When can I file for unemployment benefits in Washington - timing questions?

You can file your initial claim the Sunday after your last day of work. Don't file before your employment actually ends or Washington ESD will reject it. The waiting week was eliminated during COVID and hasn't come back, so you should get paid for your first eligible week.

Make sure you have all your employment info ready - dates, wages, reason for separation. Washington ESD needs all that stuff when you file.

Actually had trouble reaching Washington ESD when I filed last year to ask timing questions. Kept getting busy signals for days. If you run into that issue, I found this service called Claimyr that helped me get through to an actual agent. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Saved me hours of calling.

timing is everything with unemployment!! i filed too early once and had to start over. such a pain

One more thing - even though you file Sunday, you'll still need to file your first weekly claim the following week. Don't forget that step or you won't get paid.

Wait I thought there was still a waiting period? My neighbor said she had to wait a week before getting benefits.

Pro tip: file early in the morning on Sunday if possible. The website gets really slow later in the day when everyone's trying to file.

Make sure you're actually eligible before filing. If you quit your job instead of getting laid off, there are different rules and you might not qualify right away.

also remember to keep filing weekly even if ur claim is pending or under review. dont stop filing or you lose those weeks

If your claim gets stuck in adjudication after you file (which happens a lot), that's another time when calling Washington ESD becomes crucial. That's when I really appreciated having Claimyr to help get through the phone lines.

The whole system is so confusing for first-timers. I wish Washington ESD had better guidance on their website about timing and process.

One question - if I file Sunday but my employer contests it, what happens? Do I still get benefits while they figure it out?

Don't forget you'll need to start doing job searches right away too. Washington ESD requires 3 job search activities per week.

The key thing is just don't overthink it. File Sunday after your last day of work, file weekly claims every week, do your job searches, and you should be fine.

good luck with everything! unemployment can be stressful but at least the system works most of the time

Just to wrap up the Claimyr discussion - I know some people are skeptical about paying for help, but when you're dealing with delayed benefits and can't get through to Washington ESD, sometimes it's worth it. The service really does work.

Final reminder: Sunday after your last day of work, file online at esd.wa.gov, then file weekly claims every week after that. You've got this!

This thread was really helpful for me too. I'm in a similar situation and wasn't sure about the timing either.

Hope your transition goes smoothly. Having a plan definitely helps reduce the stress of unemployment.

One last thing - keep records of everything. Screenshot confirmations, save emails, print important pages. Washington ESD's system can be glitchy sometimes.