Won my Washington ESD unemployment appeal - when do I get paid?

Thanks! That's encouraging. I was worried it might take another month or two.

yeah but sometimes it takes longer if there are complications with your claim history

Thank you! I've been filing weekly claims the whole time even during the appeal process. Should I expect one lump sum payment or will they split it up?

Typically it comes as one lump sum for all the back pay, then your regular weekly payments resume their normal schedule.

That's encouraging! How much back pay did you end up getting if you don't mind me asking?

I had about 8 weeks of back pay, came to around $4,200 total. Really saved me from losing my apartment.

I'll keep checking my SAW account. Do the back payments come as one lump sum or broken down by week?

Usually it's one payment that covers all the weeks you were owed, but it might show up as separate transactions on your bank statement.

Good point about calling. I've been dreading trying to get through to them though. Any tips for actually reaching someone?

Honestly, I ended up using a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) after spending hours on hold. They have this system that calls for you and connects you when an agent picks up. Worth checking out their video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ - saved me so much frustration.

Never heard of that but I'll definitely look into it. Thanks for the tip!

Two weeks seems long. Have you checked if there are any other issues on your claim that might be holding things up? Sometimes winning the appeal doesn't clear all the roadblocks.

my account just shows pending still, no other issues that I can see. maybe I should try calling

Thanks! That's not too bad. I was worried it would take another month or something.

yeah mine took about 10 days after my appeal was approved, got all the back pay in one lump sum

Thanks! That's a relief to hear. I was worried something was wrong since my account hasn't changed yet.

Mine took exactly 10 business days after I won my appeal. The back pay came all at once in a lump sum.

I didn't work at all during the disqualification period, so hopefully that makes it simpler. Do they pay interest on the delayed benefits?

No interest on delayed UI benefits in Washington. You'll get the full amount you were entitled to during the disqualification period, but no additional compensation for the delay.

Never heard of Claimyr before. Is it legit? I'm getting tired of calling and getting hung up on.

Yeah it's real. Basically they handle the calling for you and get you connected to Washington ESD agents. Saved me hours of redialing busy signals.

sounds too good to be true, how much does it cost?

Interesting, I've never heard of that before. Is it legitimate?

Yeah it's real - I used it last month when I couldn't get through the regular phone lines. Saved me hours of calling.

How much does something like that cost? I'm already broke from waiting for my benefits.

I represented myself. Gathered all my documentation and just told the truth about what happened. The hearing officer was actually pretty fair.

That gives me hope. I'm terrified about the hearing but maybe it won't be as bad as I think.

That makes sense. My case was pretty straightforward - just had to prove I quit for good cause due to unsafe working conditions.

Good cause quits are usually processed faster once approved. You should see your payment soon.

Thank you! Yeah, the whole process has been incredibly stressful. I'm just relieved it's finally over.

The system is so messed up that people have to go through appeals just to get what they're entitled to in the first place

Thanks! That's a relief. I was worried it would take another month or something.

Same thing happened to me last year - got my back pay exactly 8 days after the appeal decision.

That's a relief to hear! I was worried it might take another month or something. Do I need to file weekly claims for the weeks I was waiting during the appeal?

Yes, you'll want to file claims for all the weeks you were eligible but didn't receive benefits due to the disqualification. The system should allow you to backfile once your claim is reactivated.

Thank you! That's a relief to hear. Do I need to keep filing my weekly claims during this waiting period?

Yes, definitely keep filing your weekly claims! Don't let any weeks lapse or you could miss out on benefits for those periods.

Good point about the direct deposit! I'll double check that in my account. Was there any issue with taxes on such a large lump sum?

No tax issues, they still withhold the normal amount. Just felt like winning the lottery when it finally came through!

I've been trying to call but keep getting disconnected after waiting on hold for over an hour. So frustrating!

I used Claimyr.com to get through to Washington ESD when I had issues after my appeal. They have a service that calls for you and gets you connected to an actual agent. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me hours of calling.

Never heard of that but I'm desperate at this point. Will check it out, thanks!

Yes I kept filing every week even though I wasn't getting paid. My case worker told me to keep doing it.

Good advice. A lot of people stop filing during appeals and then wonder why they don't get back pay for certain weeks.

It was misconduct related. My employer claimed I was fired for cause but I had documentation proving otherwise. The hearing officer agreed with me.

That gives me hope. I have documentation too showing my quit was for good cause.

Definitely appeal if you have documentation. The worst that can happen is they uphold the original decision.

Yes I have direct deposit already set up from when I was getting benefits before. Same bank account.

Perfect, then you should see the deposit within a week most likely.

Good point! I've been filing every week even during the appeal process. My claim status should update to 'paid' soon hopefully.

This is really important advice. I made that mistake once and had to restart my whole claim.

Good tip! I've been checking it obsessively already but I'll keep watching for those payment dates to show up.

That's a great sign! Once it shows payable, payments usually process within 1-2 business days.

Awesome! You should see the money very soon then.

Good point, I've been filing every week even during the appeal process.

Wait really? I thought you couldn't file while disqualified?

You can still file, they just won't pay you until the disqualification is resolved. But you need to keep filing to maintain eligibility.

That's exactly what I needed to hear! Was the lump sum deposited the same way as regular weekly benefits or did they send a separate payment?

Same method as usual - went straight to my checking account via direct deposit. No special process or anything, just showed up as one larger deposit.

Good luck trying to get through to anyone at Washington ESD though. I spent weeks trying to call about my payment delays.

That's true, their phone system is impossible. I actually found this service called Claimyr that helped me get through to an actual person at Washington ESD. They have a website at claimyr.com and there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

Good idea, I'll start checking daily. Right now everything still shows as disqualified.

You can also set up alerts on the Washington ESD website to notify you when your claim status changes.

Thanks for the tip! Hopefully I won't need it but good to know there's an option if Washington ESD drags their feet.

Never heard of that service before but might be worth trying if the regular phone lines don't work.

Mine took about 6 weeks from when I filed the appeal to getting the hearing decision. The actual hearing was only like 20 minutes though.

6 weeks... ugh that's what I was afraid of. At least there's light at the end of the tunnel.

Appeals are taking longer than usual right now, probably 6-8 weeks is typical. Make sure you have all your documentation ready.

They said I quit voluntarily but I was actually laid off due to lack of work. Had to get a letter from my former supervisor to prove it.

Oh wow, that's exactly my situation too! My employer reported it wrong to Washington ESD. Did you need a lawyer?

No lawyer needed, just had good documentation. The hearing officer was pretty fair about it.

That's rough. My hearing was scheduled pretty quickly, maybe 3 weeks after I appealed.

Hearing schedules vary a lot depending on how backed up they are. Keep checking for cancellations - sometimes you can get an earlier date.

I'll try that, thanks for the tip!

Tell me about it. The whole system is a joke. They're quick to deny you but slow to pay when they're wrong.

It's frustrating but there are legitimate processing steps they have to follow after an appeal reversal. The manual review is actually important to make sure the payments are calculated correctly.

Oh no, that's discouraging. Have you tried calling them to check on the status?

tried calling dozens of times but can never get through. the phone system is a joke

This is exactly why I mentioned Claimyr earlier - they specialize in helping people get through to Washington ESD when the regular phone lines are jammed.