WA Paid Family & Medical Leave application stuck pending - do I need to file weekly claims?

PFML is different from regular unemployment. You don't need to file weekly claims like you would with UI. Once your application is approved, you'll get a lump sum payment for the time between when your leave started and the approval date (minus any PTO you used). After that, payments should come every two weeks. If it's been more than 2-3 weeks, I'd recommend calling them at 833-717-2273. Their processing times have increased quite a bit in 2025.

Thank you so much! That's a huge relief. I was worried I was missing something important. I'll give them another week before calling that number.

i had my baby in January and my app was pending for like 23 days! so frustrating but you dont do weekly claims for PFML. they should send you an email when approved and then boom money appears in account or they mail check if you didnt do direct deposit. hang in there mama!

23 days! That's so long to wait. Thanks for sharing your experience - at least I know I'm not alone in this. I did set up direct deposit so hopefully that speeds things up a bit once they approve it.

CALL THEM NOW!!! Don't wait another minute!!! My application was \

omg this happened to me too! they needed a doctor signature on some form but never emailed me about it. I only found out after calling.

Oh no, that's concerning. I definitely don't want to wait 5 weeks only to find out they needed something simple. I'll try calling tomorrow.

When I applied for PFML last year, I got stuck in the \

Thanks for the suggestion! I just tried calling the PFML number directly and got the dreaded \

PFML and UI are completely different programs even though they're both administered by ESD. The biggest difference is exactly what you're asking about - with PFML you don't file weekly claims. You apply once at the beginning of your leave and then they approve a certain time period. My husband got PFML last year for bonding leave and it took about 10 business days for approval. One important tip - check your spam folder! Their automated emails often end up there.

I just checked my spam folder and found a message from them asking for my ID verification! Thank you so much for that tip - I would have never thought to look there. Hopefully this speeds things up once I send that in.

congrats on your baby! i remember how stressful it was dealing with pfml while trying to take care of a newborn. everyone's timeline seems different. mine took 18 days but my friend got approved in just 8 days last month. just make sure all your docs are uploaded correctly with good quality images thats usually what holds things up

One thing to verify - did you properly report the PTO you used? This is a common issue that delays PFML processing. Log into your PFML account, go to

Hmm, I'm not seeing any section specifically about reporting PTO in my account. I did mention it in my initial application but maybe I needed to update it somewhere else? I'll double check all the tabs to make sure I didn't miss anything. Thanks for pointing this out!

It might be under

do you work for a big company or small one? i noticed my friends who work for bigger companies got approved faster. maybe the verification process is easier for them?

I work for a mid-sized tech company (~200 employees). I'm hoping that's big enough that they have a streamlined process with ESD, but who knows!

Another tip - check if anything in your application might have triggered extra verification. Different last name than what's on your ID? Recent job change? Work for multiple employers? Out of state bank account? All these things make the system flag your application for manual review. But they NEVER TELL YOU this is happening!!! It just sits in pending purgatory while some overworked state employee gets to it whenever they feel like it!

Just to follow up on your original question - the number specifically for PFML questions is 833-717-2273. They're supposedly open Monday-Friday 8am-5pm, but realistically their lines are often at capacity by 9am. Try calling right when they open for the best chance of getting through. And don't worry about the weekly claims - that's only for regular unemployment, not PFML.

Thank you! I'll try calling first thing tomorrow morning. It's reassuring to know I haven't been missing weekly claim filings this whole time!

I went through this exact same situation last summer! My PFML application was stuck pending for 3 weeks and I was panicking about whether I was supposed to be doing something. Turns out they just needed additional documentation from my doctor that I never received notification about. The key things that helped me: 1) Call the PFML line (833-717-2273) early in the morning - I got through around 8:15am, 2) Check your spam folder religiously - they sent me important requests there, 3) Log into your account daily to see if any new document requests appear, and 4) Don't stress about weekly claims - that's not how PFML works at all. Once approved, you'll get backpay for the entire period. The wait is frustrating but you're not missing any required steps!

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! My PFML application has been pending for 2.5 weeks and I was also confused about the weekly claims. Reading through all these responses has been so helpful - I had no idea to check my spam folder and sure enough, there was a request for additional employer verification that I completely missed. It's frustrating that their system doesn't make it clearer what's needed or that important emails end up in spam. I'm definitely going to try calling that PFML number tomorrow morning right at 8am. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it's comforting to know this long wait time seems pretty normal even though it's stressful when you're trying to care for a newborn!

I just wanted to add one more tip that helped me when I was dealing with PFML delays - if you're still not getting through on the phone after trying multiple times, you can also try submitting a "Contact Us" form through the PFML portal online. It's not as fast as calling, but they typically respond within 3-5 business days with an update on your case status. Sometimes they'll even proactively tell you if there are missing documents or issues holding up your application. I know it's frustrating when you just want to talk to a real person, but it can be a good backup option when the phone lines are impossible to get through. Also, make sure you're logging into the PFML portal (paidleave.wa.gov) and not the regular ESD unemployment site - they're completely separate systems and that confused me at first!

Just wanted to share my recent experience since I went through this exact same situation in February! My PFML application was pending for almost 4 weeks and I was getting really anxious about it. Like others mentioned, I wasn't getting any clear communication about what was holding things up. I finally got through to someone at 833-717-2273 after calling right at 8am (took about 6 tries over different days) and found out they needed my employer to submit additional wage verification. The frustrating part was that my HR department said they never received any request from ESD! The rep had to manually resend the request to my employer. Once that got sorted out, my application was approved within 3 business days. So definitely call if you can - sometimes there are backend issues that only get resolved when you actually speak to someone. And yes, no weekly claims needed for PFML - you'll get the full backpay once approved. Hang in there!

I'm currently going through this same situation and this thread has been incredibly valuable! My PFML application has been pending for about 10 days now and I was starting to panic about whether I needed to file weekly claims like with regular unemployment. After reading everyone's experiences, I feel so much more informed about the process. I've already checked my spam folder (found nothing yet but will keep monitoring), and I'm planning to call 833-717-2273 first thing Monday morning at 8am sharp. It's really reassuring to know that the backpay will cover the entire period once approved, and that these delays seem unfortunately common but not necessarily a sign that something is wrong. Thanks to everyone who shared their timelines and tips - it's so helpful to have this community support when dealing with confusing government processes during an already stressful time with a new baby!

Just wanted to add my experience from going through PFML approval last month! I was also super confused about the weekly claims thing at first - it's so different from regular unemployment. My application took exactly 16 days to get approved, and like others mentioned, I didn't need to file any weekly claims during the waiting period. The most important thing I learned was to keep checking both your email AND the PFML portal daily, because sometimes status updates appear in the portal before you get an email notification. Also, if you do end up calling 833-717-2273, try to have all your documents ready to reference - they might ask about specific dates or employer information on the spot. The wait is definitely nerve-wracking when you're dealing with a new baby and need that income, but try not to stress too much if it's only been 2 weeks. That seems pretty normal based on what I'm seeing here. Once you do get approved, the backpay process was actually really smooth for me - got direct deposit within about 5 business days of approval.