to call but nice to have a backup plan.

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The payment schedule is weekly but there are some important details people miss. Your weekly benefit amount is calculated based on your highest earning quarter, and you file for the week that just ended. So if you file on Sunday, you're claiming for the previous Sunday through Saturday.

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This is confusing. So when I file this Sunday I'm claiming for last week, not the upcoming week?

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Correct. You always file for the week that already happened, reporting your job search activities and any work you did during that period.

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ugh i've been filing wrong then... i thought you filed for the upcoming week. no wonder my payments have been weird. does this mean i need to contact washington esd to fix this?

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You should definitely contact them to clarify your filing dates. Incorrect reporting can cause overpayment issues later.

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great, another reason to try that claimyr thing someone mentioned earlier

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For what it's worth, I've been getting my payments every Wednesday like clockwork. File Sunday evening, payment hits my account Wednesday morning. Sometimes Tuesday if it's a holiday week.

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That's exactly what I was hoping to hear. Consistency is what I need right now.

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Same here. Washington ESD has been pretty reliable with the weekly payments once you get in the system.

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Just make sure you're doing your job search activities every week. They require 3 job contacts per week and you have to log them in the system. Miss that and your payment gets held up.

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Good reminder. I've been tracking my job applications anyway so that shouldn't be a problem.

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Yeah, just make sure you enter them in the WorkSourceWA system, not just keeping your own records.

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I'm still waiting for my first payment and it's been 3 weeks since my claim was approved. Filed weekly claims every time. Starting to panic that something's wrong.

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That's definitely not normal. There might be an issue with your claim that needs manual review. You should contact Washington ESD immediately.

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I've tried calling but can never get through. The phone system just hangs up on me after an hour on hold.

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This is exactly why I started using Claimyr. Getting hung up on after waiting forever was driving me crazy. The service got me through to an actual person who could explain what was holding up my claim.

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The weekly payment thing is pretty straightforward once you get used to it. File by Sunday night, get paid by Wednesday. Just don't skip weeks or you'll mess up your benefit year.

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What happens if you skip a week accidentally?

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You can usually file for previous weeks but there are limits. Better to just set a reminder and file consistently.

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been on unemployment twice and both times payments came weekly. washington esd is actually pretty good about getting payments out on time once your claim is active

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That's reassuring to hear from someone with experience.

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yeah just follow the rules and file on time and you shouldn't have problems

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One thing to remember is that your first week is usually a waiting week with no payment. So even though you file weekly from the start, your first actual payment comes the second week.

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Oh that explains why my neighbor mentioned getting paid every other Tuesday at first. Her payment schedule probably shifted after the waiting week.

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Exactly. After that waiting week, it becomes a regular weekly schedule.

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The payment timing can vary slightly depending on your bank too. Some banks process ACH transfers faster than others. I use a credit union and usually see my unemployment payment Tuesday night.

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Good point. I have Bank of America and mine hits Wednesday morning consistently.

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Yeah, different banks have different processing times for government payments.

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MAKE SURE you report any work you do during the week when you file your claim. Even one day of work needs to be reported or you could end up with an overpayment notice later.

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Thanks for the warning. I haven't worked yet but good to know for when I start picking up gig work.

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Yeah, they're pretty strict about unreported earnings. Better to report everything and let them calculate the deduction.

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I had problems with my weekly payments getting stuck and had to appeal. Took forever to get resolution through the normal channels. Wish I'd known about services like Claimyr earlier - would have saved me months of stress.

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How long did your appeal take? I'm worried I might end up in that situation with my delayed payments.

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Appeal took 8 weeks. But talking to an actual agent about the problem earlier might have prevented the need for an appeal in the first place.

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The weekly filing thing confused me at first too. I kept thinking it was like a timesheet for the upcoming week instead of reporting on the previous week. Once I figured that out, everything made more sense.

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Yeah that's exactly what I was thinking initially. Filing for the past week makes more sense now.

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Right, because you're reporting what actually happened, not predicting what might happen.

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Just want to add that you can check your payment status online through your Washington ESD account. Shows when payments were issued and if there are any holds on your claim.

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I've been checking that obsessively. Shows my claims as filed but no payment dates yet.

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If it's been more than a week since your first claim, there might be an issue that needs attention.

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weekly payments are nice compared to monthly welfare payments i used to get. much easier to budget when money comes in every week

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That's a good point. Weekly is definitely better for budgeting purposes.

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yeah especially when you're already tight on money, waiting a whole month between payments would be brutal

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The key thing is consistency. File every week, report everything accurately, do your job search, and the payments should come like clockwork. Washington ESD's system works well when you follow all the rules.

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That seems to be the common theme from everyone's responses. Follow the rules and it works smoothly.

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Exactly. The problems usually happen when people miss deadlines or don't report things correctly.

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One last tip - set up direct deposit if you haven't already. Getting a debit card in the mail takes longer and the card can have fees. Direct deposit is faster and free.

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I did set up direct deposit during the application. Hopefully that means faster payments when they start.

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Yeah, direct deposit is definitely the way to go. Usually hits your account within 2-3 business days of filing.

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Thanks everyone for all the helpful responses! Sounds like weekly payments are standard and I just need to be patient for my first one to come through. I'll keep filing my weekly claims and hopefully see that first payment soon.

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You're welcome! Hope your payments start flowing smoothly soon.

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Good luck! Once it starts it should be consistent from there.

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