Washington ESD - how long do you have to file unemployment after being fired
Got terminated from my warehouse job last Thursday and I'm wondering what the deadline is to file for unemployment benefits with Washington ESD. My manager said something about needing to apply right away but didn't give me specifics. I've been putting it off because honestly I'm still processing what happened and wasn't sure if I even qualified since it wasn't a layoff. Does anyone know if there's like a 30 day window or something? I don't want to miss out on benefits if I'm eligible.
61 comments


Fatima Al-Suwaidi
You should file as soon as possible! There's no specific deadline per se, but your benefit year starts from when you file, not when you were terminated. So every week you wait is potentially a week of benefits you're giving up. You can backdate claims in some situations but it's much easier to just file now.
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Giovanni Mancini
•Oh wow I didn't realize that. So if I file today my benefits would start from today, not from when I got fired last week?
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Fatima Al-Suwaidi
•Exactly. Your weekly benefit period starts from when you submit your initial application. You can't collect for weeks before you filed unless there are very specific circumstances that prevented you from filing earlier.
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Dylan Cooper
File immediately on the Washington ESD website. You're losing money every day you wait. The system is pretty straightforward - just have your last employer's info ready and your SSN. Being fired doesn't disqualify you automatically unless it was for misconduct.
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Giovanni Mancini
•What counts as misconduct though? I was let go for 'performance issues' but I feel like they never gave me proper training.
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Dylan Cooper
•Performance issues usually don't count as misconduct unless you were deliberately not doing your job. Misconduct is more like stealing, fighting, not showing up without calling in repeatedly. You should be fine to collect.
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Sofia Morales
•This is good to know. I was worried about the same thing when I got laid off from my retail job.
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StarSailor
I struggled with this same situation last year. Kept calling Washington ESD to ask questions but could never get through - their phone lines are constantly busy. Finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me connected to a real person at Washington ESD within like 10 minutes. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Super helpful for getting actual answers instead of just guessing.
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Giovanni Mancini
•That sounds too good to be true. The Washington ESD phones are impossible to get through on. How much does something like that cost?
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StarSailor
•I was skeptical too but it actually worked. They handle the calling and waiting for you. Much better than spending hours on hold or getting disconnected constantly.
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Dmitry Ivanov
•I've heard about services like this. Seems like it would be worth it just to get real answers about your specific situation instead of guessing.
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Ava Garcia
just file online right now!!! seriously don't wait another day. i waited 2 weeks after getting fired and lost out on those benefit payments. the washington esd website walks you through everything step by step
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Giovanni Mancini
•Ugh that sucks that you lost those weeks. I'm definitely going to file today after reading all this.
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Miguel Silva
•Same thing happened to my cousin. She thought she had like a month to file and ended up missing 3 weeks of benefits.
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Zainab Ismail
File today! I work in HR and see this all the time. Employees think they have weeks to file but every day you wait costs you money. Washington ESD processes applications pretty quickly but your benefit week starts when you file, not when you lost your job. Also make sure you start filing your weekly claims right away even if your initial application is still being processed.
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Giovanni Mancini
•Wait, I have to file weekly claims even before my application is approved? That seems weird.
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Zainab Ismail
•Yes, you need to file weekly claims for every week you want benefits, starting with your first week of unemployment. If you don't file the weekly claim for a particular week, you can't get paid for that week later.
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Connor O'Neill
•This is so confusing. The unemployment system makes no sense.
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QuantumQuester
The sooner the better! I filed the day after I got laid off and had my first payment within 2 weeks. Washington ESD is actually pretty efficient if you get your application in quickly and don't have any complications. Just make sure you have all your employment info ready - dates, wages, reason for separation, etc.
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Giovanni Mancini
•Two weeks sounds reasonable. I was worried it would take like a month or more.
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QuantumQuester
•Nah, as long as your claim doesn't go into adjudication it's usually pretty fast. Adjudication happens when there are questions about your eligibility or conflicting information.
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Yara Nassar
Don't wait!! File today if possible. I made the mistake of waiting almost a month because I was embarrassed about being fired and thought maybe I'd find another job quickly. Ended up being unemployed for 3 months and lost out on those first few weeks of benefits. Kicking myself for not filing right away.
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Keisha Williams
•I totally get the embarrassment thing. It's hard to admit you need help, but unemployment insurance is something you paid into while working.
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Yara Nassar
•Exactly! It's not welfare, it's insurance. You earned those benefits by working and paying into the system.
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Paolo Ricci
File immediately! There's really no benefit to waiting and you're just losing money. Even if you think you might find a job quickly, you should still file because you never know. The worst case scenario is you find a job right away and just stop filing weekly claims. But if you don't find a job quickly and you waited to file, you've lost those benefit weeks forever.
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Giovanni Mancini
•Good point. Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.
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Amina Toure
•This is exactly what my dad always told me about unemployment. File immediately even if you think you'll find work fast.
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Oliver Zimmermann
Speaking from experience - FILE NOW. I was in the same boat 6 months ago, got fired from my accounting job and procrastinated on filing because I was stressed and overwhelmed. By the time I finally filed I had already missed 10 days of potential benefits. Those weekly payments really add up over time.
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Giovanni Mancini
•10 days doesn't sound like that much but I bet it was significant money.
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Oliver Zimmermann
•Yeah it was like $800 I lost out on. Not huge but definitely money I could have used while job hunting.
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CosmicCommander
I had a similar experience trying to get through to Washington ESD with questions about filing deadlines. Kept getting busy signals or getting disconnected after waiting on hold forever. Eventually used that Claimyr service someone mentioned and got connected to an actual ESD representative who explained everything clearly. Much less stressful than trying to navigate it all alone.
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Giovanni Mancini
•I might need to look into that if I run into issues. The Washington ESD website has a lot of info but sometimes you just need to talk to a real person.
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Natasha Volkova
•The website is helpful but there are so many edge cases and specific situations that aren't covered clearly.
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Javier Torres
File your claim today! I work as a career counselor and I always tell my clients to file for unemployment immediately after job loss. Washington ESD won't backdate your claim to your termination date - your benefit year starts when you file. Every week you wait is money out of your pocket.
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Giovanni Mancini
•Thanks for the professional perspective. I'm convinced - filing today for sure.
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Emma Davis
•Career counselors are great resources for this kind of stuff. Glad we have professionals weighing in.
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Malik Johnson
Don't overthink it - just file! The Washington ESD online system is pretty user-friendly. You'll need your Social Security number, driver's license info, and details about your last employer. The whole application takes maybe 30 minutes max. Way better than losing out on weeks of benefits because you kept putting it off.
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Giovanni Mancini
•30 minutes sounds totally manageable. I was building it up in my head to be way more complicated.
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Isabella Ferreira
•Same here! I thought it would be this huge ordeal but it was actually pretty straightforward.
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Ravi Sharma
The unemployment system is frustrating enough without shooting yourself in the foot by waiting to file. I see people all the time who wait weeks thinking they have plenty of time, then realize they've lost out on hundreds or thousands of dollars in benefits. File immediately and start your weekly claims right away.
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Giovanni Mancini
•Yeah I definitely don't want to lose out on money I'm entitled to. Thanks for the reality check.
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NebulaNomad
•Thousands of dollars adds up quick when you're unemployed. Every week matters.
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Freya Thomsen
Just wanted to add that even if your claim goes into adjudication (which can happen with fired employees), you should still file weekly claims during the adjudication process. If your claim gets approved, you'll get paid for all those weeks retroactively. But if you don't file the weekly claims, you won't get paid for those weeks even if your main claim is approved.
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Giovanni Mancini
•What causes a claim to go into adjudication? Should I be worried about that?
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Freya Thomsen
•Adjudication happens when there are questions about your eligibility - like if your employer disputes the reason for termination or if there are wage discrepancies. It's not necessarily bad, just means they need to investigate before approving benefits.
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Omar Fawaz
•My claim went into adjudication and it took 3 weeks to resolve, but I kept filing weekly claims and got paid for all of it once it was approved.
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Chloe Martin
File now!!! Seriously cannot stress this enough. I waited 2 weeks after getting fired because I was in denial about losing my job and thought I'd find something quick. Ended up unemployed for 4 months and those first 2 weeks of lost benefits really hurt. The Washington ESD system doesn't care about your feelings or timeline - it only cares about when you actually file.
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Giovanni Mancini
•The denial thing is so real. It's hard to accept that you actually need unemployment benefits.
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Diego Rojas
•I went through the same emotional process. Unemployment benefits aren't charity though - you earned them by working.
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Anastasia Sokolov
One more vote for filing immediately. I've been through this process twice and both times I filed within 24 hours of job loss. Got my benefits processed quickly both times and didn't lose any potential payments. The key is not overthinking it - just get your application submitted and start the process rolling.
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Giovanni Mancini
•Twice?! That must have been stressful but at least you knew what to do the second time.
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Anastasia Sokolov
•Yeah, first time was a layoff, second time was a company closure. Both times filing quickly made the whole process much smoother.
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StarSeeker
If you're still reading this thread instead of filing your claim, stop reading and go file! 😂 Seriously though, every hour you spend researching this is an hour closer to losing out on benefits. The Washington ESD website has all the info you need and the application is straightforward.
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Giovanni Mancini
•Ha! You're totally right. I'm going to stop reading and actually go file right now. Thanks everyone for all the advice!
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Sean O'Donnell
•Good luck! Hope your claim gets processed quickly and smoothly.
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Zara Ahmed
Last thing I'll add - make sure you read through the job search requirements after you file. Washington ESD requires you to actively look for work and document your job search activities. Don't wait until later to figure this out because you need to start tracking your job search efforts from week one.
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Giovanni Mancini
•Good point. I should probably start applying for jobs right away anyway.
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Luca Esposito
•The job search requirements aren't too bad if you stay on top of them from the beginning. Just keep track of where you apply and any networking activities.
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Nia Thompson
When I had questions about the job search requirements and couldn't get through to Washington ESD on the phone, I ended up using Claimyr again to get connected to someone who could explain the specifics for my situation. Sometimes the general website info isn't enough and you need personalized guidance.
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Giovanni Mancini
•That makes sense. I might need to use that service too if I run into complicated questions.
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Mateo Rodriguez
•It's nice to know there are options for actually talking to someone when the phone lines are jammed.
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