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my cousin only got 16 weeks even though he had over 1000 hours!!! said it was because he didnt work for 2 months during his base year or something like that. ESD is ALWAYS looking for ways to pay u less, dont assume u'll get 26 weeks just because thats what everyone is saying!!!
Your cousin's situation is unusual and might have been affected by other factors. The gap in employment shouldn't reduce weeks if the total hours requirement was met. It's more likely related to how his wages were distributed or possibly a disqualification issue. The OP should rely on their official monetary determination rather than anecdotal experiences.
Update: I just got my monetary determination letter today! You all were right - I qualified for the full 26 weeks since I had steady work over my base year. My weekly benefit amount is $844 and maximum benefit amount is $21,944. Thanks everyone for the help! Now I just need to make sure I keep up with those job search requirements.
That's great news Sean! $844/week is a solid benefit amount. For the job search requirements, make sure you're documenting everything properly - employer name, contact method, date, and position applied for. During winter construction slowdown, you can expand your search to related fields like maintenance, warehousing, or even indoor renovation work to meet the 3 weekly requirements. Good luck with your job search!
Thanks again everyone! This thread has been incredibly helpful. I feel much more confident about filing now. I'll update you all on how it goes!
Based on what you've shared, you should definitely qualify for unemployment benefits in Washington. With 18 months of work history and $28,000 in earnings, you're well above the minimum requirements. The store closure is a clear qualifying separation since it's through no fault of your own. I'd recommend filing your claim as soon as your last day of work is complete - don't wait! The sooner you file, the sooner you can start receiving benefits. The online application process is pretty straightforward, and you can always come back here if you run into any issues during the process.
idk why everyones making this so complucated lol... just be honest about your hours worked and let the system figure it out. congrats on the job tho thats whats important
Congratulations on landing the new job! Just wanted to add one more tip that helped me when I was in a similar situation - keep detailed records of your work hours and wages for each week you file. I created a simple spreadsheet with dates, hours worked each day, and gross pay. This made it super easy to accurately report everything when filing my weekly claims, and it also served as backup documentation in case there were ever any questions later. Having everything organized really reduced my stress about making sure I was reporting correctly. Best of luck with the new position!
One last thing - if you think the layoff might be temporary (like a seasonal shutdown), ask about standby status. It's different from regular unemployment and might be easier if your employer expects to call you back.
Thanks everyone for all this helpful information! This is way more detailed than anything I could find on the Washington ESD website. Sounds like I should expect around $600-800/week based on my salary, but I'll use that benefit calculator someone mentioned to get a better estimate. The waiting week and potential delays are definitely concerning - I'm going to start building up some extra savings now just in case. Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences, especially about the challenges with getting through to Washington ESD if issues come up. Hopefully I won't need any of this advice, but at least now I know what to expect if the worst happens.
Zainab Ismail
Thanks everyone for the info. This cleared up a lot of confusion about when unemployment actually starts. Wish Washington ESD made this stuff clearer on their website.
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Nia Jackson
•The information is there but it's buried in tons of other text. They really need to simplify how they present the basics.
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Connor O'Neill
•At least we have forums like this to help each other figure it out!
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Juan Moreno
Just wanted to add my experience for anyone else in this situation - I filed my claim about 3 weeks after losing my job because I thought I needed to wait until I was "sure" I wouldn't find work immediately. Big mistake! Not only did I lose those 3 weeks of potential benefits, but then I had to serve the waiting week on top of that. So essentially lost a full month of support when I needed it most. The lesson here is definitely file immediately even if you think you might get hired somewhere quickly - you can always stop claiming benefits if you find work, but you can't go back and claim those missed weeks.
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