When does Washington ESD unemployment pay - still waiting on benefits

I think I did the waiting week but honestly I'm not 100% sure. How can I tell if identity verification is holding things up?

Log into your SecureAccess Washington account and check for any pending actions or alerts. If there's ID verification needed, it should show up there.

Right?? I keep checking my bank account like 5 times a day hoping something shows up.

Try calling them but good luck getting through. I've been trying for days with no success.

That sounds too good to be true... how much does it cost?

I was skeptical too but honestly it worked when nothing else did. The main thing is you can actually talk to a real person who can see what's going on with your claim.

I used them last month - totally legit. Way better than calling 800 times and getting hung up on.

This is super helpful! I filed my weekly claim this past Sunday so I should see something by Thursday if everything is clear?

Correct, but only if you've completed your waiting week and have no eligibility issues. Check your payment history in your Washington ESD account to see if any payments show as 'pending' or 'on hold'.

What if my bank info is wrong? How do I fix that without calling?

omg 6 weeks?? that's insane. have you tried contacting your state representative?

I've tried everything - calling, emailing, online chat when it works. Nothing. I'm about to lose my apartment.

Seriously try Claimyr - at this point you need to talk to an actual person who can look at your account. 6 weeks is way too long.

Banks process ACH transfers overnight, so that's normal. Most unemployment payments hit between midnight and 6am.

ok good to know, I thought something was wrong lol

So if I filed my first claim 3 weeks ago, and I've been filing weekly claims, I should have received at least 2 payments by now?

Yes, assuming no eligibility issues. Check your 'Payment Activity' section to see if payments are being processed but held for some reason.

Bank changes can take 1-2 weeks to process. Did you get a confirmation email when you submitted the change?

Yeah I got the email but it just said 'we received your request' with no timeline.

I had to call to get mine changed faster. Took forever to get through but they updated it immediately once I talked to someone.

That gives me hope! Did you do anything special or just wait it out?

just waited unfortunately. I think there was some kind of processing delay on their end.

Oh that makes sense... so filing Sunday doesn't mean payment by Wednesday necessarily?

Right - they process all the Sunday claims first, then approve eligible ones, then release payments. Whole process can take 4-5 days.

Omg really?? I'm definitely trying this if I don't get paid by Friday.

So glad it worked for you! Those hidden holds are the worst because you have no way of knowing they exist.

this is exactly what happened to me too. sometimes the online system just doesn't show everything

Yes, direct deposit is typically faster. Debit card payments go through a different processor and can take an extra 1-2 business days.

makes sense, might switch to direct deposit then

Good to know there's light at the end of the tunnel! How long did it take to get your first payment?

About 10 days from filing my initial claim to first payment, but that included the waiting week.

Good point! Always wait for confirmation before making changes to accounts linked to government benefits.

learned that the hard way... had to wait another week to get it sorted out

It's more likely your banks process at different times rather than regional differences in Washington ESD processing.

ah that makes more sense, we do have different banks

awesome! glad it worked out

Great news! The first payment is always the most stressful to wait for.

So happy for you! The relief when that first payment hits is incredible.

Agreed, their communication about processing times could be much clearer. Causes a lot of unnecessary anxiety.

exactly, a simple timeline graphic would help so much

smart idea, I'm going to start doing this

saved me once when the system glitched and they said I hadn't filed for 2 weeks

lol that must have been a nice surprise when you finally checked

best kind of surprise! thought I was broke but had like $1200 sitting there

Good luck with your claim! File everything promptly and keep good records - makes the whole process smoother.

will do, thanks for all the detailed explanations throughout this thread