Washington ESD approved my claim - when approved for unemployment how long does it take to get paid?

Thank you! I do have direct deposit set up. So relieved to hear it's just a few days and not weeks.

Mine took 4 days when I got approved last year, but that included a weekend so probably would have been 2-3 business days like you said.

Good point, I'll make sure to file this Sunday as usual. Did you have any issues getting that missed week paid later?

No issues, just delayed it by a week which was frustrating when you're already broke lol

Is that legit? Sounds too good to be true with how impossible it is to reach anyone at Washington ESD.

Yeah it's real, I was skeptical too but it actually worked. Much better than sitting on hold for hours just to get disconnected.

How much does something like that cost though? If I'm already broke waiting for unemployment...

That's good to know about checking in the morning. I've been obsessively checking throughout the day haha

I did the same thing! Set an alarm for 6am to check my bank account every day until it showed up

Yeah it was really stressful, especially with no explanation of what they were even reviewing. Just said 'adjudication in progress' for weeks.

Same thing happened to me, 5 weeks with no updates. When I finally got through to someone they said it was just backed up, nothing wrong with my claim.

That's what makes it so frustrating - usually it's just a backlog but they make it sound like there's some major issue with your claim

I didn't have to do anything, just kept filing weekly claims and waiting. No additional documents requested or anything. Yours should resolve soon hopefully!

Keep filing weekly claims during adjudication even though it feels pointless. Those weeks will get paid once you're approved.

Ok good to know, I was wondering if I should stop filing since nothing was happening anyway

Good tip! I double-checked and my address is current. Using direct deposit anyway so hopefully that helps avoid delays.

Direct deposit is definitely the way to go. Much faster than waiting for a check in the mail.

That's reassuring to hear that the regular payments are more reliable. This whole process has been so stressful.

Yeah the weekly ones are much more predictable. It's just that initial approval to payment gap that's anxiety-inducing.

Oh wow good idea, I'll take a screenshot now. Did yours actually go back to pending or was it just a display issue?

It was just a display glitch but it stressed me out for hours before I called and they confirmed I was still approved.

This is exactly why having a way to reach Washington ESD agents easily is so helpful. Claimyr made it simple for me to call and verify stuff like this instead of panicking about website glitches.

Thank you! Yes I'm really looking forward to catching up on bills. It's been a rough couple months.

That back pay really helps make up for all the stress of waiting. You'll feel so much better once it hits your account.

Good point, I should log into WorkSourceWA and make sure I'm up to date on job search requirements.

Yeah they usually require 3 job search activities per week once you're actively receiving benefits.

Exactly, and they can audit your job search log at any time so keep good records.

Yeah I've heard of that, supposedly they help you skip the hold times and get straight to an agent.

I'm still skeptical of these services but if it actually works it might be worth it for peace of mind.

My cousin swears by it, said he got through in minutes instead of hours. Has a video demo on YouTube that shows how it works.

Ugh good reminder, I forgot about that. Should I change my withholding settings in the Washington ESD system?

You can have them withhold 10% federal tax but you might want more depending on your situation. Talk to a tax person if you're unsure.

I learned this the hard way last year. Owed money at tax time because I didn't plan for it.

Completely agree. The lack of updates or explanation during the process made it so much worse.

Right? Other states manage to process claims much faster. Washington ESD needs to get their act together.

At least they got approved eventually. Some people wait months and then get denied for no clear reason.

That's good to know for planning purposes. I'll probably be checking my account obsessively for the first few weeks haha

Same schedule for me, Wednesday mornings. You'll get into a routine and it becomes less stressful.

Thank you! Yeah it's like being so close to the finish line but not quite there yet.

Hang in there, you're almost done with the hardest part of this whole process.

That's so reassuring to hear from someone who just went through it! I feel much better now.

Yeah it's nerve-wracking but Washington ESD is pretty consistent with the payment timing once you're approved.

And if there are any delays or questions about your payment, services like Claimyr make it so much easier to get through to someone who can check your account status.

Haha I bet! I'll probably do a happy dance when I see it in my account.

I definitely did a happy dance when mine finally came through. Such a relief after all that stress.

Good advice, I've been keeping everything in a folder. Better safe than sorry with Washington ESD.

Smart approach. I keep digital copies of everything unemployment-related just in case.

Will do! Hopefully I'll have good news to share in a few days.

Yes please update! It gives hope to others who are still waiting for their claims to be approved.