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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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Just to add onto what others have said - the tax withholding is typically 10% for federal taxes. There's no state income tax in Washington, so that's all they take for taxes. The healthcare premium will vary based on your previous plan. Do double-check that the base amount before deductions matches your monetary determination letter. If that number is wrong, then there's a different issue that would require contacting ESD. But if it's just the deductions causing the difference, then everything is probably working as intended.
I double-checked and you're right - the base amount does match my determination letter! It's just the deductions I wasn't expecting. I feel much better knowing this is normal and not some error. Thanks for your help everyone!
Glad you got it figured out! This is such a common confusion - I wish ESD would make the deductions more clear upfront. For future reference, you can also adjust your tax withholding by filling out form ESD 1042 if you want to change the amount they take out (or stop it entirely). Just keep in mind you'll owe taxes on the full amount when you file your return if you reduce/eliminate the withholding.
This is really helpful info about the ESD 1042 form! I had no idea you could adjust the withholding amount. Since I'm planning to be on unemployment for a while, it might make sense to reduce the withholding and just set aside money for taxes myself. Do you know if there's a minimum amount they have to withhold, or can you completely opt out of tax withholding?
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If you filed your initial claim correctly and don't have any complicating factors, 2-3 weeks is typical. Keep filing your weekly claims and try not to stress too much. The system works, it's just slow.
That's what I needed to hear. Going to try to be patient and just keep doing what I'm supposed to do. Thanks everyone for the helpful responses!
Good luck! Hope you get your approval soon. The first payment is always the longest wait - after that it's much more predictable.
I'm in a similar situation - applied about 6 days ago and seeing the same "claim processing" status. Reading through all these responses is really helpful! It sounds like the 2-3 week timeframe is pretty standard. I've been doing my weekly claims like everyone recommends, but I'm definitely feeling the financial pressure too. Has anyone had experience with Washington ESD processing claims faster during certain times of the year, or is it pretty consistent regardless of when you apply?
From what I've seen, processing times seem pretty consistent year-round, though they can get a bit slower during high-volume periods like holiday layoffs or economic downturns. The 2-3 week standard seems to hold regardless of when you apply. Glad you're staying on top of the weekly claims - that's really important! It's tough dealing with the financial stress while waiting, but it sounds like you're doing everything right. Keep an eye on your account for any "Eligibility Issues" that might pop up, and don't hesitate to reach out if your status changes or you hit that 3-week mark without hearing anything.
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To wrap up the data discussion, Washington ESD's labor market economists generally point to cyclical factors (normal business cycles), structural changes (industry shifts), and external shocks (like supply chain issues) as the main categories of unemployment causes. Most individual cases involve multiple factors rather than a single cause.
This has been really educational. I feel like I understand the complexity of unemployment causes much better now. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and knowledge.
Agreed, it's not as simple as one main cause. The interplay between different factors makes it challenging for both workers and policymakers to address effectively.
Based on my experience filing a claim last year, I think what we're seeing is a perfect storm of multiple factors hitting at once. In my case, the company cited "restructuring" but it was really about cutting costs ahead of an expected downturn. What struck me when talking to other people at the Washington ESD office was how many different stories there were - tech layoffs, retail hour cuts, manufacturing slowdowns, seasonal work ending early. It seems like the traditional boundaries between different types of unemployment are getting blurred. Companies are being more strategic about timing layoffs and how they classify them, which makes it harder to pin down one main cause.
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This thread should be pinned somewhere. The phone number struggle is real and affects so many people trying to navigate Washington ESD.
Seriously, this info would have saved me hours of searching and frustration if I'd found it earlier.
I've been dealing with Washington ESD phone issues for months now and wanted to share what finally worked for me. After reading through this thread and seeing multiple people mention Claimyr, I decided to try it despite being skeptical. I watched that YouTube demo video and it actually explains exactly how their system works - they basically automate the calling process and connect you when an agent becomes available instead of you having to sit there hitting redial hundreds of times. Used it last week and got connected to a real ESD representative in under 30 minutes. They were able to explain my adjudication hold (needed additional wage verification from my previous employer) and told me exactly what documents to submit. My claim was released two days later. Cost me $20 but honestly worth every penny considering I was going on week 4 of failed calling attempts. Sometimes you just have to accept that the regular system is broken and find an alternative that actually works.
Keith Davidson
Just want to add that if you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD to ask questions about your specific situation, that Claimyr service really does work. I used it last month when I needed to speak with someone about my claim history before filing a new application.
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Max Knight
•Good to hear another positive experience with that service. Seems like a real time-saver.
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Keith Davidson
•Definitely worth it when you need to talk to someone quickly rather than spending hours on hold.
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Dylan Wright
This has been incredibly helpful! I'm in a similar situation in construction where layoffs are pretty common. It's reassuring to know that as long as I work enough between claims, I can potentially file for new benefit periods without hitting some lifetime cap. The base period earnings requirement makes sense - keeps people from gaming the system while still providing a safety net for those who genuinely cycle through employment. Really appreciate everyone sharing their real experiences here!
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Chloe Martin
•Absolutely agree! I'm new to this community but facing a similar situation. Construction work can be so unpredictable with seasonal layoffs and project completions. It's really helpful to hear from people who've actually gone through multiple claim periods successfully. The fact that there's no lifetime limit in Washington is such a relief compared to some other states I've heard about. Thanks to everyone for breaking down the base period requirements and benefit year structure - makes it much clearer than trying to navigate the ESD website alone!
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