What days do you get paid for unemployment Washington ESD - confused about payment schedule

Thanks! So if I file Sunday I should have money by Thursday at the latest?

Usually yes, but sometimes there can be delays if there are system issues or if your claim needs additional review.

That's not how it works. Payment timing is based on when Washington ESD processes the claims, not alphabetical order. Your sister might have direct deposit while you have the debit card.

oh maybe thats it then. i do have the card

Claimyr? Never heard of it. Is that some kind of scam thing?

No it's legit - they just help you get through the phone system to reach Washington ESD faster. I was stuck trying to reach them for weeks about a payment delay.

How much does something like that cost? I'm already broke waiting for my payments.

You're lucky! Mine varies between Tuesday and Wednesday. Sometimes even Thursday if there's a holiday.

Yeah holidays definitely mess up the schedule. Martin Luther King Day delayed my payment by a day last month.

What does your claim status show on your Washington ESD account? If it says 'paid' then it's just processing time. If it shows something else there might be an issue.

It just says pending. Been pending since Sunday when I filed.

Pending usually means they're processing it. Should change to paid by tonight or tomorrow morning.

How do you change to direct deposit? Is there a form or something?

Log into your Washington ESD account and look for payment options. You can change it there but it takes a week or two to take effect.

This is true. Big banks like Chase or Bank of America usually process faster than smaller local banks.

exactly. my friend has chase and gets paid tuesday morning but i have a small credit union and dont see it until wednesday

What's standby status? Is that different from regular unemployment?

Standby is when you're temporarily laid off but expect to return to the same job. You don't have to do job searches but the payment timing is sometimes different.

I didn't know there were different payment schedules for different claim types. That explains why my coworker gets paid different days than me.

8 months? Wow, have you been looking for work that whole time?

Yeah I do my job searches every week. Market is tough right now in my field. Washington ESD extended benefits helped a lot.

Oh man I've done that before. So annoying when you mess up one little thing and it holds up your whole payment.

That's exactly when something like Claimyr comes in handy. Instead of waiting hours on hold to fix a simple mistake, you can actually get through to explain the situation.

I'll have to look into that next time. Last time I called it took 3 hours to get through.

I remember that too! It was super helpful. Not sure why they removed it.

They probably removed it because the schedule can vary due to holidays, system maintenance, or high volume periods. Easier to just say 'within 2-3 business days' than commit to specific dates.

Good idea! I've been checking my account like 10 times a day waiting for my first payment.

Yeah I did the same thing when I first started claiming. The alerts definitely help reduce the anxiety.

Federal holidays definitely delay payments by at least a day. Banking system is closed so even if Washington ESD processes on schedule, your bank won't.

That makes sense. I'll plan ahead for the next holiday.

Wait, you can file bi-weekly? I thought everyone had to file weekly claims.

It's only for certain types of claims. I had to request it specifically because of my work schedule.

Most people should stick with weekly filing. Bi-weekly is only available in special circumstances and you have to meet specific criteria.

I don't think that's right. The payment schedule is based on when you file your weekly claims, not when you initially applied.

Maybe you're right. I just noticed the pattern seemed different for me.

10 minutes?? That sounds too good to be true. I spent 6 hours on hold last week.

I was skeptical too but it actually worked. They have some system that gets through the phone queues faster than calling manually.

I might try that. I've been trying to reach someone about a payment delay for two weeks with no luck.

Thanks for the summary! This thread has been super helpful. I feel much better about knowing what to expect.

Agreed, this covered everything I was wondering about payment timing.

Good point. I had a small freelance job last month and it delayed my payment by two days while they reviewed it.

Yeah, always better to report everything accurately even if it causes a slight delay. Better than dealing with an overpayment notice later.

I didn't know they had an app! Is it in the regular app store?

Yeah, just search for Washington ESD. It's got the state seal logo.

This is the best advice in the thread. Simple and to the point.

And if calling directly doesn't work, services like Claimyr at claimyr.com can help you actually get through. Worth it when you need answers about delayed payments.