I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago. "Benefits exhausted" essentially means you've reached the maximum amount of unemployment benefits you're entitled to receive during your current benefit year - typically 26 weeks in Washington state. It doesn't mean you did anything wrong or that you're permanently disqualified from unemployment. The confusing part is that Washington ESD doesn't automatically tell you what your options are when this happens. You might be able to file a new claim if you've worked enough hours since your original claim started, but you'll need to check your earnings history and benefit year dates. I'd recommend trying to get through to an ESD representative to discuss your specific situation, though I know that's easier said than done given how backed up their phone lines are.

I'm in a similar situation - my benefits just showed "exhausted" status and I had no idea what it meant either. Reading through all these responses has been really eye-opening. It sounds like the key things to understand are: 1) You've used up your allotted benefits for this benefit year (usually 26 weeks), 2) You might be able to file a new claim if you've worked enough since your original claim started, and 3) Washington ESD unfortunately doesn't do a good job explaining your options when this happens. I'm going to check my benefit year dates and see if the part-time work I did while collecting might qualify me for a new claim. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it's helpful to know I'm not alone in being confused by this whole process.

Has your alert disappeared yet? Just curious if it resolved itself like people said it would.

This exact same thing happened to me last month! The duplicate alert stayed up for almost a week even though my original claim went through fine. I was so tempted to resubmit because I was worried about missing my payment, but I'm glad I found this thread first. The advice about checking payment history is spot on - if it shows "processing" then your claim definitely went through. It's really frustrating that ESD's system has these glitches but doesn't give users any clear guidance about what to do when they happen. At least now I know to just wait it out if this happens again!

The waiting is definitely the hardest part. I kept checking my account multiple times a day hoping for an update. Try to distract yourself with job searching or other activities - obsessing over the pending status won't make it go faster.

I used that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier and it actually worked! Got connected to a Washington ESD agent within a few hours instead of days of trying on my own. They explained that my pending issue was just routine verification and should be resolved within the week. Worth every penny to finally get some real information about what's happening with my claim.

Bottom line is that Washington ESD evaluates each case individually during the adjudication process. What disqualifies one person might not disqualify another even in similar situations. The key is being honest and providing all the documentation they request.

One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet is the timing of when you file your claim. If you delay filing for unemployment after becoming unemployed without good cause, you could lose benefits for those weeks. In Washington, you should file your claim during your first week of unemployment, even if you think you might get your job back. You can always stop claiming later if your situation changes, but you can't go back and claim benefits for weeks you didn't file.

This thread is really helpful! I'm in a similar situation and was wondering about eligibility too. Thanks for asking the question OP.

Based on what you've described, you should definitely qualify for Washington ESD unemployment benefits. With 8 months of work at $18/hour for 30-35 hours per week, you've likely earned well over the minimum requirements. The key factors are: 1) You were laid off (not fired for cause), 2) You have sufficient earnings in your base year, and 3) You're able and available to work. Don't overthink it - file your claim as soon as possible since benefits start from your filing date, not when you became unemployed. You can always appeal if there are any issues, but your situation sounds very straightforward for approval.