Washington ESD weekly claims - is unemployment weekly bi weekly filing required?
I'm so confused about how often I need to file my unemployment claims with Washington ESD. Some people are telling me it's weekly, others say bi-weekly. I just got approved for benefits after a long adjudication process and I don't want to mess this up. Do I file every week or every two weeks? The website isn't super clear about this and I'm worried I'll miss something and lose my benefits.
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Lim Wong
You file weekly claims every week in Washington state. It's not bi-weekly like some other states. You need to file your weekly claim every Sunday for the previous week. So if you're filing on Sunday January 12th, you're filing for the week of January 5-11.
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Kai Santiago
•Thank you! That makes sense. So I need to do this every single Sunday?
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Lim Wong
•Yes, every Sunday. You can file starting Sunday morning and you have until the following Saturday to get it in, but don't wait too long.
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Dananyl Lear
Washington ESD requires weekly filing, not bi-weekly. You'll log into your account every week and answer questions about your job search activities, any work you did, and any income you earned. Miss a week and you won't get paid for that week.
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Noah huntAce420
•What happens if you forget to file one week? Can you go back and file it later?
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Dananyl Lear
•You can file a late claim but there might be delays in payment. It's better to just set a Sunday reminder on your phone.
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Ana Rusula
I had the same confusion when I first started! Washington ESD is definitely weekly. I tried calling them to confirm but could never get through to anyone. Super frustrating when you just want a simple answer.
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Fidel Carson
•Oh man, trying to call Washington ESD is the worst. I probably spent 3 hours on hold last month just to ask about my adjudication status.
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Isaiah Sanders
•I actually found this service called Claimyr that helps you get through to ESD agents. Check out claimyr.com - they have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me so much time when I needed to talk to someone about my weekly claim issues.
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Xan Dae
weekly filing for sure. been doing this for 6 months now. every sunday like clockwork
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Kai Santiago
•Good to know I'm not the only one who was confused about this!
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Lim Wong
Just to be super clear - Washington state unemployment is weekly filing. Some states do bi-weekly but Washington isn't one of them. You'll get into a routine pretty quickly. The weekly claim takes like 5 minutes once you know what you're doing.
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Fiona Gallagher
•Yeah it's pretty quick once you get used to it. The job search log part takes the longest for me.
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Lim Wong
•Make sure you're doing at least 3 job search activities per week or they'll flag your claim. Keep good records.
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Thais Soares
WEEKLY!! Not bi-weekly. I learned this the hard way when I missed filing for 2 weeks thinking I only had to do it every other week. Had to call and straighten it out which was a nightmare.
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Kai Santiago
•Oh no! Were you able to get those weeks paid eventually?
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Thais Soares
•Yeah but it took forever to get through to someone. That's when I started using that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier. Actually works.
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Noah huntAce420
I think some people get confused because their old state might have been bi-weekly. Washington ESD is definitely weekly filing. Check your account every Sunday and file your claim.
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Nalani Liu
•That's probably what happened to me. I moved here from California and assumed it was the same system.
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Fidel Carson
Weekly claims in Washington. File every Sunday for the previous week. Don't overthink it - just set a reminder and make it part of your Sunday routine. I do mine right after breakfast every week.
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Kai Santiago
•That's a good idea about making it part of a routine. I'll do mine Sunday mornings too.
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Axel Bourke
•Same here. I have coffee and file my weekly claim every Sunday morning. Takes maybe 10 minutes max.
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Dananyl Lear
To answer your original question directly - Washington ESD requires WEEKLY filing, not bi-weekly. You file every week, typically on Sundays, for the previous week's period. This is different from some states that have bi-weekly filing schedules.
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Aidan Percy
•Thank you for the clear answer! I was getting mixed information from different sources.
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Fernanda Marquez
weekly claims every week. been on unemployment twice in washington and both times it was weekly filing. the system will remind you when you log in if you haven't filed yet
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Kai Santiago
•Good to know the system reminds you. I was worried I'd forget and mess up my benefits.
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Lim Wong
One more thing - when you file your weekly claim, make sure you answer all the questions accurately about any work you did, any income you received, and your job search activities. Washington ESD audits these regularly.
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Norman Fraser
•What kind of job search activities count? I've been applying to jobs but wasn't sure what else I should be doing.
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Lim Wong
•Job applications, networking events, career fairs, informational interviews, skills training - they all count. Keep detailed records with dates and contact info.
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Isaiah Sanders
Just wanted to follow up on the Claimyr thing I mentioned earlier - it really does help when you need to actually talk to someone at Washington ESD about your weekly claims or any other issues. Way better than sitting on hold for hours.
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Kendrick Webb
•How much does that service cost? Seems like it might be worth it if it actually works.
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Isaiah Sanders
•It's worth checking out their site for pricing info. For me it was definitely worth it to avoid all that hold time when I had questions about my claim status.
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Ana Rusula
I'm glad someone started this thread because I had the exact same question when I first started filing. Washington is weekly, not bi-weekly. Once you get in the habit it becomes second nature.
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Kai Santiago
•Yeah this thread has been really helpful! I feel much more confident about the process now.
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Hattie Carson
Weekly filing in WA state. Some other states do bi-weekly but not here. File every Sunday and you'll be fine. Don't stress about it too much.
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Destiny Bryant
•Agreed, it's pretty straightforward once you do it a few times.
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Dananyl Lear
Final reminder for anyone reading this thread - Washington ESD requires weekly claim filing. File every Sunday for the previous week's period. Missing weeks can delay your payments, so stay consistent with your filing schedule.
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Kai Santiago
•Perfect, thank you everyone! I'm setting my Sunday reminder right now.
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Dyllan Nantx
•Good luck with your claim! The weekly filing becomes routine pretty quickly.
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