Can you claim unemployment two times in one year in Washington?

That's a relief! Do I need to do anything special to reopen it or just start filing weekly claims again?

You'll need to request to reopen your claim through your Washington ESD account. There might be a waiting period depending on how long it's been since your last claim.

How long did it take for your benefits to restart when you reopened your claim?

It took about a week for them to process the reopening. Make sure you have all your employment info ready for the weeks you worked.

I had the same problem until I found Claimyr.com - they have this system that calls Washington ESD for you and gets you connected to an actual person. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me so much frustration.

That sounds too good to be true. Does it actually work or is it just another scam?

It's legit - I was skeptical too but it got me through to an agent in about 20 minutes when I'd been trying for days on my own.

What are the work requirements between claims? I worked about 12 weeks between my unemployment periods.

You need to have worked and earned at least your weekly benefit amount in wages since your last claim. 12 weeks should definitely meet that requirement.

There are limits - you can only collect up to 26 weeks total in a benefit year, and you have to be actively looking for work. It's not unlimited.

oh ok that makes more sense. i thought it was just unlimited unemployment lol

If your benefit year expired, you'll need to file a new claim, not reopen the old one. The system will automatically determine if you qualify for a new benefit year.

Thanks, that's what I was afraid of. Filing a new claim seems more complicated than just reopening.

The employer information is important because it affects your benefit calculation. Make sure you report the exact dates you worked and total wages earned.

I had trouble with that part too. If you're not sure about the exact amounts, it's better to call and speak with someone rather than guess.

There's no penalty for legitimate job loss. The only issue would be if you voluntarily quit without good cause, but layoffs and contract endings are fine.

Good to know, I was worried about that. My contract just wasn't renewed so it should be fine.

I know it's frustrating but once you understand how benefit years work, it makes more sense. The problem is they don't explain it well.

Yeah, they assume everyone knows all these rules but it's my first time dealing with unemployment more than once.

You can only have one active claim at a time, but you might be able to combine wages from both states. You'd need to file in the state where you worked most recently.

That's more complicated than I thought. I'll probably need to call and ask about combining wages.

Sometimes they need to review the circumstances of your new job separation, especially if it's different from your original claim reason.

Ugh, adjudication took forever the first time. I hope it's faster this time around.

How much does that service cost? Is it worth it?

It's worth it if you value your time. Much cheaper than missing work to sit on hold all day trying to get through.

You'll definitely need to call Washington ESD to sort that out. Having duplicate claims can cause payment delays and confusion.

Great, another reason I need to get through to them. This is such a mess.

You can still reopen your claim, but you'll need to report the gig work income on your weekly claims. It might reduce your benefits depending on how much you earn.

Okay, I'll make sure to report everything accurately. Don't want to get in trouble for unreported income.

Same here! I feel much more confident about reopening my claim now. Thanks everyone for the advice.

Glad I'm not the only one who was confused about this. The Washington ESD website doesn't explain it very clearly.

You'll need to start fresh with job search activities from the date you reopen your claim. Previous activities don't carry over to the new claim period.

Got it, so I need to make sure I'm doing my three job searches per week starting immediately.

That's great news! How long did it take to process online?

The online submission was instant, but they said it could take up to a week for the first payment to be processed.

I'm definitely going to try that service. I've wasted so much time trying to call them directly.

It's definitely worth it, especially when you have specific questions that need to be answered by an actual person rather than just the automated system.