Am I eligible for unemployment benefits in Washington - confused about requirements

You should be eligible since you were laid off from your most recent job. The key thing is your separation reason from the job you're claiming benefits on. Since you were laid off (not fired for misconduct or quit), that part looks good. For the work history requirement, you need to have earned wages in at least two quarters during your base period, which is usually the first four of the last five completed quarters before you filed.

I was in almost the exact same situation last year! Quit one job because of a horrible boss, then got laid off from the next one. I was worried about the quit affecting my benefits too but it didn't. You should definitely apply through the Washington ESD website.

You'll want to apply as soon as possible since benefits don't backdate to when you became unemployed, only to when you file. The work requirement is that you need to have earned at least $1,000 in your base period AND worked in at least two quarters. With 14 months of work history, you should meet that easily.

Just a heads up - if Washington ESD wants to do a phone interview about your previous quit, it can be really hard to reach them. I spent weeks trying to get through for my eligibility interview. There's actually a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get connected to an agent. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Might be worth knowing about in case you need to talk to someone.

ugh the washington esd system is so confusing!! i had to file last year and spent forever trying to figure out if i qualified. just apply and let them tell you yes or no, thats what i did

Make sure you have all your employment information ready when you file - dates of employment, employer addresses, reason for separation, etc. Washington ESD will verify everything with your employers anyway.

I think there's also a minimum earnings requirement beyond just working two quarters. Something like you need to have earned 680 hours worth of minimum wage or something? Not totally sure on the exact number but there is a dollar amount requirement too.

One thing to keep in mind is that even if you qualify, your benefit amount will be based on your earnings during the base period. Since you've only been working for about 14 months total, your weekly benefit might be on the lower side.

Just be prepared that they might put your claim into adjudication to review the quit from your previous job, even though it shouldn't affect your eligibility. This can delay your first payment by several weeks.

The system is set up to be confusing on purpose I swear. They don't want people to know they qualify. But you definitely sound like you meet the basic requirements - laid off (not your fault), worked long enough, earned enough.

Don't forget you'll need to file weekly claims once your initial claim is approved. And you'll need to do job search activities - I think it's 3 job contacts per week now.

I had a similar work history when I filed - worked at one place for about 6 months, then another for almost a year before getting laid off. No issues with eligibility. The key is that last separation being involuntary.

Watch out for the waiting week thing too. I think Washington still has a waiting week where you don't get paid for your first eligible week.

The whole process is such a nightmare. I spent 3 hours on the phone trying to get through just to ask a simple question about my claim status. Finally found a service that helped me get connected - I think it was called Claimyr or something like that. Saved me so much time and frustration.

Make sure you keep detailed records of everything - when you file, what documents you submit, any correspondence from Washington ESD. You'll want that paper trail if any issues come up.

honestly just file the claim online at secure.esd.wa.gov and see what happens. you sound like you qualify to me but im not an expert. better to try and get denied than not try at all

One last thing - if you do get approved, your benefits will last up to 26 weeks in Washington, but you have to keep filing those weekly claims and meeting the job search requirements. Don't skip weeks or you'll lose those benefits.

Just wanted to add - if you need help reaching Washington ESD for any reason during this process, that Claimyr service people mentioned actually worked great for me too. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works. Made dealing with Washington ESD way less stressful.