Can't reach Washington Unemployment? Claimyr connects you to a live ESD agent in minutes.
Claimyr is a pay-as-you-go service. We do not charge a recurring subscription.
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 :)
Join the conversation
Join the conversation
Just want to add that the benefit amount also depends on whether you're on regular UI or if you qualify for any extended benefits. Most people start with regular unemployment which lasts up to 26 weeks in Washington state.
26 weeks should hopefully be enough time to find something new. Thanks for all the info everyone - this thread has been super helpful!
One more thing to keep in mind - your benefit amount is taxable income so you might want to have taxes withheld or set aside money for tax season. Washington ESD gives you the option to have federal taxes taken out automatically.
Oh wow I didn't even think about taxes. That's a good point to remember.
Yes, unemployment benefits are fully taxable at the federal level. You can elect to have 10% withheld when you file your initial claim or change it later through your online account.
Join the conversation
The bottom line is that unemployment benefits are designed to partially replace lost wages while you search for new work. It's not going to fully replace your old income, but it should help cover basic expenses if you budget carefully.
That makes sense. I'm just hoping it'll be enough to keep me afloat until I find something new.
Based on your $18/hour job, you should be looking at around $360/week if you worked consistently. That's definitely something to work with while job hunting.
Actually used Claimyr myself when I had questions about my benefit calculation. The agent was able to look at my specific account and explain exactly how they arrived at my weekly amount. Much clearer than trying to decipher the website or automated phone system.
Seems like a lot of people have had good luck with that service. I might give it a try if I run into issues.
Honestly wish I'd known about it sooner. Would have saved me a lot of confusion and wasted time on hold.
Join the conversation
For what it's worth, I've found that calling Washington ESD first thing in the morning (like 8:01 AM) gives you the best chance of getting through. Still takes forever but better odds than calling later in the day.
I tried that strategy for weeks with no luck. That's why I eventually gave up and used Claimyr to get through. Sometimes you just need to try a different approach when the normal methods aren't working.
The bottom line is you won't know for sure until you apply. The wage calculation is automatic and you'll get a determination pretty quickly if there are no other issues with your claim. Since you're still employed, it should be straightforward.
Thanks everyone for all the advice. I'm going to apply this weekend and see what happens. Fingers crossed!
Good luck! Remember to keep detailed records of your reduced hours and any job search activities from the start.
Join the conversation
honestly this whole system is so complicated. why cant they just have one simple program instead of all these different types of benefits that may or may not exist
I know, right? It's like you need a degree in unemployment law just to figure out what you're entitled to.
The complexity comes from having different funding sources - state funds, federal programs, employer programs. Each has different rules and requirements.
Final answer: unless your former employer specifically told you about a supplemental unemployment benefit program during your employment, you probably don't have access to one. Focus on your regular Washington ESD benefits and don't worry about missing out on something that likely doesn't exist for your situation.
Thanks everyone! This thread really helped clear up my confusion. I'll stick with my regular UI claim and stop worrying about supplemental benefits I probably don't qualify for.
Glad you got it sorted out! Sometimes these unemployment terms can be really confusing when you're dealing with it for the first time.
TommyKapitz
The whole system is so confusing honestly. I filed my claim 3 months ago and I'm still not 100% sure I understand how they calculated my amount. But as long as you get the monetary determination and it looks reasonable, you're probably fine.
0 coins
Raul Neal
•Yeah I'm hoping it's straightforward since I had regular W-2 employment.
0 coins
Angel Campbell
•W-2 employment is definitely easier than if you had 1099 income or were self-employed. Those situations get really complicated.
0 coins
Payton Black
One last thing - make sure you understand the difference between your weekly benefit amount and your maximum benefit amount. The weekly amount is what you get each week, but the maximum is the total you can receive over the entire claim period.
0 coins
Payton Black
•Exactly. But you can only collect as long as you remain eligible and continue filing weekly claims.
0 coins
Harold Oh
•And remember you have to certify that you're able and available for work each week when you file your weekly claim.
0 coins