I went through this exact nightmare in January. The claim was stuck in what they call "identity verification purgatory" and wouldn't show in my account. Here's what worked for me: 1. I contacted my state representative's office (find yours at leg.wa.gov) 2. Filled out their constituent services form explaining the situation 3. They contacted ESD on my behalf 4. My claim suddenly appeared in the system 2 days later State reps have special channels to ESD that regular claimants don't have access to. It's ridiculous that we have to go to these lengths, but it works.

Wait I'm confused about something... are you talking about your ESD unemployment claim or your tax refund from Washington state? Your post title mentions ESD but your description sounds like you might be waiting on a tax refund. Those are completely different systems.

ESD is a JOKE! I had almost the exact situation last year. They told me to keep filing during the penalty weeks too but then when the time came to actually pay me, suddenly there was a "new issue" they discovered. Took another MONTH to resolve. Don't trust that it'll automatically start paying!

just wondering but did u get any severance from the job that fired u? my friend got denied cuz of severance even tho she was fired

Just to add some clarity here - VA benefits and workers comp are reported differently on your taxes too. VA disability is usually tax-free while workers comp can affect your unemployment calculation. Thats why ESD asks about them seperately and why its important to answer accurately on which benefits your getting.

Update: I was able to get through to ESD this morning! The agent told me that VA benefits are definitely NOT considered workers compensation, and she helped me correct my weekly claim. She said this is actually a pretty common mistake, especially for veterans who are filing unemployment for the first time. My payment should process normally now with the correction. Thanks everyone for your help and advice!

I've been on UI since November and I've noticed the payment timing is really inconsistent lately. Sometimes it's next day, sometimes it's 4-5 days. If your banking info is correct and you don't have any alerts or messages about issues with your claim, it's probably just in the processing queue. Also, remember that even though it shows as 'paid' on 1/27, that was a Friday, so the bank processing likely didn't start until Monday (1/30). Then add 1-3 business days for ACH processing. I'd expect it to arrive by tomorrow or Thursday at the latest.

UPDATE: The money finally hit my account this morning! So it took exactly 5 business days from when the status changed to 'paid'. Thanks everyone for your help and reassurance. For anyone else experiencing this - it seems like ESD payments are definitely taking longer than they used to.

I HATE how they do this to people!!!! 10 WEEKS is CRIMINAL when rent is due NOW. The whole system is designed to wear us down so we give up. I had a determination that took 2 months and it was just because my former employer contested it with totally FALSE information. Even after I was approved, they held my payments for "verification" for another 3 weeks!!!! Don't get your hopes up with these people. They're totally incompetent and don't care if we end up homeless while they take their sweet time.

I can clarify a few things about what you're seeing in your account: 1. A determination dated today means a decision has been finalized on your claim 2. The "waiting week" status for your first week is significant - this is only established for claims that are approved (denied claims don't set up a waiting week) 3. The "processing" status on subsequent weeks suggests the system is preparing to issue payment It's very likely you've been approved based on these indicators. The determination letters typically appear in your online account within 24 hours of the decision date. ESD does indeed run most of their system updates overnight between approximately 11pm-3am. Once your claim is approved, the payment process typically takes 2-3 business days. Continue filing your weekly claims during this period.