Employment Security rolls out new website for unemployment claimants

Job seekers receiving unemployment benefits in Washington can now access certain information about their claims on their computers or mobile devices.

October 30, 2015 2:23 pm

The following is a release from the Washington State Employment Security Department:

Job seekers receiving unemployment benefits in Washington can now access certain information about their claims on their computers or mobile devices. The Washington Employment Security Department debuted a new website that the agency believes will provide answers to many common questions and save claimants the trouble of calling the agency’s claims center for that information.

“Unemployment insurance claimants can see how much they’ll be paid, whether we’ve processed their payment and more information by visiting our new website,” said Employment Security Commissioner Dale Peinecke. “New features will be added next year as we work to improve our technology to better serve those who need our help.”

The site is available at https://secure.esd.wa.gov or from a link on the agency’s main website at www.esd.wa.gov. Claimants will sign in with a SecureAccess Washington (SAW) account. SAW allows users to log onto multiple Washington state government websites using a single login and password. During the registration process, claimants will need to provide an email address and answer questions to verify their identity.

Once logged on, they will be able to see a variety of information including:

  • Details about their benefits including the weekly benefit amount, maximum benefits they will receive, how many dollars and weeks they’ve been paid so far and how many remain.
  • Payment history including the date they were paid, any deductions such as IRS or child support withholdings and the payment method (check, benefits card or direct deposit including the bank name).
  • Their quarterly wages and hours as reported by Washington employers. If a claimant has no reportable wages, they will receive a document with a disclaimer that no wages have been reported. This sort of information is frequently requested by Washington residents applying for public assistance programs.
  • The address of their local WorkSource center, if they live in Washington.