When do I receive my first unemployment check from Washington ESD?

Usually takes 2-3 weeks from when you file your first weekly claim to get your first payment. Washington ESD has to process everything and there's always a waiting week for new claims.

Check your payment history on the Washington ESD website. If you see 'paid' status for your weekly claims, the money should be in your account within 1-2 business days. If it still shows 'submitted' or 'pending' there might be an issue that needs to be resolved.

I was in the same situation last month and got so frustrated trying to call Washington ESD to check on my payment status. The phone lines are absolutely impossible to get through. Finally found this service called Claimyr at claimyr.com that actually got me connected to a real person at Washington ESD. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing exactly how it works. Totally worth it when you need answers fast.

THE WAITING WEEK IS THE WORST PART OF THIS WHOLE SYSTEM! You're unemployed and need money immediately but they make you wait just because. It's like they want people to suffer.

make sure your direct deposit info is correct in your account, had a friend who was waiting weeks because she had the wrong routing number

Also remember that Washington ESD processes payments in batches. Most people get their money on Tuesday or Wednesday if their weekly claim was processed that week. Don't panic if it doesn't show up on Monday.

I've been unemployed three times in the past five years and each time the first payment takes forever. After that it's pretty regular though. Just that initial waiting period that's brutal.

What if my claim gets stuck in adjudication after I already filed? Will that delay my first payment even more?

Speaking of adjudication delays, that's another situation where Claimyr really helps. When my claim got stuck, I used their service to actually talk to someone at Washington ESD who could explain what was happening and what documents I needed to submit. Saved me weeks of uncertainty.

also check if you signed up for the debit card option instead of direct deposit, sometimes people forget they chose that

One more thing - make sure you're filing your weekly claims every week even if you haven't received your first payment yet. Missing a weekly claim can mess up your whole payment schedule.

The anxiety of waiting for that first payment is real. I remember checking my bank account like 20 times a day during my first unemployment period.

For future reference, Washington ESD typically processes payments Tuesday through Thursday. If your weekly claim shows 'paid' by Monday, you'll usually see the money by Wednesday at the latest.

What about holidays? Do they delay payments if there's a federal holiday during the week?

Just want to mention again that if anyone is having trouble getting through to Washington ESD for payment questions, Claimyr really does work. I know it sounds like I'm promoting it but I'm just sharing what helped me when I was in the same frustrating situation.

Bottom line is Washington ESD's payment system is slow and frustrating but it does eventually work. Just have to be patient which is hard when you need the money.

update us when you get your first payment! always nice to hear success stories

Remember that after your first payment, subsequent payments should be much more predictable. The initial one is always the most stressful because you're learning the system.

Good luck with your first payment! The waiting sucks but once it starts flowing it's usually pretty reliable.

This whole discussion has been super helpful. I'm probably going to be in the same situation soon so it's good to know what to expect.

Just went through this exact same situation last month. The waiting period is nerve-wracking but totally normal. In my case, I filed my initial claim on a Monday, got approved within a week, did my first weekly claim that Sunday, and then had to wait through the mandatory waiting week. My first actual payment hit my account on a Wednesday about 2.5 weeks after filing. The key thing is to keep doing your weekly claims religiously even while waiting - missing even one can throw off your whole payment schedule. Also double-check your direct deposit info is correct in your account settings. Hang in there, it does come through!