When can I file my weekly unemployment claim in Washington ESD?

You file your weekly claim every Sunday for the week that just ended (Sunday through Saturday). So if you got approved on a Wednesday, you'd wait until the following Sunday to file your first weekly claim covering that partial week.

I had the same confusion when I first started filing. The weekly claim is always filed on Sunday for the previous week. You can file anytime on Sunday but I usually do it first thing in the morning to get it out of the way.

If you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD to ask questions about filing, I recently discovered this service called Claimyr that helps you actually reach an agent. They have a website at claimyr.com and there's even a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Saved me hours of trying to call myself.

Important detail: you have to file by 11:59 PM on Tuesday night or you'll miss that week's payment. So Sunday is when you CAN file, but you have until Tuesday to get it done. Don't wait too long though because the system can be slow sometimes.

Also just FYI, when you file your weekly claim you'll need to answer questions about whether you looked for work, if you worked any hours, if you were available for work, etc. Be honest about everything because they can check.

ugh the whole system is so confusing! why cant they just make it simple like file every monday or something consistent

One more thing - if you miss filing a weekly claim, you can usually file it late but you might have to explain why you missed the deadline. It's better to just set a reminder on your phone for every Sunday.

Just want to add that if you're on standby status (like if you're temporarily laid off but expecting to be called back), you still need to file weekly claims. The process is the same.

Pro tip: if the Washington ESD website is running slow on Sunday morning (which happens sometimes), try filing later in the day or Monday morning. You have until Tuesday night so no need to stress if Sunday is glitchy.

If anyone needs to talk to Washington ESD about weekly claim questions, I'll mention Claimyr again since it really helped me get through when I had filing issues. Much easier than spending hours on hold.

Make sure you have all your info ready when you file - social security number, any wages you earned that week, any job contacts you made. It goes faster if you're prepared.

been filing weekly claims for 6 months now and it becomes routine after a few weeks. just remember sunday-tuesday window and you'll be fine

One last thing - when you file, pay attention to any messages or alerts in your account. Sometimes Washington ESD will ask for additional information and you need to respond quickly or your payments might stop.

Overall the weekly filing process is pretty straightforward once you get the hang of it. Just stick to the Sunday-Tuesday schedule and answer all questions honestly. You'll be fine!