When does first unemployment check arrive after Washington ESD approval?

You'll get your first payment about 2-3 business days after you file your first weekly claim. So if you file Sunday, expect the money Tuesday or Wednesday if you have direct deposit set up.

Thank you! I do have direct deposit so that's a relief. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something obvious.

Yeah direct deposit is way faster than waiting for a debit card to arrive in the mail

The key thing is you have to file your weekly claim first before any payment gets processed. Washington ESD doesn't automatically send money just because your claim is approved - you have to certify each week that you're still unemployed and looking for work.

That makes sense. So I need to log into my account every Sunday and file the weekly claim?

Exactly. And make sure you answer all the questions accurately about any work you did that week or you could delay your payment.

I've been trying to get through to Washington ESD for weeks about my claim status and can never reach anyone. The phone just rings forever or gives me a busy signal. Has anyone found a way to actually talk to a human there?

I had the same problem until I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com). They help you get through to Washington ESD agents. There's even a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Saved me hours of calling.

Really? That sounds almost too good to be true. How does it work exactly?

It basically handles the calling and waiting for you, then connects you when an agent is available. Way better than sitting on hold for hours.

be careful about the timing too because if you miss filing your weekly claim you might have to wait another whole week for payment

Oh wow I didn't know that. What happens if I forget to file one week?

You can usually file late claims but it might delay everything. Best to set a reminder for every Sunday.

The Washington ESD payment schedule is usually pretty consistent once you get into the routine. I've been getting mine every Wednesday like clockwork for the past 3 months. Just make sure all your bank info is correct in your profile.

Good to know it's reliable once it starts. I double-checked my banking info already.

Same here, very predictable timing. Much better than the old paper checks that took forever.

Wait so do we get paid for the week we just finished or the week coming up? I'm always confused about this timing thing

You get paid for the week that just ended. So when you file on Sunday, you're claiming benefits for the previous Sunday through Saturday.

Ah that makes more sense. So there's always a week delay basically.

I remember my first payment took a little longer than expected because I had to wait for the debit card to arrive. If you didn't set up direct deposit, factor in extra time for the card to come in the mail.

Thankfully I have direct deposit set up already. Learned that lesson from my last job's final paycheck taking forever.

Smart move. The debit card route adds like a week to the whole process.

Anyone else think it's ridiculous that we have to jump through all these hoops just to get money we're entitled to? The whole system seems designed to make it as difficult as possible.

I mean, they need to verify we're actually unemployed and looking for work. Can't just hand out money to everyone.

Sure but the phone system is a joke and the website crashes constantly. They could make it easier without compromising verification.

The weekly filing requirement makes sense though. Prevents fraud and ensures people are actively job searching.

Pro tip: file your weekly claim as early as possible on Sunday. Sometimes the website gets overwhelmed later in the day and you might have trouble accessing it.

Good advice! I'll set an alarm for Sunday morning then.

Yeah I learned this the hard way when I tried to file Sunday night and the site was down.

Does the amount you get include taxes or do you have to pay those separately? I want to make sure I budget correctly.

You can choose to have taxes withheld when you set up your claim, or you can pay them later when you file your tax return. I recommend having them withheld to avoid a big bill later.

How do I change that setting if I didn't choose withholding initially?

You should be able to update it in your account settings or call Washington ESD to change it.

The waiting is the worst part. I know it's only a few days but when you're unemployed every day feels like forever.

Exactly how I'm feeling right now. Just want to see that first deposit hit my account.

Hang in there. Once the payments start coming regularly it takes some of the stress away.

I had issues with my first payment because I made a mistake on my weekly claim form. Had to call Washington ESD to fix it and that was a nightmare. Couldn't get through for days.

That's exactly why I ended up using Claimyr. After spending literally hours trying to reach someone, having a service that gets you through immediately was worth it.

Wish I had known about that earlier. Would have saved me so much frustration.

What kind of mistakes are easy to make on the weekly claims? Want to avoid any issues.

Make sure you understand the job search requirements too. You need to be actively looking for work and keeping a log of your job search activities. They can audit this stuff.

I've been applying to jobs but haven't been keeping a formal log. Should I start doing that?

Definitely. Washington ESD requires 3 job search activities per week and you need to be able to prove it if they ask.

What counts as a job search activity? Just applying to jobs or other things too?

The whole process gets much easier after the first few weeks once you get into a routine. First payment is always the most stressful because you're not sure what to expect.

That's reassuring to hear. I'm definitely overthinking everything right now.

Totally normal to be anxious about it. We've all been there.

One thing that caught me off guard was that holidays can delay payments. If there's a federal holiday during the week, your payment might come a day later than usual.

Good to know! Are there any holidays coming up I should be aware of?

Nothing immediate but just keep it in mind for future reference. Memorial Day, Labor Day, those kinds of holidays.

Has anyone had problems with Washington ESD saying they overpaid you later? I keep hearing horror stories about people having to pay money back.

That usually happens when people make mistakes on their claims or don't report work income correctly. As long as you're honest and accurate, you should be fine.

Ok good to know. I'm being super careful with everything just in case.

Yeah just keep records of everything in case there are questions later.

The amount you see on your account is gross pay right? So after taxes and stuff it'll be less?

If you elected to have taxes withheld, yes. If not, that's the full amount you'll receive but you'll owe taxes on it later.

Thanks for clarifying. I think I chose to have taxes taken out so I'll expect it to be less.

Just wanted to say thanks for asking this question. I'm in the exact same situation and all these answers are super helpful!

No problem! Glad I'm not the only one who was confused about the timing.

This is why I love forums like this. So much better than trying to decode the official Washington ESD website.

Update us when you get your first payment! Always like to hear success stories to keep my hopes up while I'm still waiting for my claim to get approved.

Will do! Hopefully everything goes smoothly and I'll have good news to share Wednesday.

Fingers crossed for both of you! The waiting game is rough.

One more thing - make sure your address is correct in the system. Even with direct deposit, they might mail you important documents and you don't want to miss anything official from Washington ESD.

Good point. I'll double check that along with my banking info.

Yeah they send tax documents and other important stuff by mail even if your payments are direct deposit.