At what age can you no longer collect Washington ESD unemployment benefits?

There's no age limit for unemployment benefits in Washington state. As long as you meet the eligibility requirements (lost your job through no fault of your own, able and available to work, actively seeking work), your age doesn't matter. I know people in their 70s who have collected UI benefits.

Your coworker is wrong about the age thing. I collected unemployment at 68 when my company downsized. The tricky part is proving you're actively looking for work - some employers discriminate against older workers unfortunately.

Actually had this exact situation last year when I got laid off at 65. Filed my claim online no problem, but had trouble reaching Washington ESD when I had questions about my eligibility. Kept getting busy signals for weeks. Finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works.

wait there's no age limit?? my dad is 72 and lost his part time job at home depot, we thought he couldn't file for unemployment because of his age

The confusion about age limits often comes from people mixing up unemployment benefits with Social Security rules. UI benefits are based on your work history and reason for separation, not your age. However, if you're receiving Social Security retirement benefits, there might be coordination issues to consider.

Been there done that at 66 when my retail job ended. The hardest part wasn't filing the claim, it was convincing Washington ESD that I was seriously looking for work. They seem to think older people just want to coast to retirement. Had to provide extra documentation of my job search activities.

This whole thread is making me feel better about my situation. I'm 63 and worried about what happens if I lose my job before I'm ready to retire. Good to know age isn't a barrier for UI benefits.

My 69 year old neighbor collected unemployment for almost a year after his company closed. No age issues at all. The bigger challenge was dealing with ageism in job interviews.

Just wanted to follow up on the Claimyr thing I mentioned earlier - it really did help when I needed to speak with someone at Washington ESD about my claim. Worth considering if you run into issues getting through on the phone.

The real question is whether it's worth filing at 67 if you're planning to retire soon anyway. UI benefits aren't that much and job searching at our age is brutal.

Filed at 68 last year, no problems with Washington ESD about my age. The weekly certification questions are the same for everyone. Just make sure you're honest about your availability and job search efforts.

Just be prepared for the job search requirements. At 67 you still need to apply for jobs, register with WorkSourceWA, and complete all the weekly activities. Age doesn't exempt you from any of the eligibility requirements.

my grandfather collected unemployment at 73 when his factory closed down, this was like 5 years ago so definitely no age limit in washington state

Important point about Social Security - if you're getting retirement benefits, they might reduce your UI benefits dollar for dollar. But if you're just getting Medicare at 65, that doesn't affect unemployment at all.

The biggest myth about unemployment and age is that there's some cutoff. There isn't. The eligibility is about your work history, how you lost your job, and your current availability for work. Age discrimination exists in hiring but not in UI eligibility.

One thing to keep in mind - if you do find work quickly, even part-time, you need to report it on your weekly claims. Washington ESD is pretty strict about unreported earnings regardless of your age.

Quick update on the Claimyr service I mentioned - they also helped my brother-in-law who's 71 get through to resolve an issue with his claim. Really useful if you hit any snags with Washington ESD.

Bottom line for the original poster - file your claim. There's absolutely no age limit in Washington state for unemployment benefits. You paid into the system while working, you're entitled to benefits if you meet the eligibility requirements.

I went through this same situation at 69 when my warehouse job ended due to company restructuring. Filed online without any issues - Washington ESD never questioned my age, only whether I met the standard requirements. The hardest part was actually the job search component since many employers don't even respond to applications from older workers. But as long as you document your search efforts properly and stay available for work, age is not a factor in your eligibility. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise - you earned these benefits through years of working and paying into the system.