What does waiting week mean unemployment - Washington ESD confused me

The waiting week is basically the first week of your unemployment claim where you meet all the requirements but don't receive a payment. You still need to file your weekly claim during this week though! It's not a penalty, just how Washington ESD processes new claims. Think of it as a one-week delay before your benefits start flowing.

Your neighbor probably filed during COVID when they waived the waiting week temporarily. Now it's back to normal - everyone has to serve the waiting week unless you're on standby status.

I was so confused about this too when I first filed! I actually used Claimyr to get through to someone at Washington ESD who explained it properly. The waiting week applies to your very first claim in a benefit year, not every claim you file. So if you exhaust benefits and have to file a new claim later, you'd serve another waiting week then.

just to be clear - u still have to do job search during waiting week right? i dont want to get disqualified for not looking for work

The waiting week is honestly just another way for them to save money by not paying us for that first week. It's frustrating when you need the money right away but that's how Washington ESD does it.

The waiting week serves as a buffer period to ensure your claim is legitimate and properly processed. Washington ESD uses this time to verify your employment history and earnings. It's actually protective for claimants because it reduces the chance of overpayment issues later.

Wait so does the waiting week count toward your total weeks of benefits? Like if I'm eligible for 26 weeks, is it really only 25 weeks of payments?

I had to serve a waiting week when I filed in March. It's definitely annoying but not the end of the world. Just make sure you keep filing your weekly claims even during that first week or you could mess up your whole claim.

Does anyone know if there are exceptions to the waiting week besides standby status? Like what about people who lost their jobs due to no fault of their own?

This is why I love forums like this - the Washington ESD website makes everything sound so complicated but you all explain it in plain English. The waiting week was driving me crazy trying to understand it!

Just want to add - make sure you're doing EVERYTHING correctly during your waiting week. I know someone who got sloppy with their job search log during the waiting week thinking it didn't matter, and it came back to bite them later during an audit.

The waiting week thing really caught me off guard too when I first filed. I was expecting my first payment right away and then realized I had to wait an extra week. At least now I know for next time if I ever need to file again.

I used Claimyr when I was confused about my waiting week status - turns out my claim was stuck in adjudication and that's why I wasn't seeing any payments, not because of the waiting week. Sometimes it's worth talking to an actual person to figure out what's really going on with your claim.

For anyone else reading this - the waiting week only applies to NEW claims. If you're already on unemployment and file a new weekly claim, that's not a waiting week situation. The waiting week is specifically for when you first establish a claim in a benefit year.

The whole unemployment system is so confusing honestly. Between waiting weeks, job search requirements, adjudication, appeals... it's like they make it complicated on purpose. At least we have places like this forum to help each other figure it out.

One thing I learned the hard way - keep track of your waiting week date because it affects when your benefit year starts and ends. If you ever need to file a new claim later, knowing these dates helps determine if you need another waiting week.

Just to pile on with everyone else - yes, you serve the waiting week, no you don't get paid for it, yes you still have to do everything else (file weekly claims, job search, report income). It's basically a normal week of unemployment except no payment. After that first week, you'll start getting your regular benefit payments.

This thread should be pinned! I see this question come up constantly and you all gave such clear explanations. The waiting week is confusing for everyone when they first file.

Just wanted to follow up - for anyone who's still confused about their specific situation, I really recommend using Claimyr to actually talk to someone at Washington ESD. Sometimes you need to clarify whether you're in a waiting week situation or if there's an actual problem with your claim that needs to be resolved.