When do you apply for unemployment benefits after job loss in Washington?

Apply as soon as possible! There's no benefit to waiting and you don't want to lose any potential benefits. Washington ESD recommends filing your claim the week you become unemployed or have your hours reduced. The sooner you file, the sooner your claim can be processed.

The waiting period happens automatically - it's the first week of your claim where you don't get paid, but you still need to file that weekly claim. Washington ESD will handle all the timing on their end. Your job is just to get the initial application in and then file your weekly claims every week.

I had trouble getting through to Washington ESD when I first applied. Kept getting busy signals and getting hung up on when trying to check my claim status. If you run into phone issues, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual agent. They have a demo video too: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ

just apply online its way easier than calling anyway. the website works fine most of the time

Make sure you have all your employment information ready when you apply - dates of employment, employer addresses, reason for separation, etc. Washington ESD will ask for specific details about your last 18 months of work history.

Washington ESD is SO SLOW right now with processing claims. My friend applied 3 weeks ago and still hasn't heard anything back about approval. Be prepared to wait and keep filing those weekly claims even if you don't hear back right away.

One thing to remember - your claim is backdated to when you first became unemployed, not when you apply. So if you lost your job Monday but don't apply until Friday, your claim still starts Monday. But there's no reason to wait!

omg the washington esd website crashed on me like 5 times when i was trying to apply last month. so frustrating!! but i kept trying and eventually got through

Also worth mentioning - if your employer contests your claim, there might be an adjudication process that takes longer. Don't panic if that happens, just keep filing your weekly claims and wait for Washington ESD to make their determination.

Pro tip: start looking for work immediately even before your claim is approved. Washington ESD has job search requirements that kick in pretty quickly, and you want to be ahead of the game on documenting your search activities.

I waited 2 weeks to apply because I thought maybe my company would call me back. Big mistake - those were 2 weeks of benefits I never got back. Apply right away even if you think the layoff might be temporary.

If you do have trouble reaching Washington ESD by phone later on, that Claimyr service I mentioned earlier really was a game changer for me. Worth checking out if you get stuck in phone hell trying to get answers about your claim status.

washington esd is the worst bureaucracy ever created. good luck getting through their system without wanting to pull your hair out. but yeah apply asap because the longer you wait the more painful it gets

Quick question - do you have to apply during business hours or can you do it anytime online?

Make sure you understand the difference between your initial claim and your weekly claims. The initial claim is what you're doing now - establishing that you're unemployed and eligible. Then every week after that you file a weekly claim to actually get paid for that week.

Been through this process twice unfortunately. File today, don't wait. Set up your SecureAccess Washington account if you don't have one already. And definitely start documenting job search activities from day one even if benefits haven't kicked in yet.

One more thing about that Claimyr service - if you end up needing to call Washington ESD for any reason (claim issues, questions about eligibility, etc.), it's way better than spending hours on hold. Just something to keep in mind if you hit roadblocks.

Bottom line: Apply today. File weekly claims every week. Start job searching immediately. Don't overthink it - just get the process started and you can figure out the details as you go.