Washington Unemployment
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Can I file a new ESD claim after my benefit year ends in July 2024?
My current unemployment claim from July 2023 is set to expire on July 27th, 2024. I'm wondering if I can apply for a new claim after that date? My work history is a bit unusual - I was only unemployed for about a month last summer before finding full-time work from September 2023 through March 2024. Unfortunately, I lost that job in March and have been collecting from my original claim since then. Will I qualify for a new benefit year based on the 6 months of work I did between claims? Do I need to wait until my current benefit year officially ends before applying? I'm getting nervous because my benefits are running low and I haven't found a new position yet.
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Should I report job scams to ESD when filing weekly claims?
I'm currently receiving unemployment benefits and I keep getting these suspicious text messages and emails about 'amazing job opportunities' I never applied for. Most are obviously scams offering $35/hr for entry level work from home jobs with vague descriptions. When filing my weekly claim, should I report these as job offers? I'm worried if I don't report them and somehow ESD finds out, they might think I'm turning down legitimate work. But reporting obvious scams also seems pointless and might complicate my claim. What's the right approach here?
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When I worked for ESD back in 2019, we specifically instructed claimants NOT to report obvious scam solicitations. The relevant question on weekly claims is asking about actual job offers, which means an employer has specifically selected you for a position after some form of application or interview process. Random unsolicited texts don't qualify. But I'm going to disagree slightly with some others here - if you receive what seems like a legitimate job offer through LinkedIn or a professional channel from an actual company, even if unsolicited, you should report that and be prepared to explain why you didn't pursue it if that's the case. Better safe than sorry with potentially legitimate offers.
Thank you for this insider perspective! That really clarifies things. I've been getting both obvious scams and some borderline ones through LinkedIn that at least appear to be from real companies. I think I'll ignore the obvious scams but maybe follow up on the LinkedIn ones just to verify if they're legitimate before deciding whether to report them.
The ESD guidelines are frustratingly vague on what constitutes a "job offer" that must be reported. This is BY DESIGN so they can disqualify people later by claiming you should have reported something you didn't think was relevant. I've seen them penalize people for not reporting LinkedIn messages that the claimant thought were just networking attempts. The whole system is designed to trip people up and deny benefits whenever possible. My advice? Document EVERYTHING. Screenshot those scam texts and emails so if they ever question you, you can prove they were obvious scams. The burden of proof is ALWAYS on the claimant, NEVER on ESD.
While it's always good to document communications related to your claim, I think this view is overly pessimistic. ESD guidelines do specify that a job offer means an actual offer of employment from a legitimate employer, not random solicitations. The weekly claim questions are asking if you've refused any work during that week, which implies work that was actually offered to you specifically. They're not trying to disqualify people based on spam texts.
How to bypass ESD's automated phone system and reach a human agent?
I'm at my wit's end with this automated phone system! I've called ESD like 15 times over the past 3 days and EVERY SINGLE TIME I get stuck in the same robotic menu loop. My claim has been pending for almost 6 weeks now and my bills are piling up. The automated system keeps telling me "we're experiencing high call volume" and then disconnects me. I've tried calling at different times (early morning, lunch, afternoon) but it's always the same result. I need to talk to an actual person who can look at my specific situation! The ESD website says I have an "identity verification issue" but doesn't explain what documents they need or how to fix it. Has anyone managed to get through to a real human being recently? Any secret numbers or menu options I should try? I'm getting desperate here :
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THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO KEEP US FROM GETTING OUR BENEFITS!!!! They WANT it to be impossible to reach them!!! I filed in January and my claim is STILL pending with no explanation. Tried calling 200+ times. This isn't incompetence - it's DELIBERATE!!!!!
While frustrating, the delays aren't deliberate. ESD is dealing with staffing shortages and increased claim complexity. They've implemented stronger verification due to the massive fraud during COVID. If you've been waiting since January, I'd recommend contacting your state representative's office immediately for assistance.
UPDATE: I finally got through! Combination of calling right at 8am and using the # key to bypass some menus. Was on hold for 67 minutes but eventually spoke with someone who was actually very helpful. Turns out they needed a clearer copy of my social security card (the one I uploaded was apparently too blurry). They're sending me a secure upload link and said my claim should move forward within 7-10 business days after I upload the clearer copy. Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions! Will update again when/if my claim gets approved.
Great news! Glad you finally got some answers. This is exactly why speaking to a human is so important - the online system never would have told you the document was too blurry.
ESD claim showing only 80 hours worked when full-time for 9 months - how to fix?
My son-in-law just got laid off Friday when his manufacturing company eliminated the entire night shift due to 'lack of work'. He immediately filed for unemployment online and got a weird message saying he only had 80 hours in the last quarter and has $0 available benefits. This is completely wrong - he's been working full-time at this job for 9 months (40+ hours every week). What's going on? Has ESD not received his correct wage information from the employer? Should he file an appeal or is there another way to correct this? He's got bills coming due next week and is really stressed about this mistake. Anyone dealt with incorrect wage reporting before?
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dont forget to tell him to KEEP FILING WEEKLY CLAIMS even while this is being fixed!! so many people stop filing during issues and then lose weeks of benefits
That's super helpful - I don't think he realized he should keep filing. I'll make sure he knows to do his weekly claims even while this is being sorted out!
Just to follow up on this thread - your son-in-law should expect to receive a "Request for Information" notice in his eServices account once he initiates the wage investigation. Make sure he responds to this promptly with all the documentation everyone has mentioned. After the investigation is complete, he'll receive a "Redetermination of Benefit" notice that should show his corrected benefit amount. Good luck!
Thank you all for the help! He's submitted the wage investigation request with all his paystubs attached and is going to keep filing weekly claims while waiting for it to be processed. I'll update once we hear anything back from ESD about the correction.
Identity verification holding up ESD payments for 7+ weeks - anyone know processing timeframes?
I'm at my wits end with this identity verification situation! My husband filed a new unemployment claim back in January and ESD immediately flagged it for ID verification. He uploaded his driver's license, SSN card, and a utility bill through their secure portal the same day they requested it. It's now been SEVEN weeks and his claim is still showing as "pending" with no payments issued. We've called probably 40+ times but can't get through to anyone who can help. Has anyone else dealt with this identity verification delay recently? How long did it take before your payments started coming through? We're burning through savings and getting really concerned about paying our mortgage next month. Does contacting our state representative help speed things up?
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My cousin had identity verification and his took like 3 weeks so I think there must be something else going on with your husbands claim maybe? Did he work in multiple states or something that would make it more complicated?
Interesting - was that recently? He's only worked in Washington, but he did change jobs about 6 months before filing. Maybe that's causing some verification issues?
Oh yeah that was last year so maybe things are worse now idk. My cousin only had one job so maybe that's why his was faster
Just an update to my earlier comment - I checked with a friend who works at WorkSource, and she said the current average for ID verification is 8-10 weeks. However, if you're experiencing severe financial hardship (potential eviction, utilities being shut off, inability to afford medication), you can request an expedited review. You'll need to call and specifically use the phrase "financial hardship expedite request" and be prepared to provide details about your situation. Keep detailed records of every interaction (date, time, agent name if possible).
This is extremely helpful information, thank you! We're definitely approaching hardship territory as we're about to miss some bill payments. I'll try to get through on the phone and specifically request the expedited review.
Paolo Ricci
Just wondering - have you been doing your job search activities while on your current claim? I'm asking because I knew someone who got denied a new claim because they hadn't been keeping up with their job search requirements on their prior claim. ESD can be really picky about that stuff. Maybe double-check your WorkSource account to make sure everything's up to date before applying for the new claim.
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StarSailor}
AuthorYes, I've been doing my 3 job search activities every week and logging them. I've actually had several interviews but haven't landed a position yet. The job market in my field has been really tough lately. Thanks for the reminder though - I'll double check my WorkSource account is all current before I apply for the new claim.
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Connor O'Neill
One additional thing to consider: Your weekly benefit amount on your new claim will be calculated based on your highest-earning quarters during the base year. Since you worked from September 2023 to March 2024, those quarters will determine your new benefit amount. If you were earning more at this recent job than you were before your first claim, your weekly benefit amount might actually increase. Conversely, if you were earning less, your new weekly amount might be lower. Also, start gathering documentation of your employment now - pay stubs, employment verification letter, contact info for HR at your last employer. Having these ready when you file your new claim on July 28th will help prevent delays in processing.
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StarSailor}
AuthorThat's really helpful advice! My recent job actually paid better than my previous one, so hopefully my benefit amount will be a bit higher. I'll start organizing my pay stubs and employment documents now so I have everything ready to go. Really appreciate all the information everyone's provided!
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