When can I receive unemployment benefits after filing with Washington ESD?

You'll typically get your first payment about 2-3 weeks after filing if there are no issues with your claim. The waiting period in Washington is one week, so your first payable week would be the week after you filed. Make sure you're filing your weekly claims every Sunday - that's when the new week opens up in the system.

The timing really depends on whether your claim goes into adjudication or not. If Washington ESD needs to verify anything about your employment or the reason you left your job, it could take much longer. I've seen people wait 6-8 weeks when there are issues to resolve.

I had to call Washington ESD to check on my claim status because the website wasn't updating properly. Took forever to get through though - I probably called 50 times before someone answered. If you're having trouble getting information, I actually found this service called Claimyr that helps you get through to unemployment offices. They have a website at claimyr.com and there's a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me hours of calling.

The whole system is so confusing! I filed three weeks ago and still haven't gotten anything. My claim says 'pending' but I have no idea what that means. I've been filing my weekly claims but the payment history shows $0 for everything. Starting to panic about bills.

Washington ESD is so slow compared to other states. My friend in Oregon got their first payment in 10 days. Here I am going on week 4 with nothing but 'under review' status. The phone lines are always busy too - it's like they don't want to help people.

Make sure you're meeting the job search requirements too. In Washington you need to make at least 3 job search contacts per week and keep a log. If you don't do this from the beginning, it could delay your payments even after your claim is approved.

I'm in week 5 of waiting and finally got through to someone at Washington ESD yesterday. Turns out my employer contested my claim because they said I quit instead of being laid off. Now I have to go through an appeal process. Ugh. If your employer contests, it adds weeks to the process.

Pro tip: set up direct deposit if you haven't already. It's faster than waiting for a debit card to arrive in the mail. You can do it in your eServices account under payment options.

The waiting is the worst part. I remember refreshing my account page constantly when I first filed. It took about 3 weeks for my first payment, but once it started coming it was regular every week. Hang in there!

If you're really struggling financially while waiting, look into local food banks and emergency assistance programs. Many counties in Washington have programs to help with rent and utilities while you're waiting for unemployment to kick in.

I used Claimyr when I needed to check on my adjudication status and couldn't get through to Washington ESD. Worth every penny to not spend hours on hold. They got me connected to someone who could actually explain what was holding up my claim.

Don't forget to keep track of any work you do while collecting unemployment. Even a few hours of part-time work needs to be reported on your weekly claim. It won't necessarily stop your benefits but you have to report it.

The key is to be patient but persistent. Keep filing your weekly claims, respond to any requests for information immediately, and don't be afraid to call if something seems wrong. The system works but it takes time.

One more thing - if you do end up needing to call Washington ESD and can't get through, that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier really does work. I was skeptical at first but ended up using it twice to get claim issues resolved. Way better than spending entire days trying to get through on your own.