What is identification number for unemployment Washington ESD claim?
I'm trying to file my weekly claim and it's asking for my identification number but I can't figure out what this means. Is this different from my Social Security number? I have my confirmation letter from when I first applied but there are so many numbers on it - claim number, benefit year, etc. Which one is the identification number Washington ESD wants? This is my second week filing and I don't want to mess anything up.
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Luca Romano
The identification number is usually your SSN for Washington ESD weekly claims. That's what they use to verify your identity in the system.
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Zara Rashid
•Ok that makes sense, I was overthinking it. Thanks!
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Nia Jackson
•yeah its always been SSN for me too when filing weekly claims
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Mateo Hernandez
Wait, are you sure it's not asking for your claim number? Sometimes the system prompts are confusing. Your claim number should be on your monetary determination letter.
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Zara Rashid
•Now I'm confused again. The screen just says 'identification number' - it doesn't specify which type.
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Luca Romano
•If you're on the weekly claim filing page, it's definitely asking for SSN. The claim number is used for other purposes.
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CosmicCruiser
I had the same confusion when I started filing. If you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD to clarify, I used Claimyr.com recently - they help you get connected to an actual agent without waiting on hold forever. There's even a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Really saved me time when I needed to verify my account details.
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Aisha Khan
•How much does that cost? I'm already struggling financially and can't afford extra services.
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CosmicCruiser
•It's worth checking out their site for details. For me it was better than spending hours trying to get through on my own.
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Zara Rashid
•Might be worth looking into if I keep having issues with the system.
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Ethan Taylor
just use ur social security number, thats what identification number means on washington esd site
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Zara Rashid
•Thank you, that seems to be the consensus here.
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Mateo Hernandez
To be completely clear - when you're filing your weekly claim on the Washington ESD website, the identification number field is for your Social Security Number. This is different from your claim number which you'll see on correspondence but don't need for weekly filing.
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Yuki Ito
•This is correct. I work in HR and deal with unemployment claims frequently. SSN is what Washington ESD uses for weekly claim identification.
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Zara Rashid
•Perfect, thank you both for the clarification. I feel much more confident now.
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Nia Jackson
I remember being confused about this too when i first started filing. The washington esd system could be clearer about what they want
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Carmen Lopez
•Totally agree, the interface is not user friendly at all
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Zara Rashid
•Yeah, a simple 'Enter your Social Security Number' would be so much clearer.
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Aisha Khan
OMG I've been having the same problem! I was so worried I was going to enter the wrong thing and mess up my claim. This thread is super helpful.
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Luca Romano
•Don't stress too much about it. If you make a mistake, you can usually correct it by calling Washington ESD or filing a correction.
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Aisha Khan
•Good to know, thanks! Though calling them is basically impossible lately.
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CosmicCruiser
Since a few people mentioned how hard it is to reach Washington ESD by phone - that's exactly why services like Claimyr exist. They handle the calling hassle for you and get you connected to an actual person. Really made a difference when I needed help with my adjudication issue last month.
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Andre Dupont
•I'm skeptical of these third party services but if it actually works...
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CosmicCruiser
•I was skeptical too but it worked exactly as advertised. Much better than dialing the same number 50 times a day.
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QuantumQuasar
For anyone else reading this - YES it's your Social Security Number. I've been filing weekly claims for 8 months now and it's always been SSN for the identification number field.
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Zara Rashid
•8 months wow, I hope I don't need to file that long but good to know from someone with experience.
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QuantumQuasar
•Yeah it's been a long road but at least the weekly filing becomes routine after a few times.
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Zoe Papanikolaou
this whole thread couldve been avoided if washington esd just labeled their forms better lol
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Jamal Wilson
•So true! The number of times I've seen this same question in various unemployment groups is ridiculous.
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Zara Rashid
•Well I'm glad I asked here instead of guessing wrong!
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Mei Lin
Just want to add that if you're ever unsure about what information Washington ESD is asking for, don't guess. Better to get clarification than risk issues with your claim. The consequences of entering wrong info can delay payments.
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Zara Rashid
•That's exactly why I asked here first. Thanks for the advice!
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Liam Fitzgerald
•Agreed, unemployment benefits are too important to mess around with guessing.
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Amara Nnamani
I had a similar question when I started and found that the Washington ESD glossary on their website actually defines some of these terms, though it's not easy to find.
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Zara Rashid
•I didn't even know they had a glossary! I'll have to look for that.
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Amara Nnamani
•It's buried pretty deep in their help section but it does exist.
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Giovanni Mancini
Another vote for SSN being the identification number. Filed probably 30+ weekly claims and it's always been social security number.
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Zara Rashid
•Thanks for confirming! I feel totally confident now with all these responses.
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NebulaNinja
Pro tip: save all your Washington ESD letters and documents in a folder (physical or digital). Having everything organized makes it so much easier when you need to reference claim numbers, benefit amounts, etc.
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Zara Rashid
•Great advice! I'm definitely going to start organizing all my unemployment paperwork better.
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Fatima Al-Suwaidi
•Yes! I learned this the hard way when I needed to reference old determinations for an appeal.
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Dylan Mitchell
This has been super helpful for me too. I start filing next week and was dreading trying to figure out what all the different numbers mean.
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Zara Rashid
•Glad this thread helped you too! Good luck with your first filing.
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Luca Romano
•The first few times feel overwhelming but it gets much easier. Don't stress too much about it.
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Sofia Morales
Just to close the loop on this - I successfully filed my weekly claim using my SSN as the identification number. Everything went through without any issues. Thanks everyone for the help!
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Dmitry Popov
•Awesome! Thanks for following up to confirm it worked.
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CosmicCruiser
•Great news! And remember, if you ever need to actually talk to someone at Washington ESD about your claim, Claimyr is there to help get you connected without the endless hold times.
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