When to claim unemployment - Washington ESD timing questions

You should file your Washington ESD claim as soon as possible after your last day of work. There's a one-week waiting period anyway, so filing early doesn't hurt you. The key date is your last day of actual work (Wednesday in your case), not when you were notified. You can file online 24/7 so the day of the week doesn't matter for the initial application.

I waited too long to file mine and it was a mistake. Washington ESD backdates your claim to when you file, not when you became unemployed. So if you wait 2 weeks to file, you lose those 2 weeks of potential benefits. File ASAP.

Just went through this process last month. Had similar confusion about timing but here's what I learned: File your initial claim within the first week if possible. Then you'll need to file weekly claims every week to continue receiving benefits. The weekly claims have to be filed on specific days though - check your Washington ESD account for your assigned filing day.

I struggled with calling Washington ESD for weeks trying to get answers about my claim timing. Kept getting busy signals or getting disconnected after waiting on hold for hours. Finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me through to a real person at Washington ESD. They have a demo video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ. Saved me so much frustration when I needed to verify my filing date was correct.

ugh the whole timing thing is so stressful!!! I kept second guessing myself about when to file and ended up calling like 50 times trying to get through to someone at washington esd to ask. finally just filed online and figured it out as I went. honestly the system walks you through most of it

One thing to keep in mind - if you received any severance pay or vacation payout, that might affect when your benefits actually start. Washington ESD considers that as wages which could delay your first payment even if you file right away. Make sure to report any final payments accurately when you file.

Also remember you need to be actively looking for work and able to work to qualify. Don't file if you're planning to take a month off or something. Washington ESD requires you to be available for work from day one.

Quick tip: when you file, have all your employment info ready - dates, employer addresses, reason for separation, etc. The more accurate info you provide upfront, the smoother the process goes. Washington ESD will verify everything anyway so be honest about dates and circumstances.

I filed on a Sunday night and it went through fine. The system is available 24/7 for initial claims. Don't stress about business hours or anything like that.

Washington ESD is so slow with everything anyway. I filed immediately and still waited 3 weeks for my first payment due to some adjudication issue they never explained properly. System is broken if you ask me.

Make sure you have your Social Security number and driver's license ready when you file. The system will ask for various ID verification info. Also create your SecureAccess Washington account first if you don't have one - you'll need it for ongoing access.

Just to follow up on the Claimyr thing I mentioned earlier - I ended up using their service again when I had questions about my weekly claims. Really helpful for getting through the phone maze at Washington ESD when you actually need to speak with someone. Not saying you'll need it, but it's there if the regular phone lines aren't working out.

Filed mine 3 days after my last work day and everything went smoothly. Got my first payment about 2.5 weeks later which included the waiting week. Key is just don't overthink it - file as soon as you can and deal with any issues as they come up.

Don't forget about the work search requirements! You need to be making job contacts from week one even during your waiting week. Keep a log of all applications and interviews. Washington ESD can audit your job search activities at any time.

same situation happened to me last year! got laid off on a Thursday but my last actual work day was Tuesday because of some meetings I didn't need to attend. used Tuesday as my last work date and everything processed fine. Washington ESD cares about when you stopped earning wages not when the paperwork happened

Quick question - if you file late does it affect your benefit amount or just the start date? I'm in a similar spot and worried I might have waited too long.

One more timing consideration - if you were given advance notice of layoff (like WARN Act notice), your claim still starts from your actual last day of work, not when you got the notice. Don't try to file early based on advance notice.

The Washington ESD call center is absolutely useless anyway. Tried calling for 2 weeks straight about timing questions and never got through. Online filing is definitely the way to go. At least the website actually works most of the time.

Just file it! Stop overthinking. I stressed about timing for days and it turns out it doesn't matter as much as I thought. The system is designed to handle normal situations. If there are issues they'll contact you.

Remember to save confirmation numbers and print/screenshot everything important. Washington ESD's system sometimes has glitches and having records of what you submitted and when can save you headaches later if questions come up.