What day of the week does Washington ESD unemployment pay out benefits?

Thanks! That's a relief. I was worried something went wrong with my direct deposit setup.

Just to add - if you have a smaller bank or credit union, it might take an extra day compared to big banks like Chase or Bank of America.

Thanks! I filed on Monday so hopefully I'll see it by Thursday then.

yep tuesday/wednesday is the norm for me too, been getting benefits for 3 months now

Thanks! That's helpful to know. Do they always stick to that schedule or does it vary?

It's pretty consistent unless there's a holiday that week, then everything gets pushed back a day.

Oh no, how do you know if there's an issue? My claim status just says 'paid' so I think I'm good?

If it says paid you should be fine. Mine showed 'pending' with adjudication status. I actually used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) to finally get through to someone at Washington ESD about it. They have a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ

Never heard of that service but calling Washington ESD is definitely a nightmare. Took me 4 hours of redialing last time.

Thanks! I do have direct deposit so hopefully Wednesday morning it is. Do you know if this is every Wednesday or just business days?

Every Wednesday as long as there's no holidays that mess with the processing schedule. Sometimes holiday weeks can delay it by a day.

Same here, I always file Sunday evening and get paid Wednesday. Very consistent.

Good to know about the Sunday deadline. I'll make sure to file by then going forward.

Perfect, that gives me a timeline to work with. Appreciate the info!

How much does that cost? Seems sketchy to pay someone to make phone calls for you.

It's actually pretty reasonable and way less stressful than spending hours trying to get through yourself. I was able to get my adjudication issue resolved in one call instead of weeks of trying.

I might have to try this. I've been calling Washington ESD for two weeks straight and keep getting the busy signal or getting hung up on after waiting on hold for an hour.

Perfect, that's exactly what I needed to know. Do you get any notification when it's deposited?

Not from Washington ESD directly, but my bank sends me a text when deposits hit my account.

Have you tried using Claimyr? It's a service that helps you get through to Washington ESD agents. Check out claimyr.com - they have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

Never heard of that before. Is it legit? I'm desperate at this point.

Yeah it's real. They basically handle the calling for you so you don't have to sit on hold forever. Worth trying if you need to talk to someone at Washington ESD.

This is super helpful! I didn't realize the filing day mattered for when payment processes.

Wait I've been filing on Saturdays, does that mean I'm delaying my payments by a whole week??

@profile3 No, you're not delaying by a week. If you file Saturday, it just processes the following Tuesday instead of that week's Tuesday. So maybe 3-4 days delay max.

That makes sense. So it's best to file as early as possible to get paid sooner?

Exactly. I always file mine Sunday evening so I get paid Tuesday morning.

Thanks! I did set up direct deposit so hopefully I'll see it Wednesday then. Do they pay for the previous week or the current week?

It's for the previous week. So if you filed your weekly claim on Sunday for last week, you'd get paid this Wednesday for those days.

Oh no, really? I was counting on getting paid this week. Did they tell you why it took so long?

They said it was just normal processing for new claims. Something about verifying employment history with your last employer.

How much does that cost? I've been trying to call Washington ESD for days about my claim.

It's worth it if you need to talk to someone urgently. Much better than sitting on hold for hours or getting disconnected.

I've heard good things about Claimyr too. The regular phone system is basically impossible to get through to.

Good to know about the late filing thing. I filed Sunday night so I should be in the Tuesday batch, right?

Yes, Sunday night filing should definitely make it into Tuesday's processing. The cutoff is usually Monday at midnight for that week's batch.

The system did get overwhelmed during COVID and they're still catching up on some of the processing backlogs. But the regular Tuesday/Wednesday schedule has been pretty consistent.

yeah i guess... just frustrating when you're counting on that money to pay bills

Haha good point! I'll make sure I'm checking the right account. Easy mistake to make when you're stressed about money.

Did you notice any pattern to when you got different days? Like if you filed later in the week?

Not really, seemed pretty random. As long as you file your weekly claim on time, you'll get paid within a few days.

Good to know it's reliable! That makes me feel better about planning around it.

System upgrade was a disaster, took 3 extra days that week for everyone

Oh no! How did you fix that?

Had to update it through SecureAccess Washington, then wait for them to process the change. Took about a week.

This is why I always double-check my bank info in the system after any changes.

That sounds right. Washington ESD needs about 48 hours to process weekly claims, so Monday filing = Wednesday payment.

ok good to know thanks

Haha I can see myself doing that! I double-checked my direct deposit info and it's definitely going to the right account.

This happened to my sister too lol. She had updated her bank info but forgot about it.

The ReliaCard is terrible in my experience. Fees for everything and customer service is worse than Washington ESD somehow.

You can request a replacement ReliaCard through your Washington ESD account. Initial delivery takes 7-10 business days but payments load same day usually.

Thanks, I might just switch back to direct deposit. The bank fee is annoying but at least it's reliable.

Wow 20 minutes? I've been on hold for hours before and never gotten through. Might have to try that service if I run into issues.

Yeah it was worth it just for the peace of mind. The agent was able to see exactly what was wrong and walked me through fixing it.

How much does something like that cost? I'm already strapped for cash waiting for my benefits.

It's worth checking out their site for pricing details, but honestly when you're waiting weeks for thousands in benefits it's a small price to pay to get answers.

I used Claimyr too when my payments got held up in adjudication. Got through to an agent same day and they were able to tell me exactly what was holding up my claim.

Wait, so if I file my weekly claim on Monday I won't get paid? That seems harsh.

Exactly. The deadline is Sunday night. If you file Monday you've missed that week's payment cycle. Washington ESD is pretty strict about this.

Actually that's not totally accurate. You can file late claims for up to 4 weeks, but you have to explain why you were late and they might not approve it.

Six weeks?! That's terrible. Have you tried calling them?

called probably 200 times. either busy signal or they hang up on me after an hour on hold. system is broken

This is exactly why I mentioned Claimyr earlier. When you're dealing with adjudication issues you really need to talk to someone who can look at your specific case.

That's reassuring to hear! Do you get an email or text when the payment is processed?

No automatic notifications from Washington ESD. I just check my bank account Wednesday mornings. You can also log into your eServices account to see payment status.

Same schedule for me! Wednesday has become my favorite day of the week lol

That's reassuring to hear it's so consistent for most people.

Good point. I made sure to double-check everything before submitting. Hopefully no issues!

You should be fine then. First payments sometimes take an extra day but after that it's pretty regular.

Wow you're dedicated! That's really good data though, makes me confident about the Tuesday timeline.

Filing at midnight Sunday is smart, gets you first in the queue probably

Exactly! I figure if I file right when the new benefit week starts, I get processed faster. Might be superstition but it's worked so far.

Yes, federal holidays can delay processing by one business day. So if Tuesday is a holiday, payments typically process Wednesday night for Thursday deposits.

that makes sense, thanks for clarifying!

What's the deadline for filing weekly claims? I want to make sure I don't mess that up.

You have to file by 11:59 PM on the Sunday of the week you're claiming. So if you're claiming benefits for the week ending Saturday, you need to file by Sunday night.

Got it, so basically file every Sunday for the previous week. That's manageable.

That's actually a great idea! I've been obsessively checking my account every few hours.

Good to know! Are there any holidays coming up that might affect payments?

Martin Luther King Day is next week, so that might push payments back a day. Always check the Washington ESD website for holiday schedules.

I did set up direct deposit during my initial claim. Is there a way to verify that it's actually set up correctly?

Log into your eServices account and check under Payment Options. It should show your bank account info if direct deposit is set up.

What kind of issues typically hold up payments?

Things like discrepancies in your work history, not meeting job search requirements, or if your former employer contests your claim. That's when you end up in adjudication.

yep thats exactly where im stuck. employer is claiming i was fired for misconduct when i was laid off. cant get anyone on the phone to explain whats happening

Oh no, that's worrying. How did you finally get through to them on the phone?

Honestly I used that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier. Saved me hours of trying to call myself.

Was it worth it? I'm having the same problem with my claim.

Yeah definitely. Got connected to an agent in like 20 minutes instead of spending all day calling.

Interesting, I didn't know standby was processed differently. Are you required to do job searches on standby?

No job search required for standby, that's the main difference. But yeah, payments seem to batch process after regular claims.

That's really specific, thanks! I'll check tomorrow morning.

Same here, always shows up early morning for me too.

Interesting! I'll keep an eye out Tuesday night just in case. My bank is pretty fast with direct deposits usually.

What kind of things trigger those flags? I want to make sure I don't mess anything up.

Mainly not doing enough job searches per week or reporting part-time work incorrectly. Make sure you're logging all your job search activities in WorkSourceWA.

Yeah, I got flagged for not reporting some freelance work I did. Had to provide documentation and it delayed my payment by 2 weeks.

Thanks for sharing your experience! Sounds like Wednesday is pretty much guaranteed unless there's a holiday.

Exactly. And if for some reason it doesn't show up Wednesday, don't panic - sometimes there are technical delays but the money always comes through.

That's smart! I'll set that up today. Thanks for the suggestion.

Great idea! I just turned on notifications for deposits over $100. Should catch my unemployment payments.

Same here, mobile banking alerts are a lifesaver for tracking any kind of payments

I tried looking for that but couldn't find it. Maybe I was looking in the wrong place.

It's under 'File Weekly Claim' then there's a link that says something about payment timing. Not very obvious.

8 months! Are you still looking for work or are you on some kind of extended benefits?

Regular benefits ran out so I'm on extended benefits now. Still have to do job searches and file weekly claims just like regular UI.

Good to know! I might end up doing some gig work while on unemployment so that's helpful.

Just make sure you report all your earnings when you file your weekly claim. Washington ESD will reduce your benefit accordingly but you won't get in trouble for working part time.

Mine is still showing paid from yesterday so hopefully I'll see it tomorrow!

You should! The status wouldn't show paid if there were any issues.

Good to keep in mind. Are there any holidays coming up that might affect this?

Not immediately, but always worth checking the federal holiday calendar if you're planning around payment dates.

Good point about holidays. I'll keep that in mind for planning purposes.

New Year's was the same way, everything delayed because of the holiday

Plant closures are rough, sorry you're dealing with that. At least the unemployment is reliable once you get the rhythm down.

If you file Sunday morning, yes it gets processed that Tuesday night for Wednesday deposit. The processing is pretty quick once you submit.

Perfect, that's what I hoped. Thanks for clarifying!

What kind of mistakes was she making? I want to make sure I'm not doing anything wrong.

She was reporting her gross earnings instead of net, and she didn't realize that volunteering needed to be reported too. Small stuff but it flagged her claim for review.

Wait you have to report volunteering?? I've been volunteering at my kid's school once a week

Volunteering typically doesn't need to be reported unless you're receiving payment or compensation. Check the weekly claim questions carefully - they usually ask about 'work performed' not just any activity.

Seems like that Claimyr service is pretty popular around here! Good to know there are options if I can't get through to Washington ESD directly.

Yeah it saved me a lot of frustration. Sometimes there are just technical glitches that need a human to fix them, and it's impossible to reach anyone without help.

Thanks, that's really reassuring. The whole process has been pretty stressful.

The waiting is definitely the worst part. Once you get into the routine it's much easier.

Good to know! No holidays coming up this week so should be normal timing.

Yeah, you should be fine. Regular schedule should apply.

That's reassuring to hear. Consistency is what I'm hoping for.

Same experience here. Washington ESD is pretty good about payment timing once everything is set up properly.

How do you find out if there are any garnishments? Is that shown in your Washington ESD account?

Yeah it should show in your payment history if there are any deductions. You can also call Washington ESD but good luck getting through. I actually tried that Claimyr thing someone mentioned earlier and it worked great for getting connected to an agent.

Claimyr sounds too good to be true but if it actually works might be worth trying

That's smart planning! I should probably look into that just in case.

Wait, there's a waiting week? Nobody told me about that when I filed my claim.

Yeah it's buried in the fine print. You file your first weekly claim but don't get paid for it. It's like an unpaid waiting period.

I don't have any work to report yet, but good to know for the future. How do you report earnings?

It's part of your weekly claim filing. There's a section where you enter any wages you earned that week.

And make sure you report gross wages, not net. That trips up a lot of people.

I'll check that out! Having a calendar would definitely help with planning.

How do you report part-time earnings? Do you have to do anything special?

When you file your weekly claim there's a section for reporting any work or earnings. You have to report gross earnings, not take-home pay.

What counts as a good reason for filing late?

Things like being in the hospital, family emergency, or technical issues with the website. You have to explain when you file the late claim.

How many job searches do I need to do each week? I know there's a requirement but I'm not sure of the exact number.

It's 3 job search activities per week for most people. Make sure you're logging them in WorkSourceWA or they might audit you and stop your benefits.

That's good to hear! I was worried it would be unpredictable. Thanks everyone for all the helpful information.

No problem! The payment timing is actually one thing Washington ESD does well. It's everything else that's a nightmare lol

Good to know there are options if I run into problems. Hopefully I won't need it but it's reassuring to know it exists.

I was skeptical about using a service like that but honestly when you're waiting for money you need to pay rent, it's worth it to get answers fast instead of waiting weeks for a callback that never comes.

Standby payments follow the same schedule as regular UI. The timing should be identical.

Thanks! I was wondering if there was some difference in processing.

That's a great tip. I'll check that out to track the pattern.

Yeah it's under 'Payment Information' in your account dashboard.

Perfect. I filed Sunday night so I should see it tomorrow morning then. Thanks everyone for all the helpful info!

You should definitely see it tomorrow. Washington ESD is pretty reliable with their payment schedule.

Good to know. How long should I wait before contacting them if it doesn't show up?

I'd give it until Thursday if you were expecting it Tuesday. After that, definitely reach out to Washington ESD.

And if you need to call them, definitely consider using Claimyr to avoid the phone tree nightmare.

Perfect! Sounds like I can count on Wednesday morning. Thanks everyone for all the helpful info!

Yikes! I'll double check that right now. That would be a nightmare to deal with.

Yeah she had to call Washington ESD to get it straightened out and it took forever. Definitely verify your banking info is current!

I didn't know bi-weekly was an option! How do you set that up?

You have to call Washington ESD to switch to bi-weekly filing. It's mainly for people with irregular work schedules or part-time employment.

I'm not working at all right now so weekly is probably fine for me, but good to know for the future.

Smart advice! I'll start a spreadsheet this week. Better to have the records from the beginning.

Agreed, documentation is everything when dealing with government benefits. I take screenshots of my weekly claim confirmations too.

How did your overpayment dispute turn out? That's one of my biggest fears with unemployment.

It worked out fine eventually but took 3 months to resolve. Having my own payment records definitely helped prove my case. The Washington ESD records had some errors in them.

Perfect summary! This thread has been super helpful. I feel much more confident about what to expect now.

This whole discussion should be pinned somewhere, lots of good info for new claimants

Seriously, wish I had found this info when I first started claiming. Would have saved me a lot of stress and unnecessary calls to Washington ESD.

How does Claimyr work exactly? Do they just call for you?

They help you get connected to an actual agent instead of getting stuck in the phone maze. Check out their demo video to see how it works.

I have a local credit union so might be on the slower side.

Credit unions are usually pretty fast actually. You should be fine.

Standby is different from regular UI though, right? Different rules?

Yeah, standby has different job search requirements but payment timing is the same.

I've been checking obsessively! Shows paid as of yesterday morning.

Then you're all set. Should see it in your bank account by Wednesday for sure.

Good reminder! I need to make sure I'm staying on top of the job search requirements.

Yeah, they're pretty strict about it. But once you get in the habit it's not too bad.