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I tried using Claimyr when I couldn't reach Washington ESD after filing my claim online. Honestly wasn't sure if it would work but it got me connected to an agent in like 20 minutes. Way better than the 3+ hours I spent trying to call on my own the day before.
Just to wrap this up - yes you can definitely file online and it's the easiest way to do it. Have your documents ready, take your time with the questions, and save that confirmation number. Good luck OP!
One thing to keep in mind - if you're getting severance pay or vacation payout from your previous employer, that might affect when your unemployment benefits start. Washington ESD considers some types of separation pay as wages which could delay your claim.
Just filed my claim last week and qualified for the maximum $999 weekly benefit. The whole process was actually pretty straightforward online, though I'm still waiting for my first payment. Make sure you have all your employment history ready when you file - dates, wages, reason for separation, etc.
That's encouraging! How long did the initial filing take you? And did you run into any issues with the online system?
For what it's worth, $52k annually should put you close to the higher end of benefit amounts in Washington. You'll probably qualify for $600-700 per week depending on how your earnings were distributed across quarters.
Make sure to set up your online account at https://secure.esd.wa.gov right away. You'll need it for filing weekly claims and checking your benefit status. The site can be glitchy sometimes but it's the main way to manage your claim.
fingers crossed for everyone waiting on claims! the whole process is stressful enough without having to wonder what's taking so long
Miguel Ortiz
Been collecting unemployment for 12 weeks now and honestly the weekly certification process becomes routine pretty quickly. The hardest part was getting my initial claim approved and figuring out my benefit amount. Once that's sorted, it's pretty straightforward.
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Aisha Mahmood
•That's reassuring. I'm mostly worried about getting through the initial setup correctly.
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Miguel Ortiz
•Take your time with the application and have all your employment info ready. Better to get it right the first time than deal with corrections later.
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Zainab Omar
Pro tip: if you have questions about your benefit calculation that you can't figure out from the website, definitely try that Claimyr service. I was skeptical at first but they actually got me connected to someone at Washington ESD who could explain exactly how they calculated my weekly benefit rate. Saved me weeks of confusion.
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Aisha Mahmood
•Seems like several people have had good luck with that. I'll keep it in mind if I run into problems.
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Zainab Omar
•Yeah, especially since calling Washington ESD directly is basically impossible these days with how busy they are.
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