What time can I file my unemployment claim - Washington ESD system hours?

Thanks! Do you know if there's a specific day of the week I need to file by? I'm still new to this whole process.

You need to file your initial claim as soon as possible after becoming unemployed. For weekly claims, you have a specific week assigned to you when you can file - usually the week after your benefit week ends.

Clear your browser cache and try using a different browser. The Washington ESD site can be finicky with certain browsers, especially older versions.

tried that already, still getting the same timeout errors

How does that work exactly? Do they just call for you or what?

Yeah, they handle the entire calling process. You give them your info and they call Washington ESD, wait on hold, and then connect you when they get an agent on the line. Saved me literally hours of trying to get through myself.

sounds too good to be true but at this point im desperate enough to try anything

That's actually really helpful, I'll try logging in early tomorrow morning instead of during the day.

Yeah I always file my weekly claims at like 11 PM Sunday night, never had issues that way

What kind of documentation do I need for the initial claim? I have my last pay stub but not sure what else.

You'll need your Social Security number, employment history for the last 18 months including employer names and addresses, dates of employment, and reason for separation. Also helpful to have your driver's license or ID ready.

Wait, what do you mean designated week? I thought you could file anytime after your benefit week ended?

nope, washington esd assigns you a specific filing week based on your ssn. you can only file during that week, not before or after

This is correct. Your filing week is determined by the last digit of your SSN. You can find your specific week in your account or they'll tell you when you file your initial claim.

Totally agree, Monday mornings are the worst. I always wait until Tuesday or Wednesday now.

But what if Monday is your designated filing day? You can't just wait until later in the week.

You can file any day during your filing week, not just Monday. If Monday is when your week starts, you can still file Tuesday, Wednesday, etc. within that same week.

This is exactly the kind of insider knowledge I was looking for! Thank you so much.

agreed on avoiding lunch hours, seems like thats when all the other employed people try to check their claims too

Good point about the session timeout. Is there a way to save your progress as you go?

Not really, the Washington ESD system doesn't save partial applications. That's why I always recommend having everything ready before you start and doing it when you won't be interrupted.

This is where that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier might actually be worth it. I'm getting tired of wasting my whole day trying to reach someone at Washington ESD.

Yeah, that's exactly why I used Claimyr. The website was giving me errors and I couldn't get through on the phone. They got me connected to an agent in like 20 minutes when I had been trying for hours on my own.

learned this lesson the hard way last month, ended up having to call to straighten out the duplicate filing mess

Good to know! I'm definitely the type who would keep clicking if things were loading slowly.

This is smart thinking. Better to deal with a slow system than be stuck with a problem over the weekend.

assuming you can actually get through to anyone on the phone during business hours, which is a big assumption with washington esd

Thanks for the reminder! I wouldn't have thought of that.

Yes, always screenshot the confirmation page. I've had to prove I filed on time before when there was a dispute about my claim timing.

Good security reminder. Also clear the browser history if you're on a public computer.

I'm using my own computer at home but that's good advice for anyone who might need to use a library or something.

That's really good perspective. I've been so focused on when to file that I haven't spent enough time making sure I have everything organized.

exactly. rushing through and making mistakes will cause way more problems than filing at a slightly less optimal time

That's encouraging to hear from multiple people now. I might give it a try if I run into problems with my initial filing.

did they charge you for the service? trying to decide if its worth the cost

There is a fee but honestly it was worth it compared to the time I was wasting trying to get through myself. The stress reduction alone made it worthwhile for me.