What does UI stand for in Washington ESD unemployment benefits?

Oh that makes so much more sense! I was thinking it was some technical computer thing. Thanks for clearing that up.

I had the same confusion when I first filed. The Washington ESD website is full of acronyms that aren't explained anywhere obvious.

What's adjudication exactly? My claim has been stuck there for weeks and I can't get through to anyone at Washington ESD to find out what's happening.

Adjudication is when they review your claim for issues - like if you quit vs were fired, or if there are questions about your work history. It can take forever unfortunately.

This is so frustrating. I've been calling Washington ESD for two weeks straight and can never get through.

Have you tried using Claimyr? I found out about it recently at claimyr.com - it's a service that helps you get through to Washington ESD agents. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me hours of calling.

How do they calculate how much UI you get? Is it based on your last job or all your jobs from the past year?

It's based on your wages during your 'base period' which is usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you filed. So not just your most recent job, but all qualifying wages during that time frame.

That's confusing but thank you for explaining it!

Pro tip: when searching for Washington ESD help, use both the full terms AND the acronyms. Like search for both 'unemployment adjudication' and 'UI adjudication' to get more results.

That's really helpful, thanks! I wish Washington ESD would just spell things out more clearly on their website.

Wow, 20 minutes? I've been trying to call for weeks! Was it expensive?

Worth every penny compared to the stress of trying to get through on my own. The whole process was really smooth.

This is exactly what I needed to know about! My claim status hasn't updated in days and I'm getting worried.

Thanks! So many acronyms to keep track of but this helps a lot.

Good point. And then there's WorkSource which is the job search system you have to use to meet your work search requirements for UI benefits.

What happens if you miss filing your weekly claim? I forgot to file last Sunday and I'm worried I lost that week's benefits.

You can usually file a late weekly claim but you need to contact Washington ESD to explain why it was late. They might still pay you for that week if you have a good reason.

Ugh, that means I need to call them. I guess I'll try that Claimyr thing people keep mentioning.

I hope I don't need to be on it long enough to become fluent! But good to know what to expect.

Same here, hoping to find work soon but at least now I understand what all these letters mean on my account.

That's actually a really smart idea. I'm going to start doing that right now.

I wish I had thought of that! Would have saved me so much confusion in the beginning.

It really does help, especially when you're dealing with appeals or overpayment issues later on. Having everything documented makes it so much easier.

That's such a relief! I'm definitely bookmarking that service in case I run into problems.

See? I told you it works! So much better than sitting on hold for hours or getting hung up on.

Glad it worked out! Missing a weekly claim can really mess up your benefit payments if you don't get it sorted quickly.

Oh wow, I had no idea they were taxable! Thanks for the heads up.

You can actually have taxes withheld from your UI payments if you want. There's an option in your account settings to have 10% taken out automatically.

Yes! That's usually a good idea unless you need every penny right now. Saves you from owing a big tax bill later.

Same here! I feel like I actually know what I'm looking at now instead of just hoping for the best.

That's what this community is for! We've all been there trying to figure out the Washington ESD system.