When do I receive unemployment payment after filing weekly claim in Washington?
Filed my first weekly claim on Washington ESD last Sunday and I'm confused about when the actual payment shows up. The website says my claim was processed but I don't see any money in my account yet. Is there a delay between filing and getting paid? I chose direct deposit when I set up my account. Really need to know when to expect this since rent is due soon.
62 comments


StarStrider
Usually takes 2-3 business days after your weekly claim is processed. Since you filed Sunday, you should see it by Wednesday or Thursday if there are no issues with your claim.
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Ethan Clark
Thanks, that's helpful! My claim status shows 'paid' so hopefully it hits my account tomorrow.
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Yuki Sato
Mine always comes on Tuesday nights around 11pm, been getting UI for 6 weeks now.
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Carmen Ruiz
The payment schedule depends on when Washington ESD processes your weekly claim. If you file on Sunday, processing usually happens Monday night, then direct deposit hits Tuesday-Wednesday. Paper checks take longer, about 5-7 business days total.
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Ethan Clark
Good to know about the processing timeline. I was worried something was wrong since it's been 3 days.
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Andre Lefebvre
yeah the waiting is stressful when you need the money ASAP
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Zoe Alexopoulos
Been trying to call Washington ESD for weeks about my payment delay but can never get through. The phone lines are always busy or I get disconnected after waiting forever. Anyone else having this problem?
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Jamal Anderson
I had the same issue last month! Found this service called Claimyr that actually got me through to a Washington ESD agent. They handle the calling for you - check out claimyr.com. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.
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Zoe Alexopoulos
Interesting, I'll check that out. Anything is better than spending hours on hold just to get hung up on.
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Mei Wong
Wait is that legit? Sounds too good to be true tbh
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StarStrider
Make sure you're checking the right account and that your banking info is correct in your Washington ESD profile. I've seen people wait weeks only to realize they had the wrong account number entered.
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Ethan Clark
Just double-checked and everything looks right. Hopefully it's just the normal processing time.
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QuantumQuasar
This happened to my cousin - turned out her bank rejected the deposit because the name didn't match exactly
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StarStrider
Good point about name matching. Washington ESD is strict about that stuff.
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Andre Lefebvre
ugh the whole system is so slow. I remember my first payment took like a week because they had to verify my identity or something. Now its pretty regular but that first one was nerve wracking
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Ethan Clark
Identity verification - they didn't mention that when I filed. How long did that take?
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Andre Lefebvre
like 3-4 days extra. they sent me some questions to answer online and then it processed normally after that
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Carmen Ruiz
First-time claimants often experience a slight delay while Washington ESD verifies employment history and sets up the payment system. This is normal and doesn't indicate any problems with your claim.
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Ethan Clark
That makes sense. I was getting worried something was wrong with my application.
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Liam McGuire
Mine took 6 days the first time, then every Tuesday after that like clockwork
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Mei Wong
Check your payment history in the Washington ESD portal. It should show the date it was issued and the method. If it says 'paid' but you don't have the money, might be a bank issue.
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Ethan Clark
Good idea, I'll log into my account and check the payment details.
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Amara Eze
Sometimes banks hold unemployment deposits for 24-48 hours too, especially if its your first one
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Yuki Sato
I get mine every Tuesday night without fail. Been on UI for 2 months now. The key is filing your weekly claim by Sunday evening so it gets processed Monday.
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Ethan Clark
That's exactly what I did. Filed Sunday around 6pm.
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Giovanni Greco
Same here - Sunday filing, Tuesday payment. It's like clockwork once you get in the routine.
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Zoe Alexopoulos
Update on my calling situation - tried that Claimyr service someone mentioned and it actually worked! Got through to a Washington ESD agent in about 20 minutes instead of the usual 3+ hour wait. They explained my payment was held up because of a job search requirement issue.
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Jamal Anderson
Glad it worked for you! I was skeptical at first but they really do save you time dealing with Washington ESD phone lines.
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Mei Wong
Ok now I'm convinced this might be legit. What did the agent tell you about the job search thing?
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Zoe Alexopoulos
Turns out I needed to log my job search activities in WorkSourceWA. Agent walked me through it and my payment was released the next day.
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Fatima Al-Farsi
Payments usually hit Tuesday-Wednesday if you file Sunday. But holidays can delay it by a day or two. Also make sure you dont have any outstanding issues in your claim that might hold up payment.
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Ethan Clark
No holidays this week so that shouldn't be an issue. My claim status looks clean.
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Dylan Wright
Labor Day messed up my payment schedule last month - came Thursday instead of Tuesday
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Sofia Torres
been getting payments for 4 months now and the timing is super consistent. file sunday evening, money in account tuesday night or wednesday morning. first payment took longer though
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Ethan Clark
This is reassuring. Sounds like after the first one it becomes predictable.
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GalacticGuardian
Yeah exactly. The first payment is always the wildcard, then it settles into a pattern.
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StarStrider
If your claim shows 'paid' in the system but you don't receive money within 5 business days, that's when you should contact Washington ESD. Could be a banking issue or technical glitch that needs to be resolved.
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Ethan Clark
Good to know the 5-day rule. I'll give it until Friday before I worry.
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Dmitry Smirnov
I had a glitch once where it showed paid but the bank never got it. Took Washington ESD 2 weeks to reissue the payment.
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StarStrider
That's frustrating but not uncommon. The key is documenting everything when you contact them.
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Ava Rodriguez
Make sure you're not missing any correspondence from Washington ESD. Sometimes they send notices about additional documentation needed and payments get held up until you respond.
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Ethan Clark
I've been checking my messages and mail regularly. Nothing so far.
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Miguel Diaz
Check your spam folder too - sometimes Washington ESD emails end up there
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Zainab Ahmed
The waiting is the worst part honestly. My first unemployment payment took 8 days because they needed to verify my previous employer. After that it was smooth sailing every Tuesday.
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Ethan Clark
8 days sounds awful when you're broke. Hoping mine comes sooner than that.
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Connor Gallagher
Yeah the employer verification can add time. They have to confirm your wages and reason for separation.
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AstroAlpha
Pro tip: set up text alerts in your Washington ESD account so you get notified when payments are processed. Helps reduce the anxiety of constantly checking your bank account.
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Ethan Clark
I didn't know about text alerts! I'll set that up right now.
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Yara Khoury
The alerts are super helpful. You get one when they process your claim and another when payment is issued.
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Keisha Taylor
Sometimes there are payment delays if Washington ESD is updating their system or if there's unusually high volume. Happened to me during the summer - everyone's payment was delayed by 2 days.
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Ethan Clark
System updates make sense. Hopefully that's not happening this week.
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Paolo Longo
They usually announce system maintenance on their website if that's the case
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Amina Bah
If you're really desperate and need to talk to someone at Washington ESD, I heard about this Claimyr service that gets you through the phone lines faster. Friend of mine used it when her payments stopped and got answers same day.
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Zoe Alexopoulos
Can confirm Claimyr works! Used it myself and saved hours of phone frustration.
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Ethan Clark
Good to know there's an option if I need to call them. The phone lines sound terrible from what everyone says.
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Oliver Becker
Just be patient with your first payment. I know it's stressful but the system usually works. Mine came exactly 3 days after filing once everything was set up properly.
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Ethan Clark
Thanks for the encouragement. Trying to stay positive while I wait.
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CosmicCowboy
The waiting gets easier after you establish the pattern. First one is always nerve-wracking though.
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Natasha Orlova
UPDATE: My payment just hit my account this morning! Exactly 3 days after filing like several people said. Thanks everyone for the helpful info and reassurance!
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StarStrider
Great news! Now you know what to expect for future payments.
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Javier Cruz
Awesome! The system works, just takes a few days like everyone said.
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Yuki Sato
Perfect timing! Now you'll get into the weekly routine and it becomes automatic.
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