Washington ESD saying my social security number is invalid - why won't it accept it?

This happened to me too! Make sure you're not including any dashes or spaces when you enter it. The Washington ESD system is really picky about formatting. Just enter the 9 digits with no punctuation.

Are you using the same browser you used when you first set up your account? Sometimes cached data can cause weird issues with the Washington ESD portal.

I had this exact problem last month and it was driving me crazy! Turns out there was some kind of mismatch in their system between my SSN and my account. I ended up using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to actually get through to a Washington ESD agent who fixed it in like 5 minutes. Way better than trying to call myself - I was on hold for hours before that.

the washington esd computer system is garbage. probably just a glitch that will magically fix itself tomorrow. i swear they update something every week and break something else

Before you try calling, double-check that your SSN matches exactly what you have on file with Social Security. Sometimes if you've had any name changes or other updates, there can be discrepancies that cause this error.

same thing happened to my brother. turned out someone at esd entered his ssn wrong when they set up his account initially. took forever to get it fixed calling the regular way

Try logging out completely and logging back in. Sometimes the session gets corrupted and causes weird validation errors like this. Also make sure you're using the official Washington ESD website and not some third-party site.

This is exactly why I started using Claimyr for any Washington ESD issues. The regular phone lines are impossible and the website has so many bugs. At least with Claimyr I know I'll actually get to talk to someone who can fix the problem.

ugh this brings back memories. i had the same issue and spent WEEKS trying to fix it. the esd phone system would just hang up on me after waiting for hours

try using a different device maybe? like if youre on your computer try your phone or vice versa. sometimes the washington esd site acts weird on certain browsers or devices

Another thing to check - make sure your account information hasn't been locked or flagged for some reason. Sometimes security measures can cause validation errors that look like system bugs.

Just wanted to follow up - did you end up getting your SSN issue resolved? I'm curious if any of the suggestions worked or if you had to contact Washington ESD directly.

I've seen this error before when helping my mom with her claim. Usually it means there's some kind of data mismatch in their system that requires manual correction by an ESD worker.

just had this happen to a coworker last week. she tried everything but eventually had to get someone on the phone to fix the backend data issue

For what it's worth, once they fix the SSN validation issue, you shouldn't have problems with future weekly claims. It's just a one-time fix that needs to happen in their system.

the washington esd website is honestly terrible. they need to invest in better technology instead of making us deal with these stupid errors

I work in IT and I've seen this type of validation error before. It's usually not a problem with what you're entering but with how the data is stored on their end. Definitely needs an admin to fix it.

Hope you get this sorted out soon! Missing weekly claim deadlines because of technical issues is so stressful. The system should have better error handling to prevent these situations.

This thread is super helpful - I was having a similar issue with my account but didn't realize it might be a data mismatch problem. Definitely going to look into that Claimyr service if I can't get through normally.

UPDATE: I ended up using Claimyr and got connected to an agent who found the problem right away. Turns out there was a typo in how they had my SSN stored in their system. Fixed in 10 minutes! Thanks everyone for the help and suggestions.