When will I get my unemployment payment - Washington ESD processing times?

I did register with WorkSource but haven't heard anything back from them either. Should I be worried?

No that's pretty normal, WorkSource registration is just a requirement for UI benefits, you don't need to hear back from them right away.

How do I check for pending issues? I logged in but don't see anything obvious.

Look for a section called 'Pending Issues' or 'Adjudication' in your account dashboard. If you see anything there, that's probably what's delaying your payment.

I've tried calling like 50 times and either get a busy signal or get disconnected after waiting on hold for hours. It's so frustrating!

Have you tried using Claimyr? I found them a few weeks ago when I was having the same issue getting through to Washington ESD. They basically get you connected to an actual agent without all the hold time and busy signals. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

Never heard of that before, is it legit? Sounds too good to be true.

This is correct, I've been on UI for 3 months now and my payments come every Tuesday like clockwork. But that first one took almost a month.

A whole month?? I can't wait that long, I have bills due now.

I double checked everything when I filed, I'm pretty sure I did it right. But maybe I should go back and look again.

You can't change a weekly claim after it's submitted, so if there was an error you'd need to contact Washington ESD to correct it.

Three weeks seems to be the magic number everyone keeps mentioning. Guess I just have to be patient.

Patience doesn't pay the bills though! I get why you're stressed about this.

Did they charge you anything for it? I'm already broke waiting for my unemployment to come through.

They have different options but honestly it was worth it just to finally talk to someone who could tell me what was going on with my claim. Way better than wasting entire days trying to get through on the phone.

I'm skeptical of any service that charges to help with government benefits, seems like it should be free to get help with your own claim.

I was laid off due to company downsizing, so that shouldn't be an issue. Maybe I'm just being impatient.

Layoffs are usually pretty straightforward, so you're probably just in the normal processing queue. Hang in there.

Good point, let me double check that. I did change banks recently so maybe I put in the wrong routing number or something.

Yeah definitely check that, it's an easy thing to mess up and Washington ESD won't necessarily tell you if a payment bounced back.

Thanks for the encouragement, I really needed to hear that. It's just scary when you don't know when your next paycheck is coming.

We've all been there, the uncertainty is definitely the hardest part of being on unemployment.

I tried that already and still couldn't get through. The phone system is just overwhelmed I think.

That's exactly why I ended up using Claimyr - the regular phone system was just impossible. Saved me so much time and frustration.

That makes sense, I guess they have to be thorough to prevent fraud and stuff.

Exactly, they have to contact your employer to verify the reason for separation and your wage history. That's usually what takes the most time.

Okay I'll try to be patient for another week or two. If nothing happens by then I'll definitely try to call or use that Claimyr thing people mentioned.

Good plan, give it a little more time but don't let it drag on forever without getting answers.

Yeah I've been keeping up with the weekly filings, even though it feels pointless when no money is coming through.

It's not pointless! Those weekly claims are what trigger your payments once your initial claim gets approved. Keep filing them.

That's exactly what I'm doing! It's driving me crazy but I can't help myself.

lol we've all been there, the unemployment anxiety is real

Oh that's actually really helpful to know! I was wondering if I'd lose those weeks of benefits.

Nope, as long as you've been filing your weekly claims you'll get paid for all of them retroactively.

I didn't know they had a mobile app! I'll download it and see if there's any additional info there.

Yeah it's pretty basic but sometimes it shows different details about your claim status.

I totally agree, the timing couldn't be worse when you're already financially stressed from losing your job.

Unfortunately that's just how government bureaucracy works, everything takes forever.

That would be such a relief! I'm hoping I have the same experience next week.

Fingers crossed for you! The waiting is definitely the hardest part but it usually works out.

Good advice, I'll put together a little cheat sheet with all my info in case I need to call. Thanks everyone for all the help and reassurance!

You're welcome! And seriously, if the phone system keeps giving you trouble, check out that Claimyr service. It made such a difference for me when I was in your situation.