Can I file for unemployment again with Washington ESD after my benefit year expired?

Yes, you can definitely file a new claim! Since your benefit year ended, you'll need to file a completely new initial claim, not just reopen your old one. As long as you've worked and earned enough wages since your last claim, you should qualify.

I was in the exact same situation last year!! Had to file a new claim after my benefit year expired. The process was actually pretty straightforward once I figured out I needed to start completely over.

Just a heads up - if you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD to ask questions about your eligibility, I found this service called Claimyr that helps you actually reach a live agent. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me hours of calling.

WAIT - are you sure you can file again? I thought there was some rule about having to work a certain amount between claims or something???

The Washington ESD website is terrible for explaining this stuff clearly. You basically start over like you never filed before. New application, new benefit year, new weekly benefit amount calculation based on your recent wages.

Thanks everyone! This is really helpful. I was worried I'd have to wait until 2026 or something. Going to gather my pay stubs and file this weekend.

Just curious - why did you wait 6 months to ask about this? You could have filed as soon as your hours got cut.

One more thing to keep in mind - if you're still working part-time while collecting, you'll need to report those hours and wages on your weekly claims. You can earn up to your weekly benefit amount plus $5 before they start reducing your benefits.

Does anyone know if there's a limit to how many times you can file unemployment? Like if this is my third time in 5 years, will that be a problem?

Man the whole benefit year thing is so confusing. Why can't they just let you file whenever you need it?

Update on the Claimyr thing - I used it again last week to check on a different issue and got through to ESD in like 10 minutes. Way better than the 2+ hour wait times I was getting before.

Just make sure when you file your new claim that you list ALL your employers from the last 18 months, even the part-time ones. ESD will verify with them anyway and it's better to be upfront.

This thread is super helpful. I'm in a similar situation but my benefit year doesn't expire until March. Sounds like I need to wait until then to file a new claim even though my hours got cut?

The key thing to remember is that each benefit year is separate. Once it ends, it's like starting fresh with Washington ESD. Your previous claim history doesn't really matter for the new one.

Quick question - do I need to do the WorkSource registration again for a new claim or does that carry over?

Filed my claim this morning! The application was pretty straightforward since I knew what to expect from last time. Now just waiting for them to process it. Fingers crossed!

Great to see another successful filing! Just remember everyone - even if you think you might not qualify, it's usually worth applying. Let Washington ESD make the determination rather than guessing.

This whole thread has been super educational. I didn't realize how much I didn't know about the benefit year rules and refiling. Thanks everyone!

One last tip - screenshot or print your confirmation page after filing. I've had issues before where the system didn't save my application properly and having that confirmation helped when I called.

Love seeing these success stories! The unemployment system seems scary but once you understand the rules it's actually pretty manageable. Good luck to everyone filing new claims!