Washington Unemployment
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ESD claim ending in July - can I qualify for a new claim after exhausting 16 remaining weeks?
I've been on a rollercoaster with employment lately. Lost my retail manager position back in August and filed for unemployment right away. Found a new job at a marketing firm in September, but they had a round of layoffs in February and I was cut (last in, first out I guess). I went back to ESD and reactivated my original claim. According to my ESD account, I still have 16 weeks of benefits remaining from that original claim, which should last until around mid-July. My question is: what happens when those 16 weeks run out? Since I worked at that marketing job from September to February (about 5-6 months), would I qualify for a whole new claim in August? Or am I just out of luck once this claim is exhausted? Really worried about my options if I don't find something by July...
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ESD account lock issues - can't login online and phone queue full!
I'm having a complete nightmare with my ESD account access and can't get any help! For two weeks straight, I've been trying to login to my account and all it does is refresh the page when I enter my (correct) username and password. Not even an error message - just refreshes. When I deliberately try an incorrect password, it DOES give me an error, so the system clearly recognizes my real credentials but won't let me in. I've reset my password multiple times with zero luck. Meanwhile, I've called ESD probably 25+ times on different days and at different hours, tried every single menu option, and always get the "due to high call volume" message before getting disconnected. I'm now going on two weeks without my benefit payment and bills are piling up fast. I've heard rumors you can go to the Olympia office in person for help, but it's a 2-hour drive each way for me. Has anyone actually done this successfully? Is there a walk-in option or do you need an appointment? Really don't want to waste 4+ hours driving if they'll just turn me away. Any suggestions at all would be massively appreciated - I'm desperate at this point!
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This is why I always tell people to KEEP A SEPARATE BROWSER just for unemployment stuff! Don't use it for anything else. Just ESD. I have Firefox that I ONLY use for ESD and haven't had a single login issue since I started doing that in 2025. Too many cookies and trackers from other sites mess with the secure login process.
smart idea. never thought of that. gonna try it
Terminated from remote NY job while living in WA - where to file unemployment?
My friend just got fired from her remote job and we're totally confused about where she should file for unemployment. She lives here in Washington but the company is based in New York. She worked there for just over a year before they suddenly terminated her with zero explanation. The boss was super cold about it too - didn't give her any paperwork or exit info! We're pretty sure he's going to contest her unemployment claim. Does she file here in WA or in NY? Has anyone dealt with this interstate remote work situation before? Any tips for preparing for a fight with the employer? She's really stressed about making ends meet with this sudden income loss.
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One more important thing - since her employer is in New York, there might be a slight delay as Washington ESD requests her wage information through the interstate system. This is normal, but it could add an extra week or two to the process. She should still file in Washington ASAP though, as the filing date matters for when benefits can begin. Also, Washington requires 3 job search activities per week that must be documented. New York has different requirements, but she'll need to follow Washington's rules since that's where she's filing.
I didn't even think about the job search requirements! I'll make sure she knows about the 3 activities per week. Is there a specific way Washington wants those documented?
Yes, she'll need to keep track of: - Date of the activity - Type of activity (application, interview, resume submission, etc.) - Employer/organization name and contact info - Position applied for - Method of application (online, in-person, etc.) The ESD website has a job search log template she can use. She doesn't need to submit it weekly but needs to keep it in case ESD audits her job search activities later.
Thanks everyone for the super helpful advice! I just talked to my friend and she's going to file her WA claim tonight. She's feeling much more prepared knowing what to expect with the interstate wage verification and the potential for adjudication. She also found that position elimination email and is going to save everything. Really appreciate all the insights!
Governor's Office finally helped! ESD claim approved after 5 months of adjudication with ZERO contact
FINALLY got some movement on my claim after reaching out to the Governor's Office! I've been stuck in adjudication hell since July (5 months!!) with absolutely no communication from ESD about what was wrong with my claim. Lost my job in healthcare administration due to department restructuring and thought filing would be straightforward - NOPE. After calling ESD literally 40+ times (either couldn't get through or got disconnected), I called the Governor's Office yesterday as a last resort. Two hours later, I got a call from an actual ESD representative! Then this morning at 1:30 AM, I received an email notification about a new letter in my account - MY CLAIM WAS APPROVED!! I still have my backdate adjudication to get through, but at least the main claim is moving now. For anyone who's contacted the Governor's Office to get your claim unstuck - how long did it take before everything was fully resolved? I'm worried about the backdate portion since I've been jobless since July and really need those funds. Still don't know what the two adjudication items even were since nobody ever contacted me for additional information. The whole system feels completely broken. 😩
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I don't get why everyone complains about ESD so much. I filed my claim last month and got approved in like 3 days with no issues at all. Maybe y'all are just filling things out wrong? Just saying...
Wow, really helpful comment there. 🙄 Some claims trigger automatic adjudication for things totally outside our control. My separation was a standard layoff with zero complications, forms filled perfectly, and I still waited 4 months. Consider yourself LUCKY rather than superior.
Good for you. Many of us have perfectly straightforward claims that get stuck for months for reasons never explained to us. I've been filing taxes for 25 years and have filled out plenty of government forms correctly. This isn't a user error issue - it's a broken system issue.
quick update - did they explain what the hold up was about your claim when they called? sometimes knowing helps prevent issues on future claims
Shockingly, no! The ESD agent who called just said they were following up on the Governor's Office inquiry and would expedite my claim review. Never mentioned what the actual issues were. The approval letter just states my weekly benefit amount and eligibility period, but nothing about what caused the delay. It's maddening.
Received unexpected ESD checks for 2 weeks - possible identity theft?
This is really weird and I'm getting concerned. I've received what appear to be ESD unemployment checks in the mail for the past two weeks, but I haven't applied for unemployment benefits in over 2 years! When I logged into my eServices account, there's absolutely no activity showing. I haven't cashed the checks because something feels off. I've been trying to reach the fraud investigation unit but can't get through to anyone. Has this happened to anyone else recently? Could someone have filed a claim using my information? What should I do with these checks?
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Don't forget to document EVERYTHING - take photos of the checks, save all emails, keep a log of all your calls and attempts to contact ESD. Write down dates, times, and who you spoke with. This will be important if you need to prove you acted promptly and didn't cash the fraudulent checks.
That's great advice. I'll start keeping detailed records of everything. I actually just got through to ESD using that Claimyr service someone recommended. They confirmed it's fraud and are opening an investigation. They're sending me paperwork to complete and told me to write VOID across the checks and return them.
Carmella Fromis
One thing to watch out for - make sure you're still doing your 3 job search activities each week and documenting them properly. I've seen people get denied when applying for a new benefit year because they got sloppy with job search requirements toward the end of their previous claim. ESD sometimes reviews your job search logs when you apply for a new claim.
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Ryder Greene
AuthorOh that's good to know! Yes, I've been diligent about my job search activities. I'm using WorkSourceWA for some of them and keeping detailed notes of everything else. Really hoping something comes through before July, but planning for the worst just in case.
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Ellie Simpson
my neibor said you have to wait a week between claims??? is that true?? seems dum if your already looking for work
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Arjun Kurti
Your neighbor might be confusing the waiting week with the gap between claims. The one-week waiting period only applies to your initial claim. When transitioning from an exhausted claim to a new benefit year, you should file immediately when eligible. There's no mandatory gap, but processing the new claim might take time, which is why filing promptly is important.
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