When can you claim unemployment benefits in Washington - eligibility timing questions

You can file your initial claim right away after your last day of work. The waiting week happens automatically - it's the first week you're unemployed that you won't get paid for, but you still need to file your weekly claim for that week to establish your claim.

There's no specific day of the week requirement for filing your initial claim with Washington ESD. You can file online 24/7 basically. But once you're approved, you'll file weekly claims every week on the same day.

Just went through this process myself last month. The waiting week can be confusing - you file for it but don't get paid for it. It's basically Washington ESD's way of making sure people don't file frivolous claims. After that waiting week, if you're approved, you'll start getting payments for subsequent weeks you file.

If you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD to ask questions about timing, I found this service called Claimyr that helped me reach an actual agent. They have a website at claimyr.com and there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me hours of calling and getting busy signals.

wait theres a waiting period?? nobody told me that when i got laid off last week. does that mean i wont get anything for the first week?

The key thing is you need to have earned enough wages in your base period to qualify. Washington ESD looks at the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file. If you haven't worked long enough or earned enough, you might not be eligible regardless of when you file.

Also make sure you file in the right state! If you worked in Washington but live somewhere else, or vice versa, there are specific rules about where to file. Most of the time it's where you worked, not where you live.

I'm still confused about the weekly filing thing. Do you file every week even if you haven't found a job yet? What if you get a part-time job while collecting?

Don't forget about the job search requirements too. You need to be actively looking for work and keep a log of your job search activities. Washington ESD can ask to see this at any time.

THE SYSTEM IS SO CONFUSING!! Why can't they just make it simple - you lose your job, you get benefits immediately. All these waiting periods and requirements are just designed to discourage people from applying.

For what it's worth, I used that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier when I had questions about my claim timing. Really helpful to actually talk to a Washington ESD agent instead of trying to figure everything out from the website.

just file online as soon as possible after your last day. don't overthink it. worst case scenario they tell you you filed too early and you need to refile

I waited too long to file because I was confused about the timing and it cost me. You can backdate claims but it's a hassle and not guaranteed. File within the first week after you lose your job to avoid any issues.

One thing to keep in mind is that if you're on any kind of severance pay, it might affect when you can start collecting. Washington ESD considers severance as wages for the weeks it covers.

The whole process is actually pretty straightforward once you get started. File your initial claim online, wait for approval, then file weekly claims. The waiting week is just part of the process - everyone goes through it.

if anyone needs to talk to washington esd about eligibility timing or anything else, i had success with claimyr recently. way better than trying to call yourself and getting nowhere. they have that demo video too that shows exactly how it works

Bottom line - file as soon as you're unemployed, understand there's a waiting week you won't get paid for, and make sure you meet the work and wage requirements. Everything else is just details that you'll figure out as you go through the process.