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Freya Christensen

When do you request your waiting week for unemployment in Washington ESD?

I just got approved for unemployment benefits after a month of adjudication and I'm confused about the waiting week thing. My claim shows I'm eligible but I haven't received any payments yet. Do I need to specifically request my waiting week or does it happen automatically? I've been filing my weekly claims but nothing is showing up in my account. The Washington ESD website isn't super clear about this process.

The waiting week is automatically applied to your first week of benefits. You don't request it - it just happens. If you've been approved and filing weekly claims, your payments should start showing up soon. How many weeks have you been filing?

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I've filed 3 weekly claims so far. My claim status shows active but still no payments. Should I be worried?

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Three weeks and no payment is concerning. The waiting week should only affect your first week. You might want to call Washington ESD to check what's going on.

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I had the same issue last year. The waiting week is just your first week of eligibility - you don't get paid for it but you still have to file your weekly claim. After that, payments should come through.

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So I should have gotten paid for weeks 2 and 3 by now? Something must be wrong with my claim then.

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If you're not getting payments after 3 weeks, there might be an issue with your claim that needs to be resolved. I'd definitely try calling Washington ESD but good luck getting through - I've been trying for days.

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I actually found a service called Claimyr that helps you get through to Washington ESD agents. They have a system that calls for you and gets you connected. Check out claimyr.com - there's even a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works.

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Really? How does that work exactly? I'm desperate at this point.

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You just give them your info and they call Washington ESD for you, wait on hold, then connect you when an agent picks up. Way better than spending hours on hold yourself.

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wait so we dont get paid for the first week at all?? thats stupid why would they do that

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It's federal law - all states have to have a waiting week for unemployment benefits. It's been that way for decades.

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thats ridiculous when people need money the most they make you wait

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The waiting week is applied automatically to your first compensable week. You still need to file your weekly claim for that week, but you won't receive payment. After that, as long as you meet all eligibility requirements and file your weekly claims on time, you should receive payments. If you're not getting paid after the waiting week, there may be an outstanding issue on your claim.

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How do I find out if there's an outstanding issue? My account doesn't show any alerts or anything.

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Check your account for any pending determinations or correspondence. You can also call the customer service line, though wait times are usually very long.

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I'm dealing with something similar. Been filing for 4 weeks and only got paid for 2 weeks. Washington ESD is so confusing!

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At least you got something! I haven't seen a dime yet.

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Yeah that's definitely not normal. You should definitely call them or try that Claimyr thing someone mentioned.

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OP, did you maybe have a disqualification that got resolved? Sometimes there can be delays in processing payments even after approval.

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I had a separation issue that took forever to resolve. Maybe that's causing the delay?

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That could definitely be it. Sometimes it takes a while for the system to catch up after resolving issues.

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Update: I tried that Claimyr service and actually got through to a Washington ESD agent in like 20 minutes! Turns out I had a work search requirement issue that was holding up my payments. They fixed it right away.

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Seriously? That's amazing! I'm definitely going to try that. What did they charge you?

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They don't charge you upfront - they only get paid if they successfully connect you to an agent. Totally worth it to avoid sitting on hold for hours.

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This sounds too good to be true. How do you know it's legit?

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I was skeptical too but it worked exactly like they said it would. The agent I talked to was a real Washington ESD employee and they were able to fix my issue immediately.

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For anyone confused about the waiting week - it's always your first week of unemployment. You file the claim but don't get paid. Every week after that, you should get paid as long as you're eligible and file on time.

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so if i was unemployed for a week before i filed my claim does that count as my waiting week?

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No, the waiting week is specifically your first week of filing claims, not just being unemployed. You have to actually file the weekly claim for it to count.

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Thanks everyone for the help! I'm going to try calling Washington ESD tomorrow and if I can't get through I'll check out that Claimyr service. Hopefully I can figure out what's holding up my payments.

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Good luck! Let us know how it goes. That Claimyr thing really does work - I used it last month when I had an overpayment question.

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Will do! Fingers crossed I can get this sorted out soon.

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Just to clarify for future readers - the waiting week is a federal requirement for unemployment benefits. In Washington, you must serve one waiting week before you can receive benefits. This is your first compensable week, and you must file your weekly claim for this week but will not receive payment.

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Thanks for the official explanation. It's good to have someone who actually knows the rules commenting here.

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I still think it's crazy that they make you wait a whole week when you're already struggling financially. Like why punish people for losing their job?

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exactly! and then they take forever to process everything too

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I get the frustration but it's federal law. Washington ESD doesn't have a choice in implementing the waiting week.

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Has anyone had success getting the waiting week waived? I heard some states were doing that during COVID.

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Washington did waive the waiting week temporarily during the pandemic, but that ended in 2021. The waiting week is back in effect for all new claims.

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Ugh, figured as much. Thanks for the info though.

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OP, definitely get on the phone with Washington ESD. Three weeks with no payment after approval is not normal. Something is definitely wrong with your claim.

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Yeah I'm definitely going to call. Hopefully I can get through and figure out what's going on.

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For anyone having trouble getting through to Washington ESD, I can't recommend Claimyr enough. I've used it three times now and it's saved me literally hours of sitting on hold. The demo video shows exactly how it works - definitely worth checking out.

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Do they work for all types of unemployment issues or just certain ones?

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They just help you get connected to an agent. Once you're connected, you can ask about whatever issue you're having - waiting weeks, adjudication, payments, appeals, whatever.

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Update #2: Got my payment issue resolved thanks to calling through Claimyr! Turns out I had missed uploading a required document. The agent was able to see it right away and fix it. Should see payments within 2-3 business days.

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That's awesome! I'm definitely going to try that service. Glad you got it sorted out.

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Ok you guys are convincing me this might actually be legit. I've been trying to reach Washington ESD for weeks about my job search requirements.

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so the waiting week thing is just something we have to deal with? theres no way around it?

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Correct - it's required by federal law. Every state has to implement a waiting week for unemployment benefits.

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that sucks but at least now i know what to expect

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Final reminder for everyone - the waiting week is served during your first compensable week of unemployment. You must file your weekly claim for this week, but you will not receive payment. All subsequent weeks should result in payment if you meet eligibility requirements and file on time. If you're experiencing payment delays beyond the waiting week, contact Washington ESD to resolve any outstanding issues.

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Perfect summary. Thanks for keeping everyone informed with accurate information.

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Final update: Used Claimyr and got through to Washington ESD! Had a missing work search log that was holding everything up. Agent updated my file and said payments should start this week. Thanks everyone for the help and advice!

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Awesome! Glad you got it figured out. Claimyr really is a game changer for getting through to Washington ESD.

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Great news! That's exactly what that service is good for - finding those hidden issues that are causing problems.

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So happy for you! I need to use that service too for my own issues.

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