When to submit unemployment claim after being laid off - Washington ESD timing questions
I got laid off from my warehouse job yesterday and I'm not sure when I should file my unemployment claim with Washington ESD. My supervisor said something about waiting but I'm already stressed about bills. Should I file right away or is there a specific day of the week that's better? Also do I need to wait until I've been unemployed for a full week? I've never done this before and don't want to mess up the timing and delay my benefits.
52 comments
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Nora Brooks
File as soon as possible! There's no waiting period in Washington state. You can file your initial claim the same day you lose your job or the day after. Don't wait - your benefit year starts when you file, not when you were laid off.
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Jayden Reed
•Thanks! I was worried I had to wait a week or something. Going to file today then.
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Eli Wang
•yes definitely file asap, i waited like 3 days and regretted it
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Cassandra Moon
The best time to file is immediately after your last day of work. Washington ESD processes claims based on when you submit them, not when you became unemployed. Also, make sure you file your weekly claims every Sunday for the previous week - that's when the system updates.
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Zane Hernandez
•Wait I thought you file weekly claims on the day you were laid off each week? Like if I was laid off on a Tuesday I file every Tuesday?
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Cassandra Moon
•No, everyone files weekly claims on Sundays regardless of when they were laid off. The weekly claim covers the previous Sunday through Saturday period.
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Zane Hernandez
•oh wow i've been doing it wrong then, no wonder my payments are messed up
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Genevieve Cavalier
I was in the same situation last month and couldn't get through to Washington ESD on the phone for weeks to ask about timing. Finally used this service called Claimyr that automatically calls and gets you connected to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ and the website is claimyr.com. Saved me so much frustration trying to get basic questions answered.
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Ethan Scott
•How much does that cost? I'm already tight on money
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Genevieve Cavalier
•It's worth it when you consider how much time you save not sitting on hold for hours. Plus getting your claim filed correctly from the start prevents bigger problems later.
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Lola Perez
•sounds like a scam to me, why would you pay someone to make a phone call
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Genevieve Cavalier
•I was skeptical too but it actually worked. Got through to an agent in 20 minutes vs. the 3+ hours I was spending trying to call myself.
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Nathaniel Stewart
DONT WAIT!! I made this mistake and waited 2 weeks thinking I needed to be unemployed for a certain amount of time first. Lost out on those benefits completely because you can't backdate claims in Washington. File the day after your last day of work AT THE LATEST.
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Jayden Reed
•Oh no that's exactly what I was worried about! Filing today for sure.
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Riya Sharma
•same thing happened to my brother, he thought he had to wait until he exhausted his savings first or something
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Eli Wang
washington esd website says to file immediately but honestly their whole system is so confusing. took me forever to figure out the difference between filing the initial claim and doing the weekly claims
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Nora Brooks
•The initial claim is like your application - you do that once. Weekly claims you do every Sunday to certify you're still unemployed and looking for work.
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Eli Wang
•ok that makes more sense, wish they explained it better on the website
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Santiago Diaz
File on a weekday if possible, not weekends. The system gets overloaded on Sundays when everyone is doing their weekly claims. I filed mine on a Tuesday morning and it went through without any glitches.
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Millie Long
•Good tip! I tried filing on a Sunday and the website kept timing out.
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KaiEsmeralda
•yeah the system is definitely slower on weekends
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Debra Bai
Make sure you have all your employment info ready before you start - SSN, previous employer details, reason for separation, etc. The session times out if you take too long and you have to start over.
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Jayden Reed
•What if I don't remember exact dates? My last day was yesterday but I don't remember my exact start date from 2 years ago.
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Debra Bai
•Check your old paystubs or W2 if you have them. If not, give your best estimate - you can always correct it later if needed.
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Gabriel Freeman
Been through this process 3 times unfortunately (construction work is seasonal). File immediately but also start your job search log right away. Washington ESD requires 3 job search activities per week and they can audit you at any time.
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Laura Lopez
•What counts as a job search activity? Just applying for jobs?
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Gabriel Freeman
•Applying, networking events, informational interviews, job fairs, updating your resume with a counselor. Check the WorkSourceWA website for the full list.
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Victoria Brown
•do you have to register with WorkSource before filing unemployment?
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Gabriel Freeman
•You have to register within 3 weeks of filing your initial claim, but I'd recommend doing it right away.
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Samuel Robinson
I've been trying to call Washington ESD for a week to ask about filing timing and keep getting hung up on. Their phone system is impossible. Might have to try that Claimyr thing someone mentioned.
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Camila Castillo
•The phone lines are always jammed. I call right when they open at 8am and still can't get through half the time.
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Genevieve Cavalier
•That's why I ended up using Claimyr - it handles all the calling and waiting for you. Much less stressful than spending your whole day on hold.
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Brianna Muhammad
Whatever you do, don't listen to your old supervisor about waiting. Employers sometimes give bad advice about unemployment timing, probably because they don't want their rates to go up. File immediately and let Washington ESD determine if you're eligible.
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Jayden Reed
•Yeah he seemed weird about it when I asked. Definitely filing today.
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JaylinCharles
•employers are required to give you information about filing for unemployment when they lay you off, but a lot of them don't or give wrong info
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Eloise Kendrick
File today! I waited 3 days because I was in denial about being laid off and those 3 days cost me about $800 in benefits I couldn't get back.
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Lucas Schmidt
•Ugh that's so frustrating! The system really punishes you for not knowing the rules.
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Freya Collins
•yep learned this the hard way too, washington state doesn't mess around with backdating
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LongPeri
Pro tip: take screenshots of everything when you file your claim. The website glitches sometimes and you'll want proof of what you submitted and when.
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Oscar O'Neil
•This is great advice! I had an issue where the system didn't save my application and screenshots saved me weeks of trouble.
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Sara Hellquiem
•also print out or save the confirmation number they give you
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Charlee Coleman
The timing thing stressed me out so much when I got laid off. Ended up using that Claimyr service to get connected to Washington ESD and ask directly. The agent confirmed you should file immediately - there's literally no benefit to waiting.
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Liv Park
•How long did it take to get through with Claimyr?
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Charlee Coleman
•About 15 minutes. Way better than the 4 hours I spent trying to call myself the day before.
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Leeann Blackstein
One more thing - make sure you file during business hours if possible. I filed late at night and it didn't process until the next business day, which technically delayed my claim start date.
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Ryder Greene
•Really? I thought the website was 24/7.
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Leeann Blackstein
•The website is available 24/7 but the processing happens during business hours. So filing at 2am means it doesn't get processed until 8am or later.
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Carmella Fromis
Just want to echo everyone else - file immediately! Washington ESD is pretty strict about not backdating claims. I work in HR and see people make this mistake all the time.
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Jayden Reed
•Thanks everyone! Filed my claim this morning and got a confirmation number. Really appreciate all the advice.
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Theodore Nelson
•Good luck with everything! The first few weeks are always stressful but it gets easier once you get into the routine.
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Zainab Ibrahim
Great to hear you got it filed! Just a heads up - remember to do your weekly claims every Sunday starting this week. Even if you haven't found work yet, you still need to certify that you're unemployed and actively looking. Missing a weekly claim can mess up your benefits flow. Good luck with the job search!
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Jenna Sloan
•Thanks for the reminder about weekly claims! I was wondering about that part. So I need to file this Sunday even though I just filed my initial claim today? And do I need to have actually applied to 3 jobs already by then or can I start the job search activities next week?
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