Washington ESD - when is the best time to file for unemployment benefits?

You should file immediately! There's no benefit to waiting at all. Washington ESD has a one-week waiting period anyway, so the sooner you file, the sooner you can start getting benefits. Even if your employer calls you back, you can always withdraw your claim.

File ASAP! I made the mistake of waiting 2 weeks thinking my job might call me back and I basically threw away $800 in benefits. Washington ESD only pays from the date you file, not from when you actually lost your job.

The best time to file is literally the day after your last day of work, or as soon as you know for certain you're unemployed. Here's why: 1) Washington ESD benefits are effective from your claim filing date, not your separation date, 2) There's a mandatory one-week waiting period, 3) Processing can take time, especially if your claim goes into adjudication. Don't wait for severance pay either - you can still file while receiving severance in most cases.

I had such a hard time getting through to Washington ESD when I needed to ask about my claim timing. Spent literally hours on hold just to ask basic questions. Finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual agent in like 10 minutes. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Wish I'd known about it earlier!

Update: I went ahead and filed online this morning. The process was actually pretty straightforward, though now it says my claim is pending. How long does it usually take to get approved?

good advice here. i waited almost a month thinking i might get called back and lost so much money. file immediately people!!!

I'm dealing with this right now too. Got let go on Friday and filed Sunday. Already did my first weekly claim filing today. The key thing I learned is you have to keep filing every week even before you get approved or you lose those weeks forever.

The Washington ESD website is pretty clear about this actually - they recommend filing immediately. Don't know why some people still think you should wait. Maybe old information from years ago?

Filed immediately when I got laid off in March and it was the right call. Even though my claim went to adjudication for 5 weeks, I still got backpay for all those weeks because I filed right away and kept doing my weekly claims.

Just want to add - even if you're getting a small severance or have some vacation pay coming, still file immediately. Those payments might affect your weekly benefit amount but they won't prevent you from establishing your claim. Better to have the claim active than to wait and lose time.

Been through this process twice unfortunately. First time I waited thinking I should give my employer time to figure things out - big mistake. Lost almost $1200 in benefits. Second time I filed the next day and everything went smoothly. Learn from my expensive lesson!

The other thing to consider is that Washington ESD sometimes has system issues or high volume that can slow down processing. If you file immediately, you're not competing with a bunch of other people who all decided to file at the same time later.

I used Claimyr twice when I had questions about my timing and claim status. Really saved me from hours of calling. The second time I used it was when my claim was stuck in adjudication and I needed to know if I was doing something wrong with my weekly claims. Agent was able to see exactly what was happening and told me I was doing everything right, just had to wait.

For anyone reading this later - DO NOT WAIT. I cannot stress this enough. File the day after your last day of work or as soon as you know for certain you're unemployed. There is literally no advantage to waiting and you will lose money.

One more thing - make sure you have all your employment information ready when you file. Last employer info, wages, etc. The faster you can complete the application accurately, the less likely it is to get hung up in adjudication.

Just to echo everyone else - file immediately! I work in HR and I always tell people this when we have layoffs. There's no benefit to waiting and you're just costing yourself money. Washington ESD has been pretty clear about this for years.

Also remember that once you file, you need to register with WorkSource within a certain timeframe and start your job search activities. Don't wait on that either - get ahead of all the requirements.

Perfect timing on this thread - I'm in the same boat as OP. Got laid off yesterday and was wondering the same thing. Sounds like I need to file today! Thanks everyone.

I tried using that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier and it actually worked great. Was able to talk to someone at Washington ESD in about 12 minutes when I had questions about whether I filed too early (spoiler alert: you can't file too early, only too late). Definitely recommend if you need to talk to someone quickly.

Bottom line from someone who's been through this multiple times unfortunately - file the day after your last day of work. Period. End of story. Don't listen to anyone who tells you to wait. You'll thank yourself later.