


Ask the community...
Update us after your hearing if you can! It helps other people in similar situations to hear how it went.
I read somewhere that Washington ESD actually prefers when unemployment is low because it means fewer claims to process and less strain on the system. Not sure if that's accurate though.
Bottom line: if you qualified for benefits when you filed, low unemployment doesn't change that. The system is designed to provide support during job transitions regardless of the broader job market.
One more tip - if you're getting close to exhausting your benefits and still haven't found work, start looking into retraining programs. Washington has some good workforce development programs that can extend your benefits while you learn new skills.
Just want to add that if you're having any issues with your claim or questions about your benefit amount, seriously consider using Claimyr. I was skeptical at first but it really works. The phone system at Washington ESD is just overwhelmed and this actually gets you through to a real person who can help.
I keep hearing about Claimyr in this thread. Seems like it might be worth trying if I run into problems.
Bottom line: Tuesday-Thursday, avoid 8am and lunch time, be prepared to wait, and have a backup plan. This should be pinned at the top of the forum lol
Just want to add that if you're calling about weekly claim issues specifically, Thursday mornings seem to have shorter wait times than other adjudication-related calls.
Tyler Lefleur
Has anyone had issues with overpayments? I'm worried about making a mistake on my weekly claims and having to pay money back later.
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Tyler Lefleur
•Thanks, I'll make sure to be extra careful with my reporting. The overpayment stories I've heard are scary.
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Madeline Blaze
•The key is keeping good records and being truthful. Washington ESD has access to wage databases so they'll catch unreported income eventually anyway.
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Max Knight
Another thing - your benefit year lasts 52 weeks from when you first filed, but you can only collect up to 26 weeks of benefits during that year. So if you find work and stop collecting, you can't come back later in the same benefit year and collect more unless you have special circumstances.
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Max Knight
•Well, you have to stop filing if you're working full-time. But you can restart benefits if you become unemployed again within the same benefit year, as long as you haven't used up all 26 weeks.
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Emma Swift
•The benefit year vs benefit weeks thing confuses a lot of people. It's worth understanding though since it affects your options.
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