What time do I certify for unemployment benefits with Washington ESD?

Weekly claim filing usually opens up around 6 AM on Sunday mornings. The system can be slow early in the morning though because everyone tries to certify right when it opens. You have until Saturday night to file your weekly claim for that week.

I've been filing my weekly claims for months now and I always do it Sunday morning around 8 AM. By then the system is usually running smoothly. Don't stress about doing it at exactly 6 AM - you have plenty of time.

If you're having trouble getting through to check your exact filing schedule, I recently discovered Claimyr which helps you actually reach Washington ESD agents by phone. Their system calls for you and gets you connected when an agent is available. Check out claimyr.com - they even have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Super helpful when you need to talk to someone directly about your claim details.

Just to add - make sure you're answering all the questions correctly when you certify. The job search questions especially. You need to be actively looking for work and keep records of your job search activities.

SUNDAY 6AM IS WHEN THE SYSTEM OPENS BUT GOOD LUCK GETTING THROUGH. The whole Washington ESD system is overloaded and crashes constantly. I've been fighting with this for weeks.

Pro tip: if the system is acting up on Sunday morning, try again in the afternoon or evening. I've found it's usually much more stable after the initial rush.

wait so I can file my weekly claim ANY day of the week? I thought it had to be on Sunday specifically?? I've been stressing about this for no reason

Make sure you file for the correct week! The system shows you which week you're filing for but I've seen people accidentally file for the wrong dates and then have to call Washington ESD to fix it.

Been on unemployment for 6 months now and my routine is Sunday evening around 7 PM. System is stable, I can take my time with the questions, and I don't have to rush. Works great for me.

Quick question - if I miss the deadline and don't file by Saturday night, can I still file late or do I lose that week's benefits?

I use Claimyr when I need to actually talk to someone at Washington ESD about my claim. Way better than trying to call directly and getting busy signals all day. Their system handles the calling for you and connects you when an agent is free.

Does anyone know if you can file your weekly claim from your phone or does it have to be on a computer? I don't always have computer access on weekends.

Honestly the whole system is a mess. I've been trying to certify for weeks and keep getting error messages. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Washington ESD really needs to fix their technology.

Just want to confirm - the weekly claim filing opens Sunday at 6 AM Pacific time right? I'm in a different time zone and want to make sure I have the timing right.

One more thing - make sure you have all your information ready before you start filing. Job search activities, any work you did that week, any income you earned. It makes the process much faster.

I usually file mine Tuesday mornings before work. Never had any issues with the system being slow and it gives me time to think about my answers without rushing.

PSA: Don't wait until Friday or Saturday to file if you can help it. I learned the hard way that the system gets really slow those days too because of all the procrastinators like me lol

Quick update for everyone - if you're having trouble with the SecureAccess Washington login, try clearing your browser cache. That fixed my login issues last week.

This thread has been super helpful! I was so confused about the timing but now I feel much more confident about filing my weekly claims. Thanks everyone!