Can't reach Washington Unemployment? Claimyr connects you to a live ESD agent in minutes.
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Using Claimyr will:
- Connect you to a human agent at the ESD
- Skip the long phone menu
- Call the correct department
- Redial until on hold
- Forward a call to your phone with reduced hold time
- Give you free callbacks if the ESD drops your call
If I could give 10 stars I would
If I could give 10 stars I would If I could give 10 stars I would Such an amazing service so needed during the times when EDD almost never picks up Claimyr gets me on the phone with EDD every time without fail faster. A much needed service without Claimyr I would have never received the payment I needed to support me during my postpartum recovery. Thank you so much Claimyr!
Really made a difference
Really made a difference, save me time and energy from going to a local office for making the call.
Worth not wasting your time calling for hours.
Was a bit nervous or untrusting at first, but my calls went thru. First time the wait was a bit long but their customer chat line on their page was helpful and put me at ease that I would receive my call. Today my call dropped because of EDD and Claimyr heard my concern on the same chat and another call was made within the hour.
An incredibly helpful service
An incredibly helpful service! Got me connected to a CA EDD agent without major hassle (outside of EDD's agents dropping calls – which Claimyr has free protection for). If you need to file a new claim and can't do it online, pay the $ to Claimyr to get the process started. Absolutely worth it!
Consistent,frustration free, quality Service.
Used this service a couple times now. Before I'd call 200 times in less than a weak frustrated as can be. But using claimyr with a couple hours of waiting i was on the line with an representative or on hold. Dropped a couple times but each reconnected not long after and was mission accomplished, thanks to Claimyr.
IT WORKS!! Not a scam!
I tried for weeks to get thru to EDD PFL program with no luck. I gave this a try thinking it may be a scam. OMG! It worked and They got thru within an hour and my claim is going to finally get paid!! I upgraded to the $60 call. Best $60 spent!
Ask the community...
- DO post questions about your issues.
- DO answer questions and support each other.
- DO post tips & tricks to help folks.
- DO NOT post call problems here - there is a support tab at the top for that :)
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One more thing - if you do get your online access disabled, make sure you keep records of your unemployment history somewhere else. You might need it for mortgage applications or other financial stuff later.
Good point! I should download my payment history and claim details before I disable anything.
Yes definitely do that. You can get copies later but it's easier while you still have online access.
Final thought - you could also contact the Washington State Privacy Office if you want more information about your rights regarding personal data held by state agencies. They might have more detailed info about data retention and deletion policies.
Thanks for mentioning the Privacy Office! I'll definitely reach out to them too. It would be good to know if there's any difference between what ESD is legally required to keep versus what they're just choosing to keep. Maybe they can also clarify if there are any situations where full deletion might be possible.
This is really valuable advice! I never thought to approach it from a privacy rights angle. Between contacting the Privacy Office and using Claimyr to get through to ESD directly, I should be able to get some definitive answers about what's actually possible versus what they just tell people by default.
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Bottom line: yes you pay federal taxes on unemployment, no you don't pay Washington state taxes on it, and yes you should have received a 1099-G showing the amount. File your taxes on time even if you can't pay immediately.
Perfect summary! Thanks everyone for all the helpful information. I feel much more prepared to tackle my taxes now.
I went through this exact same situation two years ago. One thing that really helped me was setting aside about 20% of each unemployment payment for taxes - I know it's hard when money is tight, but it saved me from a huge shock at tax time. Also, if you're doing your own taxes, make sure to double-check that the 1099-G amount matches what you actually received. I had a discrepancy where they included a week that was later denied, and it took forever to get corrected. The tax software like TurboTax or FreeTaxUSA handles unemployment income pretty well and will walk you through it step by step.
That's really solid advice about setting aside 20%! I wish I had thought of that when I was receiving benefits. It's so much easier to save a little from each payment than to scramble to find the money all at once during tax season. And thanks for mentioning the potential discrepancies on the 1099-G - I'll definitely cross-reference mine with my payment records before filing.
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I've been dealing with partial unemployment for about 8 months now and wanted to share a few things I've learned that might help others. First, always file your weekly claim on the same day each week - I do mine every Saturday morning and it's become a routine. Second, if you have direct deposit set up, payments usually hit your account within 2-3 business days of filing. Third, keep a simple spreadsheet with your weekly hours and earnings - it makes filing so much easier when you have everything organized. One thing that surprised me was how supportive my coworkers were when they found out I was getting partial benefits. Turns out several of them had used it during previous slow periods. The program really does what it's supposed to do - helps you stay afloat during temporary reductions without having to find a completely new job. Don't let pride keep you from using a benefit you've earned through your work history!
@Theodore Nelson This is such practical advice! The Saturday routine idea is brilliant - having a consistent day would definitely help me remember to file on time. I m'particularly interested in your spreadsheet suggestion since I m'terrible at keeping track of my varying hours each week. Do you include anything else in your spreadsheet besides hours and earnings? Also, it s'really encouraging to hear how supportive your coworkers were. I ve'been worried about the stigma, but it sounds like more people use this program than I realized. Thanks for emphasizing that we ve'earned these benefits - sometimes it s'easy to feel guilty about needing help even when it s'completely legitimate.
I've been on partial unemployment in Washington for about 3 months now after my restaurant cut everyone's hours due to slower business. The process has been pretty straightforward once you get the hang of it. A few things I wish I had known from the start: 1) You can actually start your claim on any day of the week when your hours get reduced - don't wait for a specific day. 2) The online system works best early in the morning or late at night when fewer people are using it. 3) Keep a simple notebook by your computer with your usual work schedule so you can quickly reference your hours when filing weekly claims. 4) If you pick up any odd jobs or gig work while on partial benefits, report every penny - even cash tips. The system is pretty forgiving if you're honest, but they're strict about unreported income. The financial relief has been huge during this slow period, and my manager was actually grateful that I found a way to supplement my income without having to quit and find another job. Don't hesitate to apply if you're in a similar situation - it's exactly what the program is designed for!
@Leslie Parker This is incredibly helpful, especially the tip about starting the claim any day when hours get reduced! I ve'been putting off applying because I thought I had to wait for a specific timing. The notebook idea for tracking hours is genius too - I m'always scrambling to remember my exact schedule when I need to report it for anything. Quick question about the gig work reporting - when you say report every penny, do you mean gross earnings before any expenses, or net after things like gas for delivery driving? I want to make sure I m'doing this correctly from day one. It s'also really reassuring to hear that your manager was supportive - that s'been one of my biggest worries about the whole process.
@Leslie Parker Thanks for all the practical tips! I m'in a similar situation with my retail job - hours cut from 35 to about 20 per week. The timing about being able to start any day is really helpful since my hours were just reduced this past Wednesday. I was wondering about the notebook idea - do you track anything else besides your regular schedule? Like do you note when you work overtime or if shifts get canceled last minute? Also really glad to hear your manager was understanding. I ve'been nervous about having that conversation but it sounds like most employers recognize this is just helping employees get through tough times.
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Try calling right at 8am but if that doesn't work, honestly just use a service like Claimyr. I wasted weeks trying to call myself when I could have just had them do it for me from the start.
I think I'm convinced. Going to try Claimyr today since nothing else is working.
Smart choice. Would have saved me so much frustration if I'd known about it sooner.
I've been dealing with the exact same issue! Washington ESD's phone lines open at 8:00 AM Monday through Friday, but getting through is nearly impossible. I've had some luck calling right at 7:59 AM and hitting redial constantly until I break through the busy signals around 8:02-8:05 AM. Once you're in the queue, expect to wait 1-3 hours on hold, but at least you're making progress. Also avoid Mondays if possible - the call volume is absolutely insane after the weekend. Tuesday through Thursday around 10:30 AM or during lunch hour (12-1 PM) seem to have slightly better odds. Make sure you have all your documents ready - claim number, SSN, employment dates, etc. - because the agents work quickly and might disconnect if you're not prepared.
Mei Wong
This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm in the exact same situation and was worried about the same thing. Now I know I don't need to worry about FICA taxes on my unemployment benefits.
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Omar Zaki
•Glad this helped you too! It's amazing how many people have the same questions about unemployment taxes.
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Liam Sullivan
•That's the beauty of forums - one person asks a question and it helps tons of other people with the same issue.
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Tony Brooks
This thread has been a lifesaver! I was just about to file my taxes and was completely confused about the FICA situation with my unemployment benefits. I've been unemployed for most of 2024 after my retail job got cut, and I received around $12,000 in benefits from Washington ESD. My tax software kept asking about FICA and I had no idea what to tell it. Reading through all these responses has made it crystal clear - unemployment benefits are subject to regular federal income tax but NOT FICA taxes. I really appreciate everyone taking the time to explain this so thoroughly, especially the tax preparer who confirmed it. Now I can finish my taxes with confidence!
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Fiona Sand
•So glad this thread helped you too, Tony! It's really reassuring to know that so many of us were dealing with the exact same confusion. The clarity everyone provided here definitely beats trying to figure it out from confusing government websites. Good luck with finishing your taxes - at least now you know you don't have that extra FICA burden to worry about!
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