What do you need to do to get unemployment benefits in Washington - complete process?

First thing is to file your initial claim on the Washington ESD website as soon as possible. You'll need your Social Security number, driver's license, and employment history for the last 18 months including employer names, addresses, and dates worked. Don't wait - there's a waiting period before benefits start.

After you file the initial claim, you have to file weekly claims every week to get paid. You'll need to report any work you do and any money you earn. Miss a week and you don't get paid for that week - learned that the hard way.

Don't forget about the job search requirements! You need to make at least 3 job search contacts per week and keep a log of them. Washington ESD can audit your job search activities at any time.

If you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD by phone to check on your claim status, I found this service called Claimyr that helped me get connected to an actual agent. They have a website at claimyr.com and there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Made the whole process much less stressful.

ugh the whole system is so confusing and they make it intentionally hard to navigate!! I've been trying to get through to them for weeks about my claim being stuck in adjudication and can't reach anyone

You also need to register with WorkSourceWA and create a profile there. It's part of the job search requirements and Washington ESD checks to make sure you're registered.

Make sure you have a good reason for being unemployed. If you quit or got fired for misconduct, you might not be eligible. Being laid off due to lack of work is usually fine.

The whole process took about 3 weeks for me to get my first payment. There's a waiting week where you don't get paid, then it takes time for them to process everything.

i had to call them like 50 times before getting through, the phone system is absolutely terrible. kept getting hung up on automatically

You need to have worked long enough to qualify - I think it's something like 680 hours in your base period. They'll calculate it based on your work history.

Don't forget to report any severance pay or vacation payout you might receive. That can affect when your benefits start.

The Washington ESD website has a good checklist of what you need before you start the application. I'd recommend looking at that first.

Make sure you answer all the questions honestly on your application. They verify everything and if you're caught lying it can disqualify you permanently.

If your claim gets denied for any reason, you can appeal the decision. Don't just give up if you think they made a mistake.

been on unemployment twice and both times the hardest part was actually getting someone on the phone when I had questions. the automated system is useless

You'll need to file by Sunday night each week for the previous week. Set a reminder because it's easy to forget and then you lose that week's payment.

The benefit amount depends on how much you were making before. There's a formula they use based on your highest earning quarter.

If you worked in multiple states, you might need to file in the state where you worked most recently or where you earned the most money.

Keep all your documents organized - pay stubs, termination letter, any correspondence from Washington ESD. You might need them later.

The process seems overwhelming at first but once you get through the initial application it becomes more routine. Hang in there!