Washington ESD weekly claim certification - step by step process?

You need to file your weekly claim every Sunday through the Washington ESD website. Log into your account and look for the 'Submit Weekly Claim' option. You'll answer questions about any work you did that week, wages earned, and whether you were able and available for work.

the weekly claims are due by saturday night i think? i always do mine on sundays just to be safe. make sure you answer all the questions honestly especially about any work or earnings

I was struggling with this same issue a few months ago. Couldn't get through to Washington ESD to ask questions about the weekly certification process. That's when I found Claimyr at claimyr.com - they actually help you get through to a live agent when you need to speak to someone. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Really helped me understand the weekly claim requirements.

Here's what you need to know about weekly certification: 1) File between Sunday and Saturday each week 2) Report ALL earnings even if it's just $20 3) Answer the able and available questions honestly 4) Keep records of your job search activities 5) Don't wait if you have questions - contact Washington ESD immediately if something seems wrong with your claim.

MAKE SURE YOU DONT MISS A WEEK!! I missed filing one weekly claim and it took forever to get it straightened out with Washington ESD. They make you do this whole reinstatement process and prove you were still eligible that week.

the job search thing is annoying but you gotta do it. i use worksource washington to track mine since its connected to the washington esd system anyway

One thing that confused me at first - if you work part-time while collecting unemployment, you still need to file your weekly claim. Washington ESD will calculate your partial benefits based on what you earned. Don't think you have to stop filing just because you worked a few hours.

Does anyone know what happens if you answer one of the weekly questions wrong by accident? I'm paranoid about messing something up.

Been on unemployment twice in the past 5 years. The weekly certification gets routine once you do it a few times. Just set a reminder on your phone for every Sunday so you don't forget. The worst part is when the website is down for maintenance and you can't file until Monday.

Quick tip - screenshot your completed weekly claim before you submit it. I've had the website glitch and lose my information before, and having a screenshot helped when I had to call Washington ESD about it.

Just wanted to follow up on my earlier comment about Claimyr - I actually used them again last week when I had questions about reporting some freelance income on my weekly claim. Got connected to a Washington ESD agent in about 15 minutes instead of spending hours on hold. Worth checking out if you need to talk to someone directly.

The able and available questions always stress me out. Like what if I had a doctor's appointment one day - does that mean I wasn't available for work that whole week?

washington esd system is so confusing compared to other states ive lived in. why cant they just make it simpler?

Make sure you understand the difference between your weekly claim and your eligibility review. The weekly claims are for ongoing benefits, but sometimes Washington ESD will do eligibility reviews where they ask for additional documentation about your job separation or work search.

I've been certifying for 8 weeks now and it's become pretty routine. The key is consistency - file at the same time each week, keep your job search log updated, and don't overthink the questions. If you're being honest and following the rules, you'll be fine.

One last thing - if you're getting any other benefits like food stamps or medical assistance, make sure your unemployment income doesn't affect those programs. I had to report my UI benefits to other agencies too.

Update for anyone still reading - I ended up using Claimyr one more time this month when I needed clarification about how to report some consulting work. The agent I spoke with was really helpful and explained exactly how to handle irregular income on the weekly claims. Definitely recommend if you're stuck and can't get through on your own.