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One thing to remember is that your 26 weeks don't have to be consecutive. If you find a job and then get laid off again within your benefit year, you can use any remaining weeks from your original claim (assuming you don't qualify for a new one).
Just wanted to thank everyone for all the helpful info! This thread answered pretty much all my questions about benefit duration. Going to file my claim this weekend and start the job search process. Hopefully I won't need all 26 weeks but at least now I know what to expect.
Just want to point out that the 26 weeks is the maximum you can receive during your benefit year. Some people might qualify for fewer weeks depending on their work history and earnings. The Washington ESD website has a calculator to estimate your potential benefit duration.
For anyone wondering about after the 26 weeks - you can't just immediately file a new claim. You need to work and earn enough wages to establish a new base period. The requirements are pretty specific about how much you need to earn.
For future reference, you can also check the ESD website under 'Claim Status Definitions' but their explanations are pretty vague. The level system isn't well documented anywhere public that I've found.
Kaylee Cook
Washington ESD's security is way too aggressive. I understand protecting accounts but locking people out for 24+ hours is excessive when we have weekly deadlines to meet.
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Ella Russell
•Totally agree! The system should be designed to help claimants, not make everything harder.
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Mohammed Khan
•Right? Other websites give you way more attempts before locking you out.
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Benjamin Johnson
Thanks everyone for all the helpful responses! I'm going to wait out the 24 hours and try the phone filing option if needed. Really appreciate this community - makes dealing with Washington ESD way less stressful when you know others have been through the same thing.
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Aaliyah Reed
•Good luck! And remember Claimyr is always an option if you need to reach an agent quickly in the future.
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Daniel Rogers
•Keep us updated on how it goes! Always good to know what works.
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