


Ask the community...
Bottom line - if you worked long enough and earned enough wages, got laid off through no fault of your own, and can meet the ongoing requirements, you'll probably qualify. The application process itself is pretty straightforward, it's dealing with issues after that can be challenging.
Remember that unemployment benefits are taxable at the federal level but since Washington has no state income tax, you don't have to worry about state taxes on them. One less thing to deal with.
The waiting really sucks but hang in there. Once your claim gets approved you'll get backpay for all the weeks you were waiting, so it's not like you lose that money forever.
Final update for anyone following this thread: Standard Washington ESD claim processing is currently running 2-4 weeks for initial applications. Continue filing weekly claims, maintain your job search log, and be patient. If you need immediate assistance reaching an agent, services like Claimyr can help bypass the phone queue issues. Your benefits will be backdated to your eligible claim date once approved.
This thread was super helpful! I'm new to unemployment and had no idea about any of this timing stuff. Thanks for asking the question OP!
One last tip - if you're ever having ongoing issues with payment timing or missing deposits, document everything and don't hesitate to get help reaching Washington ESD. Whether that's through Claimyr or finding other ways to get through, it's worth resolving quickly since you need that money for bills.
Paolo Ricci
Quick question - does anyone know if commission income counts toward the benefit calculation? I had a mix of salary and commission last year.
0 coins
Mei Lin
•Yes, commission income counts as long as it was reported as wages on your W-2.
0 coins
Paolo Ricci
•Perfect, that should help my calculation then.
0 coins
Amina Toure
Thanks everyone for all the helpful info in this thread. I think I have a much better understanding now of how the benefit calculation works. Definitely going to try calling Washington ESD directly to get my specific numbers.
0 coins
Amara Nnamani
•Good luck with the call! If you have trouble getting through, remember that Claimyr option is there too.
0 coins