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Good luck with your application! The Washington ESD system has improved a lot over the years. Most people get through the process without major issues as long as they follow the instructions and stay on top of their weekly claims.
One last tip - if you do need to call Washington ESD and are having trouble getting through, try calling right when they open or during lunch hours. Those tend to be less busy times. But honestly, that Claimyr service others mentioned sounds like a much better option than trying to get through yourself.
Thanks for the timing tip! I'll keep that in mind if I need to call. And yes, several people have mentioned Claimyr - definitely seems like a useful resource to know about.
My advice is to apply for disability as soon as possible if your doctor thinks you should. The process takes so long that the sooner you start, the better. You can figure out the unemployment stuff as you go.
Make sure you get copies of all your medical records before you apply. Social Security will want everything and it's easier if you have it organized ahead of time.
The hardest part about unemployment isn't the filing process, it's actually getting through to someone at Washington ESD when you have questions. I probably spent 40+ hours on hold before finding claimyr. Now I can actually get answers when I need them.
How much does that claimyr thing cost? Seems like we shouldn't have to pay extra just to talk to a government agency.
UPDATE: Just wanted to thank everyone for the advice. Filed my regular UI claim yesterday and it was much easier than I expected. Now just waiting for the determination letter to see if I'm approved.
If you end up needing to call Washington ESD for any reason and can't get through the normal way, I had success with Claimyr too. It's worth checking out their site at claimyr.com if you run into phone issues. Sometimes you really need to talk to an actual person and their regular phone system is just impossible.
Multiple people have mentioned Claimyr now so it must work pretty well. I'll keep that in mind if I need to call them. Thanks everyone for all the helpful info!
Good luck with your claim! The 26 weeks should give you enough time to find something decent if you stay active in your job search. Don't get discouraged if the first few weeks are slow - sometimes it takes time for the right opportunity to come up.
William Schwarz
One last tip - save copies of everything you submit and keep track of all your confirmation numbers. If anything goes wrong with your claim, you'll need that documentation to sort it out.
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Jessica Nguyen
•Great point! I'll make sure to screenshot everything as I go through the process.
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Lauren Johnson
•Screenshots are good, but also print out or save PDFs of important documents. You never know when you might need them for an appeal or audit.
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Jade Santiago
If you run into issues with your claim getting stuck in adjudication or need to speak with someone at Washington ESD, definitely look into Claimyr. I was in limbo for weeks trying to get through on the phone until someone recommended their service. Worth every penny to actually get answers about my claim status.
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Caleb Stone
•Same experience here! Washington ESD phone system is basically impossible to navigate on your own.
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Jessica Nguyen
•I'll definitely keep Claimyr in mind if I run into problems. Hopefully my application goes smoothly though!
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