When do you receive your first unemployment check in Washington ESD?

The timeline depends on whether your claim needs adjudication or not. If it's straightforward with no employment issues, you could see your first payment within 2-3 weeks after filing. But if there are any complications or if Washington ESD needs to verify your separation from your employer, it can take 4-6 weeks or longer.

Don't forget you have to file your weekly claims too! Even if your initial claim is still processing, you need to keep filing every week or you'll lose those weeks. I made that mistake and lost 3 weeks of benefits.

I've been trying to call Washington ESD for weeks to check on my claim status and I can never get through. The phone lines are always busy or I get disconnected after waiting for hours. I found this service called Claimyr at claimyr.com that actually got me connected to a real person at Washington ESD within 30 minutes. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Might be worth checking out if you need to speak to someone directly about your claim timeline.

WASHINGTON ESD IS A NIGHTMARE! I filed 8 weeks ago and still haven't received a single payment. They keep saying my claim is under review but won't tell me what the problem is. I'm about to lose my apartment and they don't care at all.

For a normal claim with no complications, the typical timeline is: File initial claim → Wait 1 week (waiting period) → File weekly claims → First payment issued 2-3 weeks after filing if everything is approved. But remember, even after approval, it can take a few more days for the money to actually hit your bank account or debit card.

Make sure you're doing your job search activities too! Washington ESD requires you to make at least 3 job contacts per week and keep a log. If you don't do this, they can disqualify you even if your claim is approved.

I got my first payment exactly 3 weeks after filing. No issues with my claim though - I was laid off from a restaurant that closed permanently. The payment showed up on my debit card on a Tuesday morning.

Check your online account daily for any requests for additional information. Sometimes Washington ESD will ask for more documents and if you don't respond quickly, it can delay your claim for weeks. I almost missed a request for my pay stubs because I wasn't checking regularly.

ugh same boat here, filed 2 weeks ago and nothing yet... this is so stressful when you have bills to pay

Update on the Claimyr thing - I used them again yesterday because I had questions about my weekly claim filing. Got through to Washington ESD in about 20 minutes and the agent was super helpful. She explained exactly what happens after you file and when to expect payments. Much better than spending all day trying to call on my own.

Also don't forget that your first payment might be less than expected because of the one-week waiting period. You won't get paid for your first week of unemployment, but you'll get paid for the second week onwards once approved.

Pro tip: if you're really worried about the timeline, you can try calling Washington ESD at exactly 8:00 AM when they open. Sometimes you can get through easier in the first few minutes before everyone starts calling.

Been there! The anxiety of waiting for that first check is real. For me it took exactly 18 days from filing to getting paid. Hang in there, it will come!

One more thing - make sure your address is correct in the system. I've seen people have delays because their mail was going to an old address and they missed important notices from Washington ESD.

What everyone said is accurate but remember every case is different. Some people get their first payment in 2 weeks, others wait 2 months. It really depends on your specific employment situation and whether Washington ESD needs to investigate anything.

I used Claimyr too after reading about it here. Actually got to talk to someone at Washington ESD who looked up my claim status in real time. Turns out there was a small issue with my employer information that I was able to fix right away. Probably saved me weeks of waiting.

Whatever you do, don't stop filing your weekly claims while you wait! I see people make this mistake all the time. Even if your initial claim is still pending, you MUST continue filing weekly or you'll lose those weeks forever.

The whole system is so confusing for first-time filers. I wish Washington ESD had better communication about timelines and what to expect. Would save everyone a lot of stress and anxiety.

Final advice: be patient but proactive. Check your account daily, respond to any requests immediately, keep filing weekly claims, and if you haven't heard anything after 4 weeks, definitely try to reach out to Washington ESD directly. Most claims do get approved eventually, it just takes time to work through the system.

Good luck OP! The waiting is the hardest part but once it gets going the weekly payments are pretty reliable. Just stay on top of your job search requirements and weekly claim filing.