What day does unemployment pay in Washington - when do ESD benefits hit your account?

Washington ESD typically processes payments on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. If your weekly claim was approved, you should see the deposit within 2-3 business days after processing. Make sure you check your payment method in your SecureAccess account to confirm they have the right bank info.

Thanks! I double checked and my direct deposit info looks correct. Hopefully it shows up tomorrow then.

Mine always comes on Wednesday mornings, usually around 6am. Been on unemployment for 3 months now and it's pretty consistent.

I've been waiting 2 weeks for my payment and still nothing! Filed my weekly claims on time but the payment status just says 'processed' with no actual deposit. This is so frustrating - I need to call them but can never get through.

If you're having trouble reaching Washington ESD by phone, I had success using Claimyr.com - it's a service that helps you get through to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me hours of calling and getting hung up on.

Never heard of that but I'm desperate at this point. Anything is better than sitting on hold for hours just to get disconnected.

Check your payment history in your account first - sometimes there's an issue that needs to be resolved before payments will go through.

Payment timing can vary depending on your bank too. Some credit unions take longer to process ACH deposits than major banks. I use Wells Fargo and get mine Tuesday nights around 11pm.

I have Chase so hopefully they're fast with processing these deposits.

Chase is usually pretty quick. I get mine Wednesday mornings with them.

Make sure you didn't have any issues with your job search requirements or work reporting. Even small errors can hold up payments while they review your claim.

I've been doing my job searches and logging them in WorkSourceWA like I'm supposed to. Hopefully that's not the issue.

Good that you're staying on top of the job search log. That's one of the most common reasons for payment delays.

Washington ESD has been pretty consistent with their payment schedule since they fixed all the issues from a few years ago. As long as your claim is in good standing, payments should come like clockwork.

Yeah the system is much more reliable now. I remember the chaos from 2020-2021 but it's way better.

That's reassuring. This is my first time dealing with unemployment so I wasn't sure what to expect.

If you're on standby status the payments might be different timing. Are you regular UI or standby?

Regular UI - I was laid off from my job in December so not standby.

Ok good, regular UI payments are more predictable. Standby can be weird with timing.

I always get my payment on Wednesday but I file my weekly claim on Sunday. If you file later in the week it might delay when you get paid.

I filed on Sunday too so hopefully I'm in the same batch as you.

Filing early in the week definitely helps. I learned that the hard way.

Washington ESD usually sends an email notification when they process your payment. Check your spam folder if you don't see it in your inbox.

I got the email saying my weekly claim was processed but no payment notification yet.

The payment notification usually comes a day or two after the claim processing email.

Been on unemployment since November and my payments come every Wednesday morning between 5-7am. Only had one delay and that was because I forgot to do my job search activities one week.

Good to know it's consistent. I'll keep an eye out tomorrow morning.

Same here - Wednesday mornings like clockwork. Washington ESD has their timing down pretty well now.

Don't panic if it takes a few extra days your first payment. They sometimes do additional verification for new claims which can add 1-2 days.

That makes sense since this is my first claim. I'll give it until Friday before I start worrying.

Yeah first payments can be slower. After that it should be regular.

If you need to talk to someone at Washington ESD about payment timing, I had luck with that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier. Took about 10 minutes to get connected to an agent who could check my account.

I might try that if my payment doesn't show up by Friday. Better than spending all day trying to call.

Yeah their phone system is still pretty overwhelmed. Having a service that can get you through faster is worth it.

Check your account online to see if there are any alerts or issues flagged. Sometimes there's a hold you don't know about that's preventing payment.

Just checked and no alerts showing. Everything looks normal on my end.

That's good - means it's probably just normal processing time then.

UPDATE: My payment just hit my account this morning! Came in around 6:30am on Wednesday just like everyone said it would. Thanks for all the info about timing.

Glad it worked out! Now you know what to expect for future payments.

Perfect timing - Wednesday morning is when most of us get ours. Welcome to the club lol.

Nice! I remember how stressful waiting for that first payment was. At least now you know the schedule.