When can you claim unemployment benefits in Washington state?

You can file your initial claim with Washington ESD right away - don't wait! There's a one-week waiting period before benefits start, but you want to get your claim in the system as soon as possible. The sooner you file, the sooner that waiting week starts counting.

Just to clarify what the previous poster said - there's a waiting week where you won't get paid, but you still need to file your weekly claim for that week. It's confusing but important for keeping your claim active.

I had trouble getting through to Washington ESD when I filed last year. The phone lines are always busy and their online chat barely works. If you run into issues reaching them, I found this service called Claimyr that helped me get through. They have a website at claimyr.com and there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

The key thing is understanding when your benefit year starts. It's not when you file - it's the Sunday of the week you first became unemployed. So if you got laid off on Wednesday, your benefit year started the previous Sunday.

Don't forget you have to be able and available for suitable work to qualify. Washington ESD will eventually require job search activities too, though I think they give you a few weeks before that kicks in.

ugh the whole system is so confusing. I filed 2 weeks ago and still haven't gotten my first payment. My claim shows approved but the money just isn't there yet.

For anyone struggling with long wait times calling Washington ESD, I recently discovered Claimyr after spending hours on hold. It's a service that helps you get through to an actual agent. Worth checking out if you're having issues - saved me so much time and frustration.

Just want to add that you should file even if you're not sure you qualify. Let Washington ESD make the determination rather than assuming you don't qualify. I almost didn't file because I thought I wouldn't qualify, but it turned out I did.

The waiting week is such BS. Like we're not already stressed enough about money when we lose our jobs. Other states don't make you wait a week.

Make sure you understand the difference between when you CAN claim and when benefits actually start. You can file immediately, but benefits don't start until after the waiting week AND your claim is processed and approved.

I'm in a similar situation and was told by a friend that you have to wait until you've been unemployed for a full week before you can file. Is that not right?

Remember that if you do any work during the week, even small amounts, you need to report it on your weekly claim. Washington ESD will reduce your benefits accordingly but you might still get partial payments.

One thing that caught me off guard was having to register with WorkSource. Make sure you do that early in the process or it can delay your benefits.

The whole online system can be glitchy too. Sometimes I couldn't file my weekly claim because the website was down. If that happens, keep trying or call them to file by phone.

If you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD by phone, there's a service called Claimyr that I used when my claim got stuck in adjudication. They got me connected to an agent who could actually help resolve the issue. Check out claimyr.com if you need to reach someone at Washington ESD.

Bottom line - file as soon as possible after becoming unemployed. The process takes time and you don't want to delay it any further by waiting to start.