When will I get paid unemployment from Washington ESD?
I submitted my weekly claim on Sunday and it's now Thursday. My claim status still shows 'processed' but I haven't received any payment yet. This is my third week filing and the first two payments came pretty quickly. Is there usually a delay or should I be worried? I really need this money to hit my account soon.
44 comments


Amina Diallo
Payments usually process within 2-3 business days after you file your weekly claim. If it's showing as processed, the money should hit your account soon. Are you using direct deposit or the debit card?
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Connor O'Brien
•I'm using direct deposit. It's been 4 business days now though which is why I'm getting concerned.
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Amina Diallo
•That is a bit longer than usual. Sometimes there can be banking delays on the receiving end too.
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GamerGirl99
I had this happen last month and it turned out my claim got flagged for some reason even though it said processed. Took me calling Washington ESD like 50 times before I could get through to someone.
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Connor O'Brien
•Oh no, how did you finally get through? I've been trying to call but can't get past the busy signal.
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GamerGirl99
•Honestly I used this service called Claimyr that basically calls for you and gets you connected to an actual agent. Worth checking out - claimyr.com. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.
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Hiroshi Nakamura
•Never heard of that but if it actually works that sounds amazing. The phone system is impossible.
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Isabella Costa
Check your payment history in your Washington ESD account online. Sometimes payments get delayed if there's an issue with your weekly claim answers or if they need additional verification. You should see a payment status for each week.
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Connor O'Brien
•I checked and it just says 'paid' for this week but with no dollar amount or date. That's weird right?
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Isabella Costa
•Yes that's definitely unusual. If it shows paid but no amount, there might be an adjudication issue or they're reviewing something about your claim.
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Malik Jenkins
•This exact thing happened to me and it turned out they were reviewing my job search activities. Took 2 weeks to resolve.
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Freya Andersen
THE WASHINGTON ESD SYSTEM IS SO BROKEN!! I've been waiting 3 WEEKS for a payment that shows 'paid' but never actually got deposited. This is ridiculous when people need money for rent and groceries!
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Eduardo Silva
•I feel your frustration but yelling doesn't help. Have you tried contacting your bank to see if there's an issue on their end?
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Freya Andersen
•Of course I called my bank! They said no pending deposits from Washington ESD. This is all on their end.
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Leila Haddad
usually takes 2-3 days for me, sometimes the payment comes on friday if you file sunday
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Connor O'Brien
•It's already Friday afternoon though and still nothing. I'm really starting to worry.
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Amina Diallo
If your claim shows 'paid' but you haven't received the money after 5 business days, you definitely need to contact Washington ESD. There could be a technical issue with the payment system or your banking information might need to be updated.
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Connor O'Brien
•How do I actually get through to them though? The phone system is impossible.
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Emma Johnson
•I had luck with that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier. Used it last week and got connected to an agent in about 20 minutes instead of calling all day.
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Connor O'Brien
•Really? That actually worked for you? I'm desperate enough to try anything at this point.
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Ravi Patel
Sometimes Washington ESD holds payments if they're doing a random audit of your claim. I work in HR and see this happen to employees who file for unemployment. Usually resolves within a week once they complete their review.
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Connor O'Brien
•Do they notify you if they're doing an audit? I haven't received any messages or letters.
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Ravi Patel
•Not always immediately. Sometimes the notification comes after the review is already started. Check your secure messages in your Washington ESD account.
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Astrid Bergström
•This happened to my sister and she never got a notification until after they finished the review and released her payment.
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PixelPrincess
Check if your direct deposit info is still correct in your account. Sometimes bank mergers or account changes can mess up the routing.
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Connor O'Brien
•Good point, I'll double check that. My bank did send me a new debit card recently.
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Omar Farouk
This reminds me of when my unemployment got delayed because I accidentally put the wrong number of hours worked on my weekly claim. Even though I corrected it the next week, they had to review the previous week's claim which delayed everything by like 10 days. It was super stressful because I needed that money for my car payment and they don't tell you what's happening, you just don't get paid and have no idea why. Eventually I got all the money but it was a nightmare not knowing. Hope you get yours sorted out soon!
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Connor O'Brien
•That's exactly how I feel right now - so stressful not knowing what's wrong or when it'll be fixed.
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Chloe Martin
•The lack of communication from Washington ESD is the worst part. They leave you hanging with no explanation.
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Diego Fernández
You might want to also check if your claim is still active. Sometimes claims get automatically suspended if there's any kind of flag and you don't always get notified right away.
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Connor O'Brien
•How can I tell if it's suspended? My account still lets me file weekly claims.
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Diego Fernández
•If you can still file claims then it's probably not suspended. But the payment issue suggests something is being reviewed.
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Anastasia Kuznetsov
Same thing happened to me and it turned out to be identity verification. They wanted additional documents but never sent me a notification. Only found out when I finally got through to an agent.
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Connor O'Brien
•How did you get through? I've been trying for days.
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Anastasia Kuznetsov
•I used Claimyr too actually. Worth the cost to not waste entire days calling and getting busy signals.
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Sean Fitzgerald
If it makes you feel any better, this happens more often than you'd think. The payment system has glitches and sometimes claims get stuck in review for random reasons.
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Connor O'Brien
•It does help to know I'm not alone, but I still need this money! Bills don't wait.
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Zara Khan
The Friday payment thing is real though - if you file Sunday, payment often doesn't come until Friday even when everything is working normally. But 5+ business days means something is definitely wrong.
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Connor O'Brien
•Yeah it's been way longer than that now. I think I need to bite the bullet and try to get through to them somehow.
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MoonlightSonata
Document everything - screenshot your claim status, payment history, and any messages in your account. If this gets escalated you'll want to have all that information ready.
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Connor O'Brien
•Good idea, I'll start taking screenshots now. Thanks for all the advice everyone!
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Mateo Gonzalez
•Yes definitely keep records. And don't give up on trying to contact them - you deserve to get your money.
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Nia Williams
Hope you get this resolved soon! Keep us updated on what you find out.
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Connor O'Brien
•Will do! Fingers crossed I can get through to someone next week.
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