When does unemployment benefits start after filing Washington ESD claim?

Benefits typically start from the Sunday of the week you file your claim, not from your last day of work. So if you filed this week, your benefit year would start from last Sunday. You'll need to file your first weekly claim for that week to actually receive payment.

wait i thought there was a waiting week? doesn't that mean you don't get paid for the first week anyway

I filed mine last month and it took forever to get through to anyone at Washington ESD to check on my claim status. The phone lines are constantly busy and the online system doesn't always show current information. If you're having trouble reaching them, I discovered this service called Claimyr that actually got me through to an agent in under 10 minutes. They have a website at claimyr.com and there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

The key thing to understand is that your benefit year starts the Sunday of the week you file, but you won't receive payment until you complete your first weekly claim certification. Make sure you're logging into your SecureAccess Washington account every week to file your weekly claim. The first payment usually comes 2-3 business days after your weekly claim is processed, assuming there are no issues with your claim.

ugh the washington esd system is so confusing!! why cant they just make it simple and tell you exactly when you'll get paid instead of all this waiting week benefit week nonsense

Just to clarify some terminology that might help: Your 'effective date' is when your benefit year begins (the Sunday of the week you filed). Your 'filing date' is the actual day you submitted your application. Payments are issued for weekly claim periods that run Sunday through Saturday. You file your weekly claim on Sunday or Monday for the previous week.

What if your claim goes into adjudication though? I've been waiting 3 weeks for mine to get approved and haven't received anything yet.

For anyone dealing with adjudication delays or just needing to check claim status, that Claimyr service I mentioned earlier was a lifesaver. I was in adjudication limbo for a month and couldn't get through to Washington ESD no matter how many times I called. Used their service and got connected to an agent who explained exactly what was holding up my claim and what I needed to do to resolve it.

so confusing. i filed 2 weeks ago and my account just shows pending. no idea if thats normal or if something is wrong

I'm dealing with something similar. Filed my claim but haven't been able to confirm if everything went through properly. The confirmation page didn't load correctly and now I'm paranoid I need to refile. Anyone know if there's a way to check your filing status?

Update: I was able to file my first weekly claim today and it shows as submitted in my account. Now I'm just waiting to see when the payment actually hits my account. Fingers crossed it's the 2-3 business days like you mentioned!

For what it's worth, my first payment took about 4 business days to show up in my bank account, even with direct deposit. Don't panic if it doesn't appear right at the 2-day mark.

Quick question - do you have to file weekly claims every single week even if you're looking for work? I thought once you filed the initial claim you just had to wait.

Update on my adjudication situation - I finally got through to Washington ESD using that Claimyr service someone mentioned. Turns out they needed additional verification of my previous employment. The agent walked me through exactly what to submit and said it should resolve within 5-7 business days.

Just wanted to add that if you quit your job or were fired, the rules about when benefits start might be different. There could be additional waiting periods or disqualifications depending on the circumstances.

still think the whole system is way too complicated. other states just tell you when you'll get paid instead of all this weekly filing nonsense

Pro tip: set a recurring reminder on your phone to file your weekly claim every Sunday morning. I missed one week early on and it delayed my payment by several days while I had to explain why I didn't file on time.

One more thing to keep in mind - your benefit amount is based on your earnings from previous quarters, not your most recent job. So if you had a low-paying job recently but made more money earlier in the year, your benefits might be higher than expected.

Final update from me - I was able to reach Washington ESD through that Claimyr service and confirmed my claim was filed correctly. The agent also explained that I should expect my first payment this Thursday since I filed my weekly claim on Monday. Thanks everyone for the help!

Thanks everyone for all the helpful information! I feel much more confident about the process now. I'll keep filing my weekly claims and hopefully see that first payment soon. This forum has been incredibly helpful for understanding how Washington ESD actually works.