Washington ESD unemployment - how long does it take to receive first payment?
Just submitted my unemployment claim through Washington ESD last week and I'm wondering how long it usually takes to get approved and receive the first payment? I've been out of work for almost a month now and really need to know what to expect timeline-wise. My claim status just says 'under review' but doesn't give any specific timeframe. Has anyone recently gone through this process?
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Fatima Al-Suwaidi
From what I remember when I filed last year, it took about 2-3 weeks from when I submitted my initial claim to when I got my first payment. But that was assuming no issues with your claim - if they need to verify employment or have questions about why you lost your job, it can take longer.
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NebulaNinja
•Thanks for the info! Did you have to do anything special during those 2-3 weeks or just wait?
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Fatima Al-Suwaidi
•Just had to file my weekly claims every week even though I hadn't been approved yet. Don't skip those or you'll lose benefits for those weeks.
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Dylan Mitchell
honestly it depends on if they put your claim into adjudication or not... mine took 6 weeks because they had to verify my last employer and my employer was being slow to respond to their requests
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NebulaNinja
•Oh no, 6 weeks? How do you know if your claim is in adjudication?
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Dylan Mitchell
•it will say 'adjudication in progress' on your claim status page. you can also call washington esd but good luck getting through
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Sofia Morales
The standard processing time for Washington ESD is typically 2-4 weeks for straightforward claims. However, if your claim requires adjudication (which happens when there are questions about your eligibility), it can take 4-8 weeks or even longer. Common reasons for adjudication include disputes about why you left your job, income verification issues, or if your employer contests the claim.
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NebulaNinja
•Is there any way to speed up the process or check what's causing delays?
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Sofia Morales
•You can check your online account for any pending issues that need documentation. If you need to speak with someone directly, I've heard people have success with Claimyr (claimyr.com) - it's a service that helps you actually get through to Washington ESD agents when the phone lines are jammed.
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Dmitry Popov
UGH the waiting is the worst part!! I filed 3 weeks ago and still nothing, just says 'claim under review' and when I try calling I get hung up on every single time. This system is so broken
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Ava Garcia
•Same here! I've been calling for days and can never get through. It's like they don't want to help people.
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StarSailor}
•I had the same problem with calling until someone told me about Claimyr. It's a service that calls Washington ESD for you and gets you connected to an actual person. Saved me hours of trying to get through myself.
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Dmitry Popov
•Never heard of that, is it legit? I'm desperate at this point
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StarSailor}
•Yeah it's real, they have a website claimyr.com and there's even a demo video (https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ) showing how it works. Basically they handle all the calling and waiting for you.
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Miguel Silva
Just to add my experience - I filed in October and it took exactly 3 weeks to get my first payment. No issues or adjudication, just the normal processing time. Make sure you're filing your weekly claims though because you won't get paid for weeks you don't file even if your claim gets approved later.
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NebulaNinja
•Good to know! I've been filing weekly even though I'm not approved yet. Glad I'm doing that right.
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Zainab Ismail
•wait you have to file weekly claims before you're even approved?? nobody told me that
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Miguel Silva
•Yes! You have to file for every week you want to claim benefits for, even while your initial claim is still being processed. Check your Washington ESD account, you should see weekly claim forms available.
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Dylan Mitchell
also make sure you're doing your job search activities because they can ask for that documentation at any time. I think it's 3 job search activities per week now
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NebulaNinja
•What counts as job search activities? I've been applying to jobs but wasn't keeping detailed records.
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Sofia Morales
•Job applications, networking contacts, attending job fairs, working with WorkSource, online job search, etc. You need to keep a log with dates, employer names, and what you did. Washington ESD can audit this at any time.
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Connor O'Neill
My brother just went through this last month and it took him 4 weeks exactly. He said the key was making sure all his information was correct and responding quickly to any requests from Washington ESD.
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NebulaNinja
•Did he get any requests for additional information?
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Connor O'Neill
•They asked him to verify his identity with some documents but he uploaded them right away and that was it.
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Ava Garcia
I'm on week 5 of waiting and getting really worried about my bills. Called probably 50 times and either get busy signal or they hang up after being on hold forever
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Dmitry Popov
•Try that Claimyr thing someone mentioned earlier, I just looked it up and it seems like it might actually work
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Ava Garcia
•I'm willing to try anything at this point, thanks for the suggestion
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Fatima Al-Suwaidi
For what it's worth, I think the processing times have gotten a bit better since the pandemic backlog cleared up. When I filed during COVID it took 2 months, but recent filers seem to be getting processed faster.
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NebulaNinja
•That's encouraging! Hopefully mine goes through soon.
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Yara Nassar
•yeah mine took forever during covid but my coworker who filed in december got approved in 2.5 weeks
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Keisha Robinson
Just remember that even if your claim is approved, your first payment might take a few extra days to actually hit your bank account. Mine was approved on a Wednesday but I didn't see the money until the following Tuesday.
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NebulaNinja
•Good point, I'll keep that in mind. Did you sign up for direct deposit?
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Keisha Robinson
•Yes, direct deposit is definitely faster than waiting for a check in the mail
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GalaxyGuardian
has anyone had issues with their employer disputing the claim? my boss was pretty mad when I quit and I'm worried he might try to block my benefits
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Sofia Morales
•If your employer contests your claim, it will definitely delay processing while Washington ESD investigates. They'll contact both you and your employer to get both sides of the story. As long as you have a valid reason for leaving (like unsafe working conditions, harassment, etc.) you should be fine.
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GalaxyGuardian
•I left because they kept changing my schedule last minute and I couldn't arrange childcare. Is that a valid reason?
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Sofia Morales
•That could potentially qualify as good cause for leaving, but you'll need to document everything - keep records of the schedule changes, any communications about it, etc. If it goes to adjudication you'll want to have proof.
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Paolo Ricci
The waiting is stressful but try not to panic. I know it's hard when you need the money but most claims do get approved eventually. Just stay on top of your weekly filings and respond quickly to any requests from Washington ESD.
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NebulaNinja
•Thanks for the reassurance, I really needed to hear that today
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Amina Toure
•Same here, the uncertainty is killing me but good to know most people do get approved
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Oliver Zimmermann
Pro tip: set up text alerts in your Washington ESD account so you get notified immediately if there are any updates to your claim status or if they need additional information from you
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NebulaNinja
•I didn't know you could do that! How do you set that up?
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Oliver Zimmermann
•Log into your account and go to account settings, there should be a notifications section where you can enable text and email alerts
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Natasha Volkova
Whatever you do, don't stop filing your weekly claims while you wait. I made that mistake thinking I'd just file them all once I got approved and lost 3 weeks of benefits
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NebulaNinja
•Oh wow, they don't let you backdate them?
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Natasha Volkova
•Nope, you can only backdate in very specific circumstances. If you don't file for a week, you lose that week's benefits permanently in most cases
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Javier Torres
I used Claimyr when my claim got stuck in adjudication and it was honestly a lifesaver. Finally got to talk to someone who could explain what was happening with my claim and what I needed to do to move it along.
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NebulaNinja
•How much does something like that cost?
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Javier Torres
•They have different options but honestly it was worth it just to get answers after weeks of being in limbo. Check out their website at claimyr.com for details.
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Emma Davis
•I was skeptical about paying for something like this but when you're desperate to get through to Washington ESD it starts to make sense
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CosmicCaptain
Bottom line is it varies a lot depending on your specific situation, but 2-4 weeks is typical for straightforward claims. If you're worried about delays, the main thing is to make sure you respond quickly to any requests and keep filing your weekly claims.
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NebulaNinja
•Thanks everyone for all the helpful information! I feel much better prepared now.
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Malik Johnson
•Good luck with your claim! Hope it goes through quickly for you.
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