Washington ESD unemployment - how do i collect benefits after losing my job?

Thanks! Do I need pay stubs or anything like that? And what's a waiting week?

Pay stubs help but aren't required for filing. The waiting week means you won't get paid for your first week of unemployment, but you still need to file that weekly claim.

Good point, I better double check all my employment dates and addresses before I file.

Wait, I have to look for work to get unemployment? What if I'm planning to go back to school?

Yes, you must be able and available for work. If you're going to school full-time that could disqualify you unless it's approved training. You should talk to Washington ESD about your situation.

I tried calling Washington ESD about my situation and could never get through. Spent hours on hold just to get disconnected.

That sounds too good to be true. How much does it cost?

It was worth it for me since I needed to get my claim issues resolved quickly. Much better than wasting entire days trying to call myself.

I've heard of that service too, apparently they handle all the waiting and transfer you when they get someone on the line.

6 weeks?? I can't wait that long to pay rent. Is there anything I can do to speed it up?

Most claims are processed within 2-3 weeks now. His situation was probably more complicated or had issues that needed adjudication.

What if I do some freelance work? Do I have to report that too?

Yes, any income needs to be reported on your weekly claim. They'll deduct it from your unemployment payment but you might still get something depending on how much you made.

This is really helpful, thank you! What's a monetary determination letter?

That tells you how much your weekly benefit amount will be and how many weeks you can collect. It's based on your earnings from the past year.

At least I'm not the only one feeling stressed about this whole process!

Two weeks isn't that long, especially if they need to verify information with your employer. Just keep filing your weekly claims.

I lost my job last Monday, so I should file today then?

Yes, file today. The effective date of your claim will be the Sunday of the week you became unemployed.

I'll check that out, thanks. Hopefully it's easier to understand than most government websites.

47 times?? That's insane. No wonder people get frustrated with Washington ESD.

Yeah that's exactly why I started using Claimyr too. The phone system is basically broken.

What kind of proof do they want? Screenshots of applications?

Company names, contact info, dates, method of contact. Keep a log of everything you do for job searching.

That's reassuring! I was expecting it to be really complicated.

Good tip, I better gather all that information before I start the application.

If you can't find exact dates, estimates are okay as long as they're close. Washington ESD will verify with employers anyway.

I was laid off due to budget cuts, so that should be straightforward right?

Yeah, layoffs are usually pretty clear cut for unemployment eligibility. Just be honest about what happened.

What day of the week do you file the weekly claims?

You can file starting Sunday for the previous week. I always do mine Sunday morning so I don't forget.

What's adjudication?

It means they're investigating something about your claim - could be your separation reason, work history, whatever. Can take weeks to resolve.

That's another time when Claimyr really helps. Getting through to ask about adjudication status is nearly impossible otherwise.

It's online at worksourcewa.com. You need to create a profile and upload your resume. It's required for unemployment benefits.

Ok good, I was worried I'd have to go somewhere in person during all this.

Thanks everyone for all the help! I feel a lot more confident about getting started now.

Good luck! Don't hesitate to come back if you run into issues during the process.

Didn't know they had chat support, that's good to know!

The chat is hit or miss though. For anything complicated you still need to talk to a real person on the phone.