When does Washington ESD pay after getting approved for unemployment benefits?
Just got the notification that my unemployment claim was approved after being in adjudication for almost 6 weeks! Super relieved but now I'm wondering about the timeline for actually receiving payments. The approval notice didn't give specifics about when to expect the money. I've been filing my weekly claims this whole time even during adjudication. Does anyone know how long Washington ESD typically takes to process the first payment after approval? I have rent due next week and really need to know if I should expect anything soon.
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Harper Hill
Congrats on getting approved! Usually Washington ESD processes payments within 2-3 business days after your claim gets approved. Since you've been filing weekly claims during adjudication, they should process all the back payments at once. Check your account on the Washington ESD website - sometimes the payment shows up there before you get the actual money.
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Lucas Adams
•Thanks! I'll keep checking my account. Do you know if they pay by direct deposit or check by default?
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Harper Hill
•If you set up direct deposit when you first applied, they'll use that. Otherwise it's a debit card they mail to you. Direct deposit is definitely faster.
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Caden Nguyen
I had a similar situation last year - took forever to get approved but once I did, the money showed up in my account within 48 hours. You should get all the back pay for the weeks you certified during adjudication too. Just make sure you keep filing your weekly claims on time even after approval.
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Lucas Adams
•That's reassuring! I've been so worried about money. Did you get the full amount you were expecting?
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Caden Nguyen
•Yes, got everything I was owed. Just remember to keep up with your job search requirements now that you're approved - they're pretty strict about that.
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Avery Flores
Ugh the waiting is so stressful! I've been trying to call Washington ESD for weeks to check on my claim status but can never get through. The phone system just hangs up on you after being on hold. Did you have to call them or did your approval just come through automatically?
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Lucas Adams
•I never actually got through to anyone either. The approval just showed up in my online account one day. But yeah, trying to call them is impossible.
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Zoe Gonzalez
•Actually, I found this service called Claimyr that helps you get through to Washington ESD agents. It's at claimyr.com and they have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ. Saved me hours of frustration when I needed to talk to someone about my adjudication.
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Avery Flores
•Interesting, I'll check that out. Is it expensive?
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Zoe Gonzalez
•They focus on the value of actually reaching an agent rather than spending all day calling. Worth it when you really need answers about your claim.
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Ashley Adams
FINALLY someone else who got approved! I've been waiting 8 weeks now and still nothing. This whole system is broken. How did you know when you were approved - did they send an email or just update your account?
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Lucas Adams
•They sent me an email and updated my account. Have you checked your messages in the Washington ESD portal? Sometimes stuff gets buried in there.
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Ashley Adams
•I check every single day! Still says pending adjudication. This is driving me crazy.
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Alexis Robinson
•8 weeks is really long. You might want to try reaching out to them directly to see what's holding up your case.
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Harper Hill
Just to add more detail - Washington ESD typically pays on Tuesdays and Thursdays. If your approval came through on a Friday, you'd probably see payment by the following Tuesday. And yes, you should get ALL the back pay for every week you certified during adjudication, assuming you were eligible for those weeks.
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Lucas Adams
•Good to know about the payment schedule! I got approved on Wednesday so hopefully I'll see something by Thursday.
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Aaron Lee
•Wait, I thought they paid on different days? Mine always came on Wednesdays.
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Harper Hill
•It can vary slightly but Tuesday/Thursday are the main payment processing days. Sometimes there are delays that push it to Wednesday.
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Chloe Mitchell
been on unemployment for 6 months now and yeah payments are usually pretty quick once approved. biggest thing is just making sure you keep doing your job searches and filing weekly. they will cut you off if you mess that up
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Lucas Adams
•Good reminder about job searches. I've been keeping track in WorkSourceWA but it's such a pain.
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Chloe Mitchell
•yeah its annoying but they do check. lost a friend's benefits because she didn't log enough searches one week
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Michael Adams
Congratulations! The relief when you finally get approved is amazing. I remember when mine went through - I checked my account like 20 times that day to make sure it was real. You've definitely earned this after waiting so long in adjudication.
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Lucas Adams
•Thank you! I literally screenshot the approval page because I was so worried it would disappear lol
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Michael Adams
•Haha I did the same thing! The whole process is so stressful that you don't trust anything until the money actually hits your account.
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Natalie Wang
Make sure you understand the difference between your weekly benefit amount and your maximum benefit amount. The weekly is what you get each week, but the maximum is the total you can receive over the entire benefit year. Just so you know what to expect long-term.
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Lucas Adams
•Good point. My weekly benefit amount is $547 and my maximum is around $14,000 for the year.
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Natalie Wang
•Sounds about right. Just keep in mind that if you work part-time while on unemployment, it might affect your weekly payment amount.
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Noah Torres
•Yeah they deduct from your benefits if you earn too much. I learned that the hard way when I picked up some gig work.
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Samantha Hall
This gives me hope! I'm still waiting for my adjudication to finish. Did you have to provide any additional documentation during the process or did it just resolve on its own?
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Lucas Adams
•I had to upload some employment verification documents early on but nothing additional during the waiting period. They just took forever to review everything.
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Samantha Hall
•Ok good, I already sent in everything they asked for. Guess I just have to wait it out.
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Ryan Young
Pro tip: if you're using the Washington ESD debit card for payments, there are certain ATMs where you can withdraw cash without fees. Bank of America ATMs work with no charge. Saves you money if you need cash instead of just using the card.
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Lucas Adams
•That's helpful! I set up direct deposit but good to know for anyone using the card.
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Sophia Clark
•Wish I knew this earlier! Been paying ATM fees for months because I didn't realize there were free options.
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Katherine Harris
Still can't believe how long these adjudications take. Mine took 5 weeks and I thought that was bad. 6 weeks is ridiculous! At least you're finally approved though. The system really needs to be faster.
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Lucas Adams
•Yeah it's definitely broken. I was lucky I had some savings to get by but not everyone can wait that long.
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Madison Allen
•The whole system needs an overhaul. Too many people waiting too long for benefits they're entitled to.
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Joshua Wood
I used Claimyr when I needed to speak with someone about my benefit calculation. Really helped me get clarity on why my weekly amount was lower than expected. The video demo on their site shows exactly how it works - pretty straightforward process.
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Lucas Adams
•Good to know there are options for getting through to them. I might need that if I have issues down the road.
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Justin Evans
•I'm definitely going to try that. I've been trying to reach them about my job search requirements for weeks with no luck.
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Emily Parker
The waiting game is the worst part of unemployment. You're dealing with financial stress and then the system makes you wait even longer. Glad you finally got approved! Hope the payment comes through quickly.
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Lucas Adams
•Thank you! Fingers crossed it shows up by Thursday like others have suggested.
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Emily Parker
•I'll be rooting for you! Update us when you get paid so others know the timeline.
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Ezra Collins
Just wanted to share my experience - when I got approved, I received a lump sum for all the back weeks I had certified during adjudication, plus my current week. It was actually a pretty substantial amount since I'd been waiting for over a month. Just be prepared for a bigger deposit than your normal weekly amount.
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Lucas Adams
•That's great to hear! I've been certifying for 6 weeks so hopefully I'll get all of that back pay.
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Ezra Collins
•You should! Just make sure all those weeks show as paid in your account. Sometimes there are glitches but they can fix them if you notice.
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Victoria Scott
Awesome news! I remember that feeling of relief when my approval finally came through. Now the real work begins with keeping up with all the requirements - job searches, weekly certifications, etc. But at least you'll have some income coming in.
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Lucas Adams
•Yeah I'm definitely going to stay on top of everything now. Don't want to risk losing benefits after waiting so long.
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Victoria Scott
•Smart approach. The worst thing would be to get approved and then lose benefits due to a paperwork issue.
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Benjamin Johnson
For anyone else reading this - definitely keep filing your weekly claims even during adjudication. I made the mistake of stopping when mine took forever, and it complicated things when I finally got approved. Learn from my error!
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Lucas Adams
•Good advice! I kept filing the whole time even though it felt pointless. Glad I did.
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Zara Perez
•Yeah they tell you to keep filing but when you're in limbo for months it's hard to remember. Setting a weekly reminder helps.
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