Where to collect unemployment in Washington - confused about the whole process

Washington ESD stands for Employment Security Department - that's the state agency that handles unemployment benefits. You don't go to a physical office anymore, everything is done online through their website at esd.wa.gov. You'll need to create an account and file your initial claim there.

The whole process is online now but fair warning - their website can be really slow and crashes a lot, especially on Sundays when everyone tries to file their weekly claims. Try to do it during off-peak hours if possible.

Just went through this myself after getting let go in December. You file your initial claim online at esd.wa.gov, then you have to file weekly claims every week to keep getting benefits. The tricky part is if you have any issues with your claim, good luck trying to reach someone at Washington ESD by phone - I've been trying for weeks.

If you're having trouble reaching Washington ESD by phone, I recently discovered this service called Claimyr that actually got me through to an agent. You can check them out at claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me hours of trying to call myself.

been collecting unemployment for 2 months now, the process is pretty straightforward once you get started. Just make sure you keep track of your job search activities because Washington ESD requires you to look for work and they can ask for proof

HEADS UP - make sure you file your claim immediately! There's a waiting week in Washington so you won't get paid for your first week anyway, but if you wait too long to file you could lose benefits entirely. Don't delay!

The Washington ESD system is honestly a nightmare. I've been trying to get through to fix an issue with my claim for over a month. The phone lines are always busy and when you do get through they hang up on you or the call drops. So frustrating when you need the money to pay bills.

For OP - the basic steps are: 1) Go to esd.wa.gov 2) Create an account 3) File your initial unemployment claim 4) Wait for approval 5) File weekly claims every week. Make sure you have all your employment info ready before you start.

Also worth mentioning - you'll need to register with WorkSource (Washington's job search website) as part of the unemployment process. They'll tell you about this when you file but good to know ahead of time.

been there done that with Washington ESD... honestly the hardest part isn't filing the claim, it's dealing with any problems that come up afterward. Their customer service is basically non-existent

Quick tip - when you file your weekly claims, do it on Sunday evening or Monday morning. The system is usually more stable then and you're less likely to have issues.

I hate to be that person but honestly the Washington ESD website is so confusing and outdated. Took me forever to figure out where everything was even after I created my account. Just be patient with yourself OP.

Make sure you understand the difference between your regular unemployment benefits and things like standby status. If you're expecting to be called back to work soon, there might be different requirements.

Washington ESD also has some weird rules about when you can start collecting. Like if you quit your job you probably won't qualify, but if you were laid off or fired for reasons other than misconduct you should be fine.

One more thing - keep all your paperwork! Pay stubs, termination letter, anything related to your employment. Washington ESD might ask for documentation later and you'll want to have it ready.

Last bit of advice - if your claim gets stuck in adjudication or you run into problems, don't just wait around hoping it gets fixed. Be proactive about trying to reach Washington ESD, even though it's difficult. That Claimyr service mentioned earlier actually worked for me too when I couldn't get through on my own.

btw the weekly claim filing opens up sunday morning and you have until saturday night to file for that week. don't miss the deadline or you'll lose that week's benefits

The whole process would be so much easier if Washington ESD just had decent phone support. But since they don't, services like Claimyr have become pretty essential for anyone who runs into problems. Check out their demo video if you want to see how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ

Hope your claim goes smoothly OP! Most people don't have major issues if it's a straightforward layoff situation. Just be prepared to be patient with the Washington ESD system - it's slow but it works eventually.