When can you apply for unemployment in Washington - timing questions

So I can file before my actual last day? That seems weird but if it gets things moving faster I'm all for it.

Yes, you can file during the week you become unemployed. Washington ESD wants you to file early to avoid delays in processing.

How long did it take you to get your first check? I'm worried about the bills piling up.

Took about 6 weeks total because I waited to file. If I had filed right away it would have been maybe 3-4 weeks.

Never heard of that service. Is it legit? I'm desperate to talk to someone at Washington ESD but the phone system is a nightmare.

Yeah it's totally legitimate. They basically call Washington ESD for you and get you connected to a real person. Saved me so much frustration.

Sounds too good to be true but if it actually works... the Washington ESD phone system is absolutely broken.

What if you're not sure if the layoff is permanent? My company said it might be temporary but could last months.

File anyway. If it turns out to be shorter than expected you can always close your claim. Better to have benefits available than scramble later.

Wait, you can file while still working? I thought unemployment was only for people who lost their jobs completely.

Nope! If your hours get reduced significantly you can file for partial unemployment benefits. It's called underemployment benefits.

Exactly right. Washington ESD covers partial unemployment too, not just total job loss.

The Washington ESD website does explain it but it's buried in dense text. The simple answer is: file during the week you become unemployed, don't wait.

I've been to their website like 10 times and I'm still confused. Maybe I need to call them directly.

That's reassuring. I was worried about getting the dates wrong and messing up my claim.

The application is pretty straightforward. Just be honest about your last day and let Washington ESD figure out the rest.

Good advice! I tried filing on a Monday afternoon and the site kept crashing.

Yeah weekdays are terrible. Early weekend mornings are the sweet spot for Washington ESD online services.

What's a waiting week? I thought you got benefits right away.

Washington doesn't have a waiting week anymore actually. I was thinking of the old rules. You should get benefits starting from your first week of unemployment.

Right, Washington eliminated the waiting week a few years ago. Benefits start immediately if you qualify.

I might try that. The regular phone number just rings busy or puts me on hold forever.

Yeah that's exactly why I tried Claimyr in the first place. The Washington ESD phone system is basically unusable during busy periods.

Three times? That's rough. But good to know the process gets easier with experience.

Yeah, construction work can be unpredictable. But Washington ESD has been pretty reliable each time I've needed it.

I was wondering about this. My company is giving me two weeks severance. Should I wait until that runs out?

No, file now. Washington ESD will factor in the severance pay appropriately. Don't delay your claim because of it.

I get the frustration but the rule is actually pretty simple once you know it. File during the week you become unemployed, period.

Simple for you maybe! For someone who's never done this before it's completely overwhelming.

Thank you! This thread has been super helpful. Going to file this weekend.

Same here. I was way overthinking this whole thing.

I might actually try this. Spent 4 hours on hold yesterday and got nowhere.

That's exactly why services like this exist. The regular Washington ESD phone system just can't handle the volume.

That's awesome! How long did the application take to fill out?

Maybe 20-30 minutes. Most of it was just basic employment history and contact info.

This should be posted everywhere. Would save people so much stress and confusion.

Agreed. The timing question comes up constantly in these forums because it's not explained clearly enough.

Glad it worked out! Now the waiting game begins for your first payment.

Yeah, hoping it doesn't take too long. Bills don't wait unfortunately.

Should be pretty quick if everything is straightforward. Keep filing your weekly claims even while waiting for approval.

That's great to hear! Sometimes we make things harder in our heads than they actually are.

Exactly. I was so worried about doing something wrong that I almost missed filing altogether.

Good luck! Remember to try early morning on weekends if you run into site issues.

Will do. Hopefully it goes better than my attempts to call them.