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Nia Thompson

When will I get my Washington ESD unemployment check - timing questions

Filed my initial claim with Washington ESD two weeks ago and still haven't received any payment. My claim shows as approved but I'm not sure when the actual check or direct deposit is supposed to come through. I've been doing my weekly claims on time every Sunday. Should I be worried that something's wrong or is this normal timing? Really need to know when I can expect my first unemployment payment.

Usually takes about 2-3 weeks after your claim is approved for the first payment to hit your account. Make sure you're filing your weekly claims consistently - that's what triggers the payments.

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Thanks, I've been filing every Sunday like they said. Guess I just need to be patient a bit longer.

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same here, mine took forever to get the first check. after that they come pretty regular though

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How long was forever? I'm getting stressed about rent coming up.

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like 3 weeks maybe? hard to remember exactly but it felt like forever when you're waiting

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The timing depends on when you filed and if there are any issues with your claim. If your claim shows approved and you're filing weekly claims, payments typically process within 2-3 business days after filing each weekly claim. First payment can take longer because they need to verify everything.

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My claim definitely shows approved, no issues that I can see. Filed my weekly claim yesterday so hopefully something shows up by Friday.

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Check your payment history in your Washington ESD account - it should show if payment was issued even if you haven't received it yet.

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I was having trouble getting through to Washington ESD to check on my payment status when I was in a similar situation. Found out about this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually gets you connected to a real person at Washington ESD without waiting on hold forever. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Might be worth checking if you need to talk to someone about your payment timing.

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Interesting, never heard of that. How does it work exactly?

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It basically calls Washington ESD for you and gets you connected to an agent without you having to sit on hold. Pretty straightforward.

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Sounds too good to be true but if it actually works that would be amazing. The Washington ESD phone lines are impossible.

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ugh the waiting is the worst part! at least you know your claim is approved though. mine was stuck in adjudication for like a month

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A month?! That's terrible. What was the holdup?

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they said they needed to verify my employment history or something. never got a clear answer honestly

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Make sure you set up direct deposit if you haven't already. Paper checks take much longer to arrive in the mail. You can update your banking info in your Washington ESD account.

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Already have direct deposit set up, so that shouldn't be the issue.

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Direct deposit is definitely the way to go. My first check came like 5 days faster than my friend who was waiting for paper checks.

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WASHINGTON ESD IS SO SLOW WITH EVERYTHING! I swear they do it on purpose to make people give up and stop filing claims

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I don't think it's intentional, they're just overwhelmed. But yeah the delays are frustrating.

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Maybe not intentional but they sure don't seem in any hurry to get people their money

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If you want to double-check your payment status, log into your Washington ESD account and look at the 'Payment Information' section. It will show if payments have been issued and when they were processed. Sometimes there's a delay between when Washington ESD processes the payment and when your bank actually deposits it.

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Good idea, I'll check that section. Haven't looked at the payment information part specifically.

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Yeah that payment information section is super helpful. Shows exactly what's been paid and what's pending.

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My cousin had the same question and she used that Claimyr thing someone mentioned earlier. Said she got through to Washington ESD in like 10 minutes instead of calling all day. Might be worth it if you're really worried about the timing.

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Starting to think I should try that. Been trying to call Washington ESD myself but never get through.

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Yeah the regular phone number is basically useless. My cousin said it was worth it just to get a real answer about her payments.

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just be patient, it always takes longer than you think it should. washington esd moves at their own pace

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I'm trying to be patient but bills don't wait unfortunately.

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I feel you on that. The waiting is stressful when you need the money.

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Are you sure you completed all the requirements? Sometimes there are additional steps you need to take before they release the first payment.

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What kind of additional steps? I thought I did everything they asked for.

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Things like job search registration or identity verification. Check if there are any alerts or messages in your account that you might have missed.

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Just checked and don't see any alerts or required actions. Everything looks complete.

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Ava Kim

Two weeks isn't that bad honestly. My first payment took almost a month because they had to verify my previous employer. Once it starts flowing though it's pretty regular.

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A month sounds awful. Did you ever find out why it took so long?

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Ava Kim

Something about my previous employer not responding to their verification request quickly. Wasn't anything I could control.

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If your claim shows approved and you're filing weekly, you should get paid. Sometimes banks take an extra day or two to process the deposit too, so don't panic if it doesn't show up exactly when expected.

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That's reassuring. My bank usually processes things pretty quickly but I'll keep that in mind.

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Yeah some banks are faster than others with unemployment deposits. Credit unions tend to be quicker in my experience.

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Honestly if I were you I'd use that Claimyr service to get through to Washington ESD and just ask them directly. At least then you'd know for sure what's going on with your payment instead of guessing.

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You're probably right. Better to get a definitive answer than keep wondering.

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Exactly. Sometimes you just need to talk to a real person to get clarity on these things.

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make sure your address is correct in the system too. friend of mine had payments delayed because his address was wrong

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Good point, I'll double check that. Though I have direct deposit so address shouldn't matter for the actual payment.

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true but sometimes they mail important notices to that address so it's still good to make sure it's right

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The first payment always takes the longest. After that it should be more predictable timing-wise. Just keep filing your weekly claims on schedule.

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Will do. Thanks for the reassurance, really needed to hear that.

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Yeah the first one is nerve-wracking but once it starts it becomes routine.

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